Kitahiroshima (北広島市, Kitahiroshima-shi?) is a city located in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan. Its name, Kitahiroshima-shi, is translated as "North-Hiroshima city", or, more loosely, "city of North-Hiroshima", for 'kita' and 'shi' are the Japanese words for 'north' and 'city', respectively. It was founded on September 1, 1996, after the, until then, town Hiroshima was reorganized as a city, hence the word -shi in its full official name.