Eniwa, City in Ishikari Subprefecture, Japan
Eniwa is a city in Ishikari Subprefecture on Hokkaido Island in Japan, situated between Sapporo and New Chitose Airport across 294 square kilometers. Mount Eniwa rises behind the urban area, while the city itself includes numerous residential and commercial zones that now house around seventy thousand residents.
Archaeological finds from the early Jomon period around 7000 BC at the Karinba site show people have lived here for thousands of years. The Sapporo Brewery opened a facility in the area in 1989, marking the modern industrial development of the city.
The name comes from the Ainu language, meaning sharp mountain, though later it was written with Japanese characters suggesting a blessed garden. This dual origin remains visible in daily use and recalls the island's first inhabitants.
The city sits directly on the route between Sapporo and Hokkaido's international airport, making it easy to reach. Seven industrial parks are distributed across the urban area, while several childcare facilities for families are available in different neighborhoods.
At the Karinba site, lacquered combs and earthenware from the earliest Jomon period were discovered, among the oldest such objects in Japan. These finds show that complex craft techniques were already being used here long before larger settlements formed.
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