Tomakomai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tomakomai
苫小牧市
|
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Location of Tomakomai in Hokkaido (Iburi Subprefecture)
|
|||||||||||||
 Tomakomai
Location in Japan
|
|||||||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||
| Region | Hokkaido | ||||||||||||
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Iburi Subprefecture) | ||||||||||||
| First official recorded | 1799 AD | ||||||||||||
| City settled | 1 April 1948 | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 561.57 km2 (216.82 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population
(July 31, 2023)
|
|||||||||||||
| • Total | 167,372 | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 298.043/km2 (771.928/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) | ||||||||||||
| City hall address | 4-5-6 Asahimachi, Tomakomai-shi, Hokkaido 053-8722 |
||||||||||||
| Climate | Dfb | ||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Tomakomai (苫小牧市, Tomakomai-shi) is a lively city and important port located in Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the biggest city in the Iburi area and the fourth largest in all of Hokkaido. As of July 2023, about 167,372 people live there. The city covers an area of about 561.57 square kilometers.
Tomakomai is especially famous for catching a lot of Arctic surf clams. These clams are a special local food!
Contents
History of Tomakomai City
The name Tomakomai comes from the Ainu language. "To" means "marsh," and "makomai" means "river which goes deep into the mountain." So, the name describes the area's natural features.
- 1879: The Yūfutsu branch of the Hokkaidō Development Commission moved to Tomakomai. This is considered the city's founding year.
- 1902: Tomakomai became a second-class village.
- 1918: Tomakomai village grew and became Tomakomai town.
- 1948: Tomakomai town officially became Tomakomai city.
- 1963: The Tomakomai Port (West) opened, making it an important shipping hub.
- 1980: The Tomakomai Port (East) also opened, further boosting trade.
- 2018: On September 6, 2018, Tomakomai was the closest city to the center of the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake.
Geography and Climate
Tomakomai is a city with interesting natural surroundings.
Natural Features
Mount Tarumae is a volcano located in the northwest part of Tomakomai. It is part of the beautiful Shikotsu-Tōya National Park.
Understanding Tomakomai's Climate
Tomakomai has a humid continental climate. This type of climate is common in Hokkaido. It means the city experiences warm summers and cold, snowy winters.
| Climate data for Tomakomai (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1942−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) |
12.6 (54.7) |
15.5 (59.9) |
21.8 (71.2) |
27.3 (81.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
35.5 (95.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
19.1 (66.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
35.5 (95.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) |
0.9 (33.6) |
4.4 (39.9) |
9.6 (49.3) |
14.1 (57.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.0 (69.8) |
23.4 (74.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
2.8 (37.0) |
11.8 (53.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.6 (25.5) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
0.5 (32.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
10.0 (50.0) |
14.0 (57.2) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.4 (68.7) |
17.8 (64.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
4.9 (40.8) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
7.9 (46.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.1 (17.4) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
1.3 (34.3) |
6.6 (43.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
6.4 (43.5) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
4.1 (39.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −21.3 (−6.3) |
−20.9 (−5.6) |
−19.8 (−3.6) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
1.8 (35.2) |
6.5 (43.7) |
9.2 (48.6) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−12.6 (9.3) |
−20.4 (−4.7) |
−21.3 (−6.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 38.7 (1.52) |
37.5 (1.48) |
53.5 (2.11) |
75.7 (2.98) |
130.8 (5.15) |
111.6 (4.39) |
163.5 (6.44) |
197.5 (7.78) |
174.9 (6.89) |
113.2 (4.46) |
85.7 (3.37) |
56.6 (2.23) |
1,239.2 (48.79) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 42 (17) |
42 (17) |
26 (10) |
2 (0.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
4 (1.6) |
29 (11) |
145 (57) |
| Average rainy days | 7.3 | 7.6 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 9.9 | 8.7 | 11.1 | 11.8 | 10.4 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 8.1 | 111.7 |
| Average snowy days | 10.6 | 10.9 | 7.4 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 | 6.6 | 37.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 88 | 86 | 80 | 74 | 71 | 70 | 77 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 142.0 | 144.7 | 165.6 | 173.5 | 171.9 | 119.7 | 108.1 | 122.2 | 153.1 | 156.0 | 127.1 | 127.6 | 1,711.5 |
| Source 1: JMA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: JMA | |||||||||||||
Getting Around Tomakomai
Tomakomai has many ways to travel, connecting it to other parts of Japan and the world.
Airport Connections
- The closest major airport is New Chitose Airport.
Train Travel
Tomakomai is well-connected by train lines:
- Chitose Line: This line includes stations like Numanohata and Uenae.
- Hidaka Main Line: You can find Numanohata and Yūfutsu on this line.
- Muroran Main Line: This line serves stations such as Nishikioka, Itoi, Aoba, Tomakomai, and Numanohata.
Road Networks
Major roads help people travel by car:
- Hidaka Expressway
- Hokkaidō Expressway
Sea Port Services
- The Tomakomai West Port Ferry Terminal offers regular ferry services. You can travel to other places with companies like MOL Ferry, Taiheiyō Ferry, and K Line Kinkai.
Learning and Education
Tomakomai has several schools and colleges for students of all ages.
Universities
- Hokuyou University
Colleges
- National Institute of Technology, Tomakomai College
High Schools
There are both public and private high schools in Tomakomai.
Public High Schools
- Hokkaido Tomakomai Higashi High School
- Hokkaido Tomakomai Minami High School
- Hokkaido Tomakomai Nishi High School
- Hokkaido Tomakomai Sogokeizai High School
- Hokkaido Tomakomai Technical High School
Private High Schools
- Komazawa University Tomakomai High School
- Tomakomai Chuo High School
Sports and Fun
.jpg)
Tomakomai is a city that enjoys sports. In 2014, the city was proud to host the World Broomball Championships.
City Connections: Sister and Friendship Cities
Tomakomai has special relationships with other cities around the world. These connections help promote culture and understanding.
Sister Cities
Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan (since 1973)
Napier, Hawke's Bay Region, New Zealand (since 1980)- Nikko, Tochigi, Japan (since 1982)
Friendship City
Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China (since 1998)
Famous People from Tomakomai
Many talented people have come from Tomakomai, including athletes and artists.
- Yushiroh Hirano, an ice hockey player for the Adirondack Thunder.
- Tsutomu Kawabuchi, a well-known ice hockey player and coach. He is even in the IIHF Hall of Fame.
- Asami Kimura, a singer who was part of Hello! Project and a leader of the group Country Musume.
- Eiichi Kudo, a famous film director.
- Junko Misaki, an enka singer.
- Ippei Mizuhara, an interpreter for Major League Baseball.
- Kei Sanbe, a talented manga artist.
- Naoki Sano, a professional wrestler.
- Takuya Onodera, a professional wrestler also known as T-Hawk.
- Hisayoshi Sato, a skilled swimmer.
See also
In Spanish: Tomakomai (Hokkaidō) para niños
