Kamikawa Basin

A large basin in the center of Hokkaido. It is bordered by the Taisetsu volcano group to the east, the Teshio and Yubari mountain ranges to the west, the Nayoro Basin to the north by low mountains, and the Furano Basin to the south by welded tuff hills. Asahikawa city is located on the western floor of the basin, and major rivers such as the Ishikari River that run through the basin join together in the western part of the city. The climate is inland, with the average temperature in Asahikawa being -8.5°C in January and 20.9°C in August, a difference of more than 29°C.

Much of the basin floor is made up of alluvial deposits, making it excellent for farming, and from 1891 (Meiji 24), Tondenhei villages were established in Nagayama, Higashiasahikawa (Asahikawa City), and Toma, forming the basis for development. After the railway was opened in 1898, land was sold off and rice cultivation was quickly established, and by the 1920s the basin floor had become a paddy rice monoculture area. Paddy rice yields are high, but in recent years, due to the rice production reduction policy, there has been a shift to diversified management with field crops. It is one of the vegetable producing areas in Hokkaido, with fruit vegetables being important. Industry is concentrated in Asahikawa, but lumber and wood product industries are carried out in other areas.

[Jiro Okamoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北海道の中央部にある大きな盆地。東に大雪(たいせつ)火山群、西に天塩(てしお)・夕張(ゆうばり)両山地があり、北は低い山地によって名寄(なよろ)盆地と、南は溶結凝灰岩の丘陵によって富良野(ふらの)盆地と境される。盆地床西部に旭川市(あさひかわし)があり、市街地西部で盆地を流れる石狩川などの主要河川が合流。気候は内陸的で、旭川の1月の平均気温は零下8.5℃、8月は20.9℃でその差は29℃以上である。

　盆地床は沖積堆積物(たいせきぶつ)からなる部分が多く、農耕地としても優れ、1891年（明治24）以降、永山(ながやま)・東旭川（旭川市）、当麻(とうま)に屯田兵村(とんでんへいむら)が置かれて開拓の基礎となった。1898年の鉄道開通後土地払下げが進み、稲作も早期に定着して、1920年代には盆地床は水稲単作地帯となった。水稲の収量水準は高いが、近年減反政策により畑作との複合経営への移行がみられる。道内の野菜生産地の一つで果菜が重要。工業は旭川に集中するが、木材や木製品工業などは各地で行われる。

［岡本次郎］

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