Utashinai
Utashinai is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is Japan's smallest city by population.
History
Utashinai was formerly a prosperous coal mining city, but its fortunes has declined greatly since the closing of the coal mines. The population peaked at 46,000 in 1948, and has been decreasing every year since.Efforts to transform Utashinai from a gritty coal mining town to an alpine tourist destination have met with mixed success. The town has adopted a Swiss theme as part of its tourist-oriented strategy and many new buildings are built in the Swiss chalet style. A medium-sized ski hill, Kamoidake, attracts a decent crowd of locals and hosts frequent ski meets, while a hot spring resort called Tyrol, after the Austrian region, is known throughout Hokkaido for the quality of its water. However, despite these new projects, Utashinai continues to experience population decline and economic stagnation. The local high school closed in 2007, with students now traveling to Sunagawa, Akabira or Takikawa for their secondary education.
Timeline
- 1890 - Sorachi Coal Mine opened, founding of Utashinai.
- 1897 - Utashinai Village split away from Nae Village.
- 1900 - Ashibetsu Village splits off.
- 1906 - Utashinai becomes a Second Class Municipality.
- 1919 - Utashinai becomes a First Class Municipality.
- 1922 - Akabira Village split off.
- 1940 - Utashinai becomes a town.
- 1949 - Part of the town splits off into Kamisunagawa Town.
- July 1, 1958 - Utashinai becomes a city.
- 1971 - Sumitomo closes Utashinai Mine.
- 1988 - Kamiutashinai Mine closed.
- 1995 - Sorachi Mine closed.
- 2003 - Mid-Sorachi Merger Conference established.
- 2004 - Merger Conference disbanded.
Geography