Hokuto (北斗市, Hokuto-shi) is a city in the center of the Oshima Subprefecture in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. It serves as a bedroom community for Hakodate, to the east of the city. Hokuto was formed on February 1, 2006, from merging the town of Kamiiso, from Kamiiso District, and the town of Ōno, from Kameda District. Hokuto is the third city to be established in Oshima. (The second, Kameda, no longer exists, being dissolved just two years after its founding in 1971). Hokuto is the second largest city in Oshima by population after the city of Hakodate.
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Geography
Hokuto is in the middle of Oshima, a peninsula in Hokkaido's south. The southeast portion is mostly plains and the western part is more mountainous. The south borders the Hakodate Bay. The Ōno River runs north and south through the middle of Hokuto.
Mountain: Katsuratake (734m)
Rivers: Ōno, Hekirichi
Lake: Kamiiso
Forest parks: Hachirounuma Koen
Neighboring regions
Oshima Subprefecture
Hakodate City
Kamiiso District: Kikonai Town
Kameda District: Nanae Town
Kayabe District: Mori Town
Hiyama Subprefecture
Hiyama District: Assabu Town
History
1900: Kamiiso village and Ono village were founded.
1918: Kamiiso village became Kamiiso town.
1955: Mobetsu village was merged into Kamiiso town.
1957: Ono village became Ono town.
2006: Kamiiso town and Ono town were merged to form Hokuto city.
Transportation
Rail
Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) - Hokkaido Shinkansen
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) - Hakodate Main Line
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
South Hokkaido Railway Company - Dōnan Isaribi Tetsudō Line
Nanaehama - Higashi-Kunebetsu - Kunebetsu - Kiyokawaguchi - Kamiiso - Moheji - Oshima-Tōbetsu
Road
Hakodate-Esashi Expressway: Hokuto-Oiwake IC - Hokuto-chūō IC - Hokuto-Tomigawa IC - Hokuto-Moheji IC
Education
High schools
Hokkaido Kamiiso High School
Hokkaido Ono Agricultural High School
Hokkaido Hakodate fisheries High School