Ōzora (大空町, Ōzora-chō) is a town located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

Ōzora
大空町
Town
Flag of Ōzora
Official seal of Ōzora
Location of Ōzora in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Location of Ōzora in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Ōzora is located in Japan
Ōzora
Ōzora
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 43°54′43″N 144°10′21.2″E / 43.91194°N 144.172556°E / 43.91194; 144.172556
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
DistrictAbashiri
Government
 • MayorKazumasa Matsukawa (April 2022)
Area
 • Total
343.62 km2 (132.67 sq mi)
Population
 (2016-09-30)
 • Total
7,430
 • Density22/km2 (56/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address3-4-1-1 Memanbetsu-nishi, Ōzora-chō, Hokkaidō
099-2392
Websitewww.town.ozora.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
FlowerMountain Phlox and Lysichite camtschatcense
MascotSoralucky (そらっきー)
TreeJapanese Rowan and Japanese White Birch

Ōzora was formed on March 31, 2006, as a result of the merger of the town of Memanbetsu, and the village of Higashimokoto.

Memanbetsu Village (later Memanbetsu Town) split from the Town of Abashiri (now the City of Abashiri) in 1921, and Higashimokoto Village split from Abashiri Town on February 11, 1947. Therefore, all of Ōzora's territory once was a part of Abashiri.

Many places in Ōzora, such as the train stations, the airport, and the high school are named after the former town of Memanbetsu, and Japanese airlines use "Memanbetsu" to refer to "Ōzora" as a destination.[1][2]

Education

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Ōzora operates public elementary and junior high schools.

In the Higashimokoto area:

  • Higashimokoto Agricultural High School
  • Higashimokoto Elementary School
  • Higashimokoto Junior High School

In the Memanbetsu area:

  • Memanbetsu Elementary School
  • Memanbetsu Junior High School

Hokkaido Prefectural Board of Education operates Memanbetsu High School in Ōzora.

Transportation

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Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) operates two stations on the Sekihoku Main Line:

Memanbetsu Airport is located in Ōzora.

Mascot

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Soralucky, the town's mascot

Ōzora's mascot is Soralucky (そらっきー, Sorakki), a cute anthropomorphic jet airliner. It was designed in 2006, unveiled in March 2007 and it was further revised in December 2014 with addition of jet engines, windows and other miscellaneous details such as the town emblem on its tail.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ Home Page, All Nippon Airways
  2. ^ Home Page, Japan Airlines
  3. ^ "大空町の概要". Ōzora.
  4. ^ "大空町観光大使 そらっきー便り". Ōzora.
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