Esashi

Esashi stretches across 1,115 square kilometers along the Sea of Okhotsk, featuring a narrow urban strip between mountains and coastline with marshlands near Kitami Horobetsu River.

The town emerged from the merger of four villages in 1909, experiencing a devastating forest fire in 1940 that destroyed 547 buildings and resulted in 16 casualties.

The name Esashi derives from the Ainu word Esaushi, reflecting the indigenous heritage of this northern Japanese settlement on Hokkaido island.

The town maintains seven elementary schools, three junior high schools, and one public high school, serving its population of approximately 7,200 residents.

The waters surrounding Esashi contain rich marine plankton carried by winter drift ice, supporting substantial populations of horsehair crabs, salmon, and scallops.

Location: Soya Subprefecture

Location: Esashi district

Inception: April 1, 1909

Shares border with: Hamatonbetsu, Nakatonbetsu, Otoineppu, Bifuka, Ōmu

Website: https://esashi.jp

GPS coordinates: 44.93872,142.58142

Latest update: May 27, 2025 06:52