| Utashinai | |||||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||||
| Settlement Type: | City | ||||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan | ||||
| Coordinates: | 43.5167°N 144°W | ||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Hokkaido | ||||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||||
| Subdivision Name2: | Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture) | ||||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||||
| Leader Name: | Takaoki Murakami | ||||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||||
| Unit Pref: | Metric | ||||
| Area Total Km2: | 55.99 | ||||
| Population Total: | 2,662 | ||||
| Population As Of: | January 31, 2024 | ||||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||||
| Timezone1: | JST | ||||
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 | ||||
| Blank Name Sec1: | City hall address | ||||
| Blank Info Sec1: | 5, Aza Honchō, Utashinai-shi, Hokkaidō 073-0492 | ||||
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is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is Japan's smallest city by population.
Utashinai was formerly a prosperous coal mining city, but its fortunes has declined greatly since the closing of the coal mines. The population peaked at 46,000 in 1948, and has been decreasing every year since.
Efforts to transform Utashinai from a gritty coal mining town to an alpine tourist destination have met with mixed success. The town has adopted a Swiss theme as part of its tourist-oriented strategy and many new buildings are built in the Swiss chalet style. A medium-sized ski hill, Kamoidake, attracts a decent crowd of locals and hosts frequent ski meets, while a hot spring resort called Tyrol, after the Austrian region, is known throughout Hokkaido for the quality of its water. However, despite these new projects, Utashinai continues to experience population decline and economic stagnation. The local high school closed in 2007, with students now traveling to Sunagawa, Akabira or Takikawa for their secondary education.
Penkeutashunai River, a tributary of Ishikari River, flows through Utashinai. There is Mount Kamoi on the northwest of the city.
The name is derived from the Ainu ota-us-nay (Ainu: オタウㇱナイ) meaning "River connected to a sandy beach".[1]
As of December 31, 2020, the city had a population of 3,019, with 1,788 households, and a density of 62 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 55.99 km2. The population of Utashinai has been declining very rapidly for the past 80 years.[2]
Utashinai's mascot is, unveiled in 1998. He is a sheep carrying an alphorn, who moved from Switzerland to Japan.[3]