Muroran (室蘭市, Muroran-shi^?) is a city and port located in Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Iburi Subprefecture.

As of February 29, 2012, the city has an estimated population of 93,716, with 47,868 households and a population density of 1,162.01 people per km². The total area is 80.65 km².

The origin of Muroran's name is derived from the Ainu word "Mo Ruerani" that means "the bottom of a little slope". The little slope, in front of the former Senkai Temple in Sakimori-cho, is noted in connection with the name of Muroran.

In the late 16th century, the Muroran region came under the administration of the Matsumae clan. Muroran was developed as a trading post between the Ainu and the Matsumae clan people.

In 1892, the Port of Muroran was opened for the wooden bridge construction at Kaigan (former Tokikaramoi); at the same time, the main road began construction from Hakodate to Sapporo as the first step of Hokkaidō Colonization Plan.

With the opening of a ship route from Muroran to Mori and railroad extension to Iwamizawa, Muroran's municipality was started on August 1, 1922 as the core of the major land and sea traffic in the pioneer era of Hokkaidō. Since then, Muroran has been developing as an important transportation hub and a center of the steel industry. This unfortunately earned the town's industrial plants by a bombardment by some of the newest American battleships in July 1945, in the closing days of World War II.

Akira Jimbo, also seen as Akira Jinbo (神保 彰, Jinbo Akira^?, born February 27, 1959 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese freelance jazz fusion drummer who is famous for his drumming independence and fusion of electronic drum technology and acoustic drums. Aside from his solo work, he is also the drummer in the Japanese jazz fusion band Casiopea and has participated in various side projects with other musicians, including Keiko Matsui, Shambara, bassist Brian Bromberg. He is the main product presenter of Yamaha Drums Japan.

Akira Jimbo began drumming at the age of 18 when he joined the Keio University Light Music Society Big Band. He became famous through his playing with Casiopea during the years 1979-1989. These days Casiopea is recording again with Jimbo, who returned in 1997. During his solo career he formed Jimsaku-duo with Casiopea's bassist Tetsuo Sakurai in 1989. Recently, he has been working with Hiroyuki Noritake from T-Square in the drum-duo Synchronized DNA and have together performed in a series of concerts with Casiopea.