Sunagawa, Hokkaido

Sunagawa

砂川市
Sunagawa 砂川市
City
	Sunagawa Station
	Flag Seal
	Location of Sunagawa in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
	Sunagawa Location in Japan
	Coordinates: 43°30′N 141°54′E / 43.500°N 141.900°E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Government
• Mayor	Masafumi Yoshioka
Area
• Total	78.69 km2 (30.38 sq mi)
Population (August 15, 2024)
• Total	15,340
• Density	190/km2 (500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	1-1 Kita San-chōme, Nishi Roku-jō, Sunagawa-shi, Hokkaido; 073-0195
Website	www.city.sunagawa.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
Flower	Lily of the Valley
Tree	Japanese Rowan

Sunagawa (砂川市, Sunagawa-shi) is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of August 2024, the city has an estimated population of 15,340^[1] and a population density of 190 people per km². The total area is 78.69 km².

The city was designated as the first "Amenity Town" in Hokkaido in 1984 (Showa 59). As an Amenity Town, Sunagawa contains lot of greenery, such as parks.^[2]

Name

Name of Sunagawa is derived from an Ainu word "Ota-ushi-nai", meaning the river near sandy shore.

History

1890 - Nae Village founded.
1895 - Nae Village Office opened.
1897 - Utashinai Village splits off .
1902 - Nae becomes a Second Class Municipality.
1903 - Nae Village becomes Sunagawa Village.
1907 - Sunagawa becomes a First Class Municipality.
1923 - Sunagawa Village becomes Sunagawa Town.
1944 - Naie Village splits off.
1949 - Kamisunagawa Town splits off.
July 1, 1958 - Sunagawa Town becomes Sunagawa City.

Education

High school

Hokkaido Sunagawa High School.

Transportation

Hakodate Main Line : Toyonuma - Sunagawa
Hokkaidō Expressway : Naie-Sunagawa IC (Naie) - Sunanaga SA - Takikawa IC (Takikawa)

Notable people from Sunagawa, Hokkaido

Junichi Watanabe (1933–2014), Japanese writer and doctor
Mitsuya Nagai (born 1968), Japanese mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler (Real Name: Hirokazu Nagai, Nihongo: 長井弘和, Nagai Hirokazu)