Tokoro, Hokkaido

{{Infobox settlement | name = Tokoro | official_name = | native_name = {{nobold|{{nobold|{{lang|ja|常呂町}}}}}} | native_name_lang = ja | settlement_type = Town | other_name =  | image_skyline = 常呂町カーリングホール.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Exterior view of the former Tokoro Town Curling Hall facility (2011) | image_flag = Flag of Tokoro, Hokkaido (1950–2006).svg | image_seal = Emblem of Tokoro, Hokkaido (1950–2006).svg | seal_type = Emblem | image_map = Hokkaido Tokoro-town.png | map_alt = | map_caption = Location of Tokoro in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture) | pushpin_map = Japan | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan | coordinates = {{coord|44|7|N|144|4|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes =  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Japan | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Hokkaido | subdivision_type2 = Prefecture | subdivision_name2 = Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture) | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 =  | established_title =  | established_date = | extinct_title = Now part of Kitami | extinct_date = March 5, 2006 | founder = | named_for =  | seat_type =  | seat =  | government_footnotes =  | leader_party = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = | leader_title1 = Vice Mayor | leader_name1 =  | total_type =  | unit_pref = Metric | area_magnitude =  | area_footnotes =  | area_total_km2 = 278.29 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note =  | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m =  | population_footnotes =  | population_total = 4,889 | population_as_of = February 28, 2006 | population_density_km2 = 17.57 | population_est = | pop_est_as_of =  | timezone1 = JST | utc_offset1 = +09:00 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type =  | area_code =  | blank_name_sec1 = City hall address | blank_info_sec1 = 323, Aza-Tokoro, Tokoro Town, Tokoro County, Hokkaido, Japan 093-0292 | website = {{URL|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20051212191540/http://www.town.tokoro.hokkaido.jp/cgi-bin/odb-get.exe?WIT_template=AM020000}} | footnotes = | module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes | tree = Sorbus commixta | flower = Clematis | bird = | flowering_tree = | butterfly = | fish = | other_symbols = }} }}

{{nihongo|'''Tokoro'''|常呂町|Tokoro-chō}} is a small town, formerly an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all from Tokoro District), was merged into a part of the expanded city of Kitami, and became Tokoro Town, Kitami City.

==Demographics== As of 2006, the town had an estimated population of 4,889 and a density of 17.57 persons per km2. The total area was 278.29 km2.

==Curling== The town had a strong association with the sport of curling following a friendship visit in 1980 by a curling team from Alberta in Canada.<ref name="kitakami_curling">{{cite web|url= http://www.city.kitami.lg.jp/docs/7251/|title= Curling|publisher= City of Kitakami|location= Japan|language= Japanese|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150629175859/http://www.city.kitami.lg.jp/docs/7251/|archivedate= 2015-06-29|accessdate= 1 February 2014|url-status= dead}}</ref> An outdoor curling rink was built the following year, and it hosted the 1st NHK Cup Curling Championship.<ref name="kitakami_curling"/> In January 1988, the town built a dedicated 5-lane curling hall, the first in Japan.<ref name="asahi20130129">{{cite web |url= http://www.asahi.com/area/hokkaido/articles/MTW20130129010200001.html|script-title=ja:常呂町カーリングホール今季限り|trans-title=Tokoro Curling Hall to close at the end of this season|date= 29 January 2013|work= Asahi Shimbun Digital|publisher= The Asahi Shimbun Company|location= Japan|language= Japanese|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215061217/http://www.asahi.com/area/hokkaido/articles/MTW20130129010200001.html|archivedate=2013-02-15|url-status= dead|accessdate= 1 February 2014}}</ref> This eventually closed in early 2013, replaced by a new, larger, all-year-round structure.<ref name="asahi20130129"/>

Curling was introduced in schools in Tokoro as part of the physical education curriculum, and the two produced a number of Olympic curlers.<ref name="kitakami_curling"/> Five members of the Japanese curling team at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano were from Tokoro, three members of the Japanese curling team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino were from Tokoro, and three members of the Japanese curling team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver were from Tokoro.<ref name="kitakami_curling"/>

==Climate== {{Weather box|width=auto | location = Tokoro, Hokkaido (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | single line = Y | metric first = Y |Jan record high C = 7.8 |Feb record high C = 12.4 |Mar record high C = 16.6 |Apr record high C = 30.8 |May record high C = 35.2 |Jun record high C = 32.7 |Jul record high C = 36.7 |Aug record high C = 36.9 |Sep record high C = 32.6 |Oct record high C = 31.4 |Nov record high C = 20.9 |Dec record high C = 16.4 |Jan high C = -2.4 |Feb high C = -2.3 |Mar high C = 1.9 |Apr high C = 9.2 |May high C = 15.2 |Jun high C = 18.5 |Jul high C = 22.3 |Aug high C = 24.1 |Sep high C = 21.1 |Oct high C = 15.1 |Nov high C = 7.5 |Dec high C = 0.4 |Jan mean C = -6.5 |Feb mean C = -6.9 |Mar mean C = -2.2 |Apr mean C = 4.3 |May mean C = 9.9 |Jun mean C = 13.6 |Jul mean C = 17.7 |Aug mean C = 19.6 |Sep mean C = 16.3 |Oct mean C = 10.1 |Nov mean C = 3.3 |Dec mean C = -3.4 |Jan low C = -12.2 |Feb low C = -13.6 |Mar low C = -7.4 |Apr low C = -0.5 |May low C = 4.8 |Jun low C = 9.3 |Jul low C = 13.8 |Aug low C = 15.7 |Sep low C = 11.6 |Oct low C = 4.9 |Nov low C = -1.0 |Dec low C = -8.5 |Jan record low C = -29.6 |Feb record low C = -31.2 |Mar record low C = -26.8 |Apr record low C = -14.7 |May record low C = -3.5 |Jun record low C = -1.3 |Jul record low C = 3.8 |Aug record low C = 5.7 |Sep record low C = 1.4 |Oct record low C = -3.6 |Nov record low C = -15.3 |Dec record low C = -24.2 | precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 30.3 |Feb precipitation mm = 19.6 |Mar precipitation mm = 22.0 |Apr precipitation mm = 35.7 |May precipitation mm = 54.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 65.0 |Jul precipitation mm = 91.0 |Aug precipitation mm = 112.0 |Sep precipitation mm = 111.2 |Oct precipitation mm = 76.5 |Nov precipitation mm = 50.6 |Dec precipitation mm = 42.2 |year precipitation mm = 710.6 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 10.1 |Feb precipitation days = 7.6 |Mar precipitation days = 7.3 |Apr precipitation days = 8.1 |May precipitation days = 10.0 |Jun precipitation days = 9.8 |Jul precipitation days = 10.6 |Aug precipitation days = 11.3 |Sep precipitation days = 11.4 |Oct precipitation days = 10.6 |Nov precipitation days = 10.3 |Dec precipitation days = 10.3 |year precipitation days = 117.2 |Jan sun = 98.2 |Feb sun = 124.6 |Mar sun = 171.7 |Apr sun = 181.9 |May sun = 185.5 |Jun sun = 170.7 |Jul sun = 166.7 |Aug sun = 170.4 |Sep sun = 167.4 |Oct sun = 152.8 |Nov sun = 116.6 |Dec sun = 99.3 |year sun = 1805.9 |source 1 = JMA<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=17&block_no=0068&year=&month=&day=&view=h0 |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | publisher = JMA | access-date = February 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=17&block_no=0068&year=&month=12&day=&view=h0 |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | publisher = JMA | access-date = February 28, 2022}}</ref>}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.city.kitami.lg.jp/ Kitami website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tokoro, Hokkaido}} Category:Dissolved municipalities of Hokkaido Category:Kitami