Shibecha, Hokkaido

Shibecha (標茶町) is a town located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 7,230 and a density of 6.6 persons per km2. The total area is 1,099.41 km2.

History

 * 1923: Kumaushi Village (熊牛村) is formed.
 * 1929: Village renamed to Shibecha.
 * 1950: Shibecha Village becomes Shibecha Town.

Mascots
Kushiro's mascots is Milkcook (ミルクック) and Kurobe Happy (ハッピーくろべえ). They are bovines with a strong sense of justice.
 * Milkcook is a mild-mannered dairy cow. She is a chef who can cook fast. She will moo if she fails to cook something good. As a result of her cooking skills, she promotes hospitality in the town while promoting the importance of milk. She became mascot in Spring 2006.
 * Kurobe Happy is an optimistic bull who loves matsuris. He wears a blue happi. As a result of his fascination of festivals, he promotes events in the town while promoting the importance of beef. He became mascot during the 2011 Fall Matsuri.

Notable people from Shibecha

 * Nobukatsu Fujioka, professor of education
 * Keiko Takahashi, actress