city, central Hokkaido, northern Japan. It lies along the upper Yūbari River, in the Yūbari Range. It developed as a mining town when coal was discovered in the area in the 1880s, and by the mid-20th century it was the largest mining city in Hokkaido. Most of the coal was sent to Iwate prefecture to be used in the production of iron. The declining yield and closure of the mines after 1960, however, caused the city's population to decline. Pop. (2005 prelim.) 13,002.