Teine-ku, Sapporo


Teine-ku is one of the 10 wards in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The ward is located in northwest of Sapporo, which is neighboured to three other wards in Sapporo and two cities. The area was established as one of the wards in Sapporo in 1989, when it was split from Nishi-ku, Sapporo.

Overview

According to the jūminhyō in 2008, 138,570 people are living in Teine-ku. The total area of the ward is 56.92 km², which is the 6th largest ward in Sapporo. Surrounded by a rich natural environment, Teine-ku has a number of mountain ranges and rivers including Mount Teine, whose height is 1,023.7 metres.
It is adjacent to three other wards in Sapporo: Kita-ku, Nishi-ku, and Minami-ku, and two cities: Ishikari, and Otaru.
The name Teine is derived of a word "teyne-i" in Ainu language, which means a "marsh" or "wet place". It is currently written as "手稲" in kanji, which is respectively translated as "hand" for "手" and "rice plant" for "稲".

History

In 1872, Teine Village was established after being split from Hassamu Village. The village was later divided into two villages in 1874. The Garuishi Kidō, a Horsecar company, has established and laid horsecar line, which was abolished in 1940.
The area was reorganized as Teine Town in 1951. It was merged into Sapporo City in 1967, and also merged into Nishi-ku in 1972, when Sapporo was listed as one of the cities designated by government ordinance. In 1989, Teine-ku was established after being split from Nishi-ku.

Education

Universities

The 1972 Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo, and Mount Teine hosted the alpine skiing, bobsleigh, and luge events.