Hamatonbetsu is asteroid #5468 and also known as 1988 BK. Hamatonbetsu was discovered by the Japanese amateur astronomers Mukai Masaru (向井 優) and Takeishi Masanori (武石 正憲) at the YCPM Kagoshima Station. Hamatonbetsu’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 2.87 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.22, a period of revolution of 1 779 days, and an inclination of 12.0 degrees.

Hamatonbetsu is named after Hamatonbetsu-chō (浜頓別町), a town located in Esashi-gun (枝幸郡), a district (or county) of Sōya-sōgō-shinkō-kyoku (宗谷総合振興局), previously (from 1897 until 2010) Sōya-shichō (宗谷支庁), the northernmost sub-prefecture of Japan and a sub-prefecture of the prefecture Hokkaidō (北海道), that consists of the island of the same name. Hamatonbetsu-chō (浜頓別町) is the hometown of the asteroid discoverer Takeishi Masanori (武石 正憲). He named asteroid #5468 after his hometown. Migrating swans from northern Siberia stay in Hamatonbetsu-chō (浜頓別町) during the winter seasons. Hamatonbetsu-chō (浜頓別町) takes part in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). This is a Japanese government initiative, which brings college graduates, who are native speakers of English, as Assistant Language Teachers to Japanese schools. Nothing else seems to be interesting there. The official language citation also sees Hamatonbetsu-chō (浜頓別町) only as a refuge for some birds:

Located near the northern extremity of Japan, Hamatonbetsu is the town where the second discoverer lives. The lake and swamp around the town are very important for waterfowl, and this site has been registered with the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramusar Convention). The name also honors the inhabitants of the town, who have supported the astronomical activities of the discoverers.

[Ref: Minor Planet Circ. 22509]

The discoverers of the asteroid Hamatonbetsu made all their asteroid discoveries together and all at the same observatory in Kagoshima. Hence these asteroids should have similar meanings. These discoverers somehow prefer place names without much meaning, except for history. But in this case also not for history. The kanji of the name Hamatonbetsu (浜頓別) simply mean another place at the beach, so they don’t seriously add anything to the meaning of the astrological force Hamatonbetsu. It simply is hinting to a refuge for waterfowl. (If a representative of a refuge for humans is needed, then have a look at Refugium!) It is also hinting to a town in the north of Japan. Hamatonbetsu perhaps generally represents wintering grounds too. (Somewhere on this blog should also be an article on the asteroid Winters, but I somehow can’t find it.)