Hamatonbetsu, Hokkaido
town in Esashi district, Hokkaido, Japan
Hamatonbetsu (浜頓別町, Hamatonbetsu-chō) is a town located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of 1 July 2024, the town had an estimated population of 3,263 in 1841 households, and a population density of 8.1 people per km2. The total area of the town is 401.59 km2 (155.05 sq mi).
Geography
Hamatonbetsu is located in northeast Hokkaido; it faces the Sea of Okhotsk to the east where, during the winter, there is drift ice. Coastal areas of the town are marshy, and mountains spread out in the western and southern parts of the town. Lake Kutcharo designated a Ramsar site in July 1989, and host nearly 300 bird species either year round or as part of the avians' migratory pattern. Parts of the town are within the borders of the North Okhotsk Prefectural Natural Park.
Mountains: Mount Jumon (761m)
Rivers: Tonbetsu River, Toyosambe River
Lakes: Lake Kutcharo
Neighbouring municipalities
Hokkaido
Esashi
Horonobe
Nakatonbetsu
Sarufutsu
Climate
Hamatonbetsu has cold and temperate climate considered to be Dfb according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. There is a considerable amount of rainfall even during months that typically experience dry weather. The average annual temperature in Hamatonbetsu is 5.9 °C. Each year, there is an approximate 1112 mm of precipitation.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Hamatonbetsu, Hokkaido” as town in Esashi district, Hokkaido, Japan. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as town in Esashi district, Hokkaido, Japan. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1210124. VIAF identifies the subject as 260509808. Authority coordinates are 45.124, 142.360. 2 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2024, 1841, 1989 and 1112.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Hamatonbetsu, Hokkaido”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Hamatonbetsu, Hokkaido primary sources, Hamatonbetsu, Hokkaido archive and Hamatonbetsu research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Hamatonbetsu, Hokkaido”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Hamatonbetsu, Hokkaido” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.