Esashi, Hokkaido 1.98

is a town in Hiyama Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Hiyama Subprefecture.One of the oldest towns in Hokkaido, the name Esashi comes from the Ainu word for kombu, a type of edible kelp well known in Japan. It is the birthplace of a folk music tradition called Esashi oiwake.GeographyEsashi is a district and port town located on the western seaboard of Hokkaido on the Assabugawa river, facing the Sea of Japan. Its eastern part is mountainous. The town is bordered by the municipalities of Kaminokuni, Assabu and Otobe. It has a ferry connection to Okushiri island. The rail link was discontinued in 2014; Esashi Station was the terminus of the Esashi Line.Kamome Island in the town is part of Hiyama Prefectural Natural Park.ClimateEsashi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with far less snow in winter than elsewhere in Hokkaido due to the influence of the warming tsushima-kairyu ocean current.