Mikasa, Hokkaido

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Mikasa 三笠市
City
Flag Seal
Nickname:  radioformula
Location of Mikasa in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Mikasa Location in Japan
Coordinates: 43°15′N 141°53′E / 43.250°N 141.883°E / 43.250; 141.883
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Government
• Mayor	Kazuo Kobayashi
Area
• Total	302.64 km2 (116.85 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2020)
• Total	8,040
• Density	27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Japanese rowan
• Flower	Chrysanthemum
• Bird	White wagtail
Phone number	01267-2-3182
Address	2 Saiwaichō, Mikasa-shi, Hokkaidō 068-2192
Website	http://www.city.mikasa.hokkaido.jp/

Mikasa (三笠市, Mikasa-shi) is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of 1 October 2020, the city has an estimated population of 8,040, and the density of 27 persons per km².

The total area is 302.64 km². It is bordered on three sides by mountains, and on its east side is the man-made Lake Katsurazawa.

Mikasa is one of the birthplaces of the mining and railroad industries in Hokkaido, and the Hokkai Bon song was invented there. Though in the past it flourished due to its natural abundance of coal, the mines have largely closed down and this has caused the population of the city to fall rapidly.

Quite a few fossil specimens have also been collected there, particularly ammonites and the prehistoric marine reptile Yezosaurus mikasaensis, both of which can be viewed at the city's natural history museum.^[1]

• 1906 - Mikasayama village was founded.
• 1942 - Mikasayama village became Mikasa town.
• 1957 - Mikasa town became Mikasa city.

• Hokkaido Mikasa High School

Dō-Ō Expressway runs through west of the city, connecting the city to Asahikawa and Sapporo via Mikasa IC. There are no rail services in the city.

Notable local products include watermelon, musk melon, cucumber, northern plum, and wine.

Mikasa's mascot is Ryuu-chan (りゅうちゃん, Ryū-chan). He is a 84,000,000-year-old yellow dinosaur.^[2]

• Tadashi Kawamata (b. 1953), artist

• Mikasa City Museum

Media related to Mikasa, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)