Rikubetsu, Hokkaido

Rikubetsu (陸別町) is a town located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is located on the edge of the Tokachi Plain at an altitude of 207 m above sea level.

As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 2,528 and a density of 4.2 persons per km². The total area is 608.81 km².

Climate
Rikubetsu is ranked as Japan's coldest area. Daily mean temperature in January is -11.4 C, the average low temperature in the end of January and beginning of February are below -20 C, which are the coldest in Japan.

Mascots
Rikubetsu's mascots are Shibare-kun (しばれ君) and Tsurara-chan (つららちゃん).
 * Shibare-kun is a Siberian boy from the Amur River area. He sailed to Japan through the trails of drift ice. He carries a thermometer to remind everyone that Rikubetsu is Japan's coldest place.
 * Tsurara-chan is a Canadian girl. She flew to Japan through the path of the aurora borealis. Her goal is to prevent climate change.