Yūbari

Yūbari takes its name from the river that flows westward out of the mountains to join the Ishikari. The name is derived from the Ainu words for the mouth of a mineral-water stream. Its wooded valley forms part of the larger Ishikari basin, where Ainu communities lived along rivers and tributaries, supporting themselves by hunting, fishing and gathering. These communities maintained trade with people across a wide area of Ezo.