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Hokkaido (北海道, Hokkaidō, literally "Northern Sea Circuit"), formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectures. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel. The largest city on Hokkaido is its capital, Sapporo, which is also its only ordinance-designated city.

History

Hokkaido was settled by Ainu, Nivkh, and Orok 20,000 years ago. The Nihon Shoki, finished in 720, is often said to be the first mention of Hokkaido in recorded history. According to the text, Abe no Hirafu led a large navy and army to northern areas from 658 to 660 and came into contact with the Mishihase and Emishi. One of the places Hirafu went to was called Watarishima ( Error: {{Lang}}: script: jpan not supported for code: ja (help)), which is often believed to be present-day Hokkaido. However, many theories exist in relation to the details of this event, including the location of Watarishima and the common belief that the Emishi in Watarishima were the ancestors of the present-day Ainu people.

During the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185), people in Hokkaido conducted trade with Dewa Province, an outpost of the Japanese central government. From the medieval ages, the people in Hokkaidō began to be called Ezo. Around the same time Hokkaidō came to be called Ezochi (蝦夷地) or Ezogashima. The Ezo mainly relied upon hunting and fishing and obtained rice and iron through trade with the Japanese.

During the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the Japanese created a settlement at the south of the Oshima peninsula. As more people moved to the settlement to avoid battles, disputes arose between the Japanese and the Ainu. The disputes eventually developed into a war. Takeda Nobuhiro killed the Ainu leader, Koshamain, and defeated the opposition in 1457. Nobuhiro's descendants became the rulers of the Matsumae-han, which was granted exclusive trading rights with the Ainu in the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods (1568–1868). The Matsumae family's economy relied upon trade with the Ainu. They held authority over the south of Ezochi until the end of the Edo period in 1868.

The Matsumae clan rule over the Ainu must be understood in the context of the expansion of the Japanese feudal state. Medieval military leaders in northern Honshū maintained only tenuous political and cultural ties to the imperial court and its proxies, the Kamakura Shogunate and Ashikaga Shogunate. Feudal strongmen sometimes located themselves within medieval institutional order, taking shogunal titles, while in other times they assumed titles that seemed to give them a non-Japanese identity. In fact many of the feudal strongmen were descended from Emishi military leaders who had been assimilated into Japanese society.

There were numerous revolts by the Ainu against feudal rule. The last large-scale resistance was Shakushain's Revolt in 1669–1672. In 1789 a smaller movement, the Menashi-Kunashir Rebellion, was also crushed. After that rebellion the terms "Japanese" and "Ainu" referred to clearly distinguished groups, and the Matsumae were unequivocally Japanese. In 1799–1821 and 1855–1858 the Edo Shogunate took direct control over Hokkaido in response to a perceived threat from Russia.

Leading up to the Meiji Restoration, the Tokugawa Shogunate realized there was a need to prepare northern defenses against a possible Russian invasion and took over control of most of Ezochi. The Shogunate made the plight of the Ainu slightly easier, but did not change the overall form of rule.

Hokkaido was known as Ezochi until the Meiji Restoration. Shortly after the Boshin War in 1868, a group of Tokugawa loyalists led by Enomoto Takeaki temporarily occupied the island (the polity is commonly but mistakenly known as the Republic of Ezo), but the rebellion was crushed in May 1869. Ezochi was subsequently put under control of Hakodate-fu (箱館府), Hakodate Prefectural Government). When establishing the Development Commission (開拓使), the Meiji Government introduced a new name. After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaido; and regional subdivisions were established, including the provinces of Oshima, Shiribeshi, Iburi, Ishikari, Teshio, Kitami, Hidaka, Tokachi, Kushiro, Nemuro and Chishima.

The primary purpose of the development commission was to secure Hokkaido before the Russians extended their control of the Far East beyond Vladivostok. Kuroda Kiyotaka was put in charge of the venture. His first step was to journey to the United States and recruit Horace Capron, President Grant's Commissioner of Agriculture. From 1871 to 1873 Capron bent his efforts to expounding Western agriculture and mining with mixed results. Capron, frustrated with obstacles to his efforts returned home in 1875. In 1876 William S. Clark arrived to found an agricultural college in Sapporo. Although he only remained a year, Clark left lasting impression on Hokkaido, inspiring the Japanese with his teachings on agriculture as well as Christianity. His parting words, "Boys, be ambitious!" can be found on public buildings in Hokkaido to this day. The population of Hokkaido boomed from 58,000 to 240,000 during that decade.

In 1882, the Development Commission was abolished, and Hokkaido was separated into three prefectures, Hakodate (函館県), Sapporo (札幌県), and Nemuro (根室県). In 1886, the three prefectures were abolished, and Hokkaido was put under the Hokkaido Agency (北海道庁). Hokkaido became equal with other prefectures in 1947, when the revised Local Autonomy Law became effective. The Japanese central government established the Hokkaido Development Agency (北海道開発庁) as an agency of the Prime Minister's Office in 1949 to maintain its executive power in Hokkaido. The Agency was absorbed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2001. The Hokkaido Bureau (北海道局) and the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau (北海道開発局) of the Ministry still have a strong influence on public construction projects in Hokkaido.

In mid-July 1945 shipping, cities and military facilities in Hokkaido were attacked by the United States Navy's Task Force 38. On 14 and 15 July aircraft operating from the task force's aircraft carriers sank and damaged a large number of ships in ports along Hokkaido's southern coastline as well as in northern Honshu. In addition, on 15 July a force of three battleships and two light cruisers bombarded the city of Muroran.

Naming of Hokkaido

When establishing the Development Commission (開拓使), the Meiji Government decided to change the name of Ezochi. Matsuura Takeshirō submitted six proposals, including names such as Kaihokudō (海北道) and Hokkaidō (北加伊道), to the government. The government eventually decided to use the name Hokkaidō, but decided to write it as Error: {{Lang}}: script: jpan not supported for code: ja (help), as a compromise between Error: {{Lang}}: script: jpan not supported for code: ja (help) and because of the similarity with names such as Tōkaidō (東海道). According to Matsuura, the name was thought up because the Ainu called the region Kai. Historically, many peoples who had interactions with the ancestors of the Ainu called them and their islands Kuyi, Kuye, Qoy, or some similar name, which may have some connection to the early modern form Kai. The Kai element also strongly resembles the Sino-Japanese reading of the characters Error: {{Lang}}: script: jpan not supported for code: ja (help) (Sino-Japanese Japanese pronunciation: [ka.i], Japanese kun'yomi ), which have been used for over a thousand years in China and Japan as the standard orthographic form to be used when referring to Ainu and related peoples; it is possible that Matsuura's Kai was actually an alteration, influenced by the Sino-Japanese reading of Error: {{Lang}}: script: jpan not supported for code: ja (help) Ka-i, of the Nivkh exonym for the Ainu, namely Qoy or IPA: [kʰuɣi].

There is no known established Ainu language word for the island of Hokkaido. However, the Ainu people did have a name for all of their domain, which included Hokkaido along with the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, and parts of northern Honshu, which was Ainu Mosir (アイヌ・モシリ), a name taken by the modern Ainu to refer to their traditional homeland. "Ainu Mosir" literally translates as "The Land Where People (the Ainu) Live", and it was traditionally used to be contrasted with Kamuy Mosir, "The Land of the Kamuy (spirits)".

Geography

The island of Hokkaido is located at the north end of Japan, near Russia, and has coastlines on the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Pacific Ocean. The center of the island has a number of mountains and volcanic plateaus, and there are coastal plains in all directions. Major cities include Sapporo and Asahikawa in the central region and the port of Hakodate facing Honshu.

The governmental jurisdiction of Hokkaido incorporates several smaller islands, including Rishiri, Okushiri Island, and Rebun. (By Japanese reckoning, Hokkaido also incorporates several of the Kuril Islands.) Because the prefectural status of Hokkaido is denoted by the dō in its name, it is rarely referred to as "Hokkaido Prefecture", except when necessary to distinguish the governmental entity from the island.

The island ranks 21st in the world by area. It is 3.6% smaller than the island of Ireland while Hispaniola is 6.1% smaller than Hokkaido. By population it ranks 20th, between Ireland and Sicily. Hokkaido's population is 4.7% less than that of the island of Ireland, and Sicily's is 12% lower than Hokkaido's.

Seismic activity

Like many areas of Japan, Hokkaido is seismically active. Aside from numerous earthquakes, the following volcanoes are still considered active (at least one eruption since 1850):

• Mount Koma
• Mount Usu and Shōwa-shinzan
• Mount Tarumae
• Mount Tokachi
• Mount Meakan

In 1993, an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 generated a tsunami which devastated Okushiri, killing 202. An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck near the island on September 25, 2003, at 19:50:07 (UTC).

National parks and quasi-national parks

There are still many undisturbed forests in Hokkaido, including:

* designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 2005-07-14.

• Twelve prefectural natural parks (道立自然公園). The prefectural natural parks cover 146,802 ha, the largest area of any prefecture.
  • Akkeshi Prefectural Natural Park
  • Furano-Ashibetsu Prefectural Natural Park
  • Hiyama Prefectural Natural Park
  • Kariba-Motta Prefectural Natural Park
  • Matsumae-Yagoshi Prefectural Natural Park
  • North Okhotsk Prefectural Natural Park
  • Nopporo Shinrin Kōen Prefectural Natural Park
  • Notsuke-Fūren Prefectural Natural Park
  • Sharidake Prefectural Natural Park
  • Shumarinai Prefectural Natural Park
  • Teshiodake Prefectural Natural Park

Subprefectures

From April 2010 Hokkaido has 9 General Subprefectural Bureaus (総合振興局) and 5 Subprefectural Bureaus (振興局). Prior to that, Hokkaido is one of eight prefectures in Japan that have subprefectures (支庁 shichō). However, it is the only one of the eight to have such offices covering the whole of its territory outside the main cities (rather than having them just for outlying islands or remote areas). This is mostly due to its great size: many parts of the prefecture are simply too far away to be effectively administered by Sapporo. Subprefectural offices in Hokkaidō carry out many of the duties that prefectural offices fulfill elsewhere in Japan.

1a2 3b4 c5d 678 9e (disputed)(disputed)
Subprefecture		Japanese	Capital	Largest city	Pop. (2009)	Area (km²)	Municipals
1	Sorachi	空知総合振興局	Iwamizawa	Iwamizawa	338,485	5,791.19	10 cities, 14 villages
a	↳ Ishikari	石狩振興局	Sapporo	Sapporo	2,324,878	3,539.86	6 cities, 1 town, 1 village
2	Shiribeshi	後志総合振興局	Kutchan	Otaru	234,984	4,305.83	1 city, 13 towns, 6 villages
3	Iburi	胆振総合振興局	Muroran	Tomakomai	419,115	3,698.00	4 cities, 7 towns
b	↳ Hidaka	日高振興局	Urakawa	Shinhidaka	76,084	4,811.97	7 towns
4	Oshima	渡島総合振興局	Hakodate	Hakodate	433,475	3,936.46	2 cities, 9 towns
c	↳ Hiyama	檜山振興局	Esashi	Setana	43,210	2,629.94	7 towns
5	Kamikawa	上川総合振興局	Asahikawa	Asahikawa	527,575	10,619.20	4 cities, 17 towns, 2 villages
d	↳ Rumoi	留萌振興局	Rumoi	Rumoi	53,916	3,445.75	1 city, 6 towns, 1 village
6	Sōya	宗谷総合振興局	Wakkanai	Wakkanai	71,423	4,625.09	1 city, 8 towns, 1 village
7	Okhotsk	オホーツク総合振興局	Abashiri	Kitami	309,487	10,690.62	3 cities, 14 towns, 1 village
8	Tokachi	十勝総合振興局	Obihiro	Obihiro	353,291	10,831.24	1 city, 16 towns, 2 villages
9	Kushiro	釧路総合振興局	Kushiro	Kushiro	252,571	5,997.38	1 city, 6 towns, 1 village
e	↳ Nemuro	根室振興局	Nemuro	Nemuro	84,035	3,406.23	1 city, 4 towns
Japan claims the southern part of Kuril Islands (Northern Territories), currently administered by Russia, belong to Nemuro Subprefecture divided into 6 villages. However, the table above excludes these islands' data.

Before the current political divisions and after 1869, Hokkaidō was divided into provinces. See Former Provinces of Hokkaidō.

Climate

Hokkaidō is known for its relatively cool summers and icy winters. Most of the island falls in the humid continental climate zone with Köppen climate classification Dfb (hemiboreal) in most areas but Dfa (humid continental) in some inland lowlands. The average August temperature ranges from 17 to 22 °C (62.6 to 71.6 °F), while the average January temperature ranges from −12 to −4 °C (10.4 to 24.8 °F), in both cases depending on elevation and distance from the ocean, though temperatures on the western side of the island tend to be a little warmer than on the eastern.

The northern portion of Hokkaido falls into the taiga biome, with significant snowfall. Snowfall varies widely from as much as 11 metres (400 in) on the mountains adjacent to the Sea of Japan down to around 1.8 metres (71 in) on the Pacific coast. The island tends to see isolated snowstorms that develop long-lasting snowbanks, in contrast to the constant flurries seen in the Hokuriku region. Total precipitation varies from 1,600 millimetres (63 in) on the mountains of the Sea of Japan coast to around 800 millimetres (31 in) (the lowest in Japan) on the Sea of Okhotsk coast and interior lowlands and up to around 1,100 millimetres (43 in) on the Pacific side.

Unlike the other major islands of Japan, Hokkaido is normally not affected by the June–July rainy season and the relative lack of humidity and typically warm, rather than hot, summer weather makes its climate an attraction for tourists from other parts of Japan.

In winter, the generally high quality of powder snow and numerous mountains in Hokkaidō make it one of Japan's most popular regions for snow sports. The snowfall usually commences in earnest in November and ski resorts (such as those at Niseko, Furano and Rusutsu) usually operate between December and April. Hokkaido celebrates its winter weather at the Sapporo Snow Festival.

During the winter, passage through the Sea of Okhotsk is often complicated by large floes of drift ice. Combined with high winds that occur during winter, this frequently brings air travel and maritime activity to a halt beyond the northern coast of Hokkaido. Ports on the open Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan are generally ice-free year round, though all rivers freeze during the winter.

Major cities and towns

Hokkaido's largest city is the capital, Sapporo. Other major cities include Hakodate in the south and Asahikawa in the central region. Other important population centers include Kushiro, Obihiro, Kitami, Abashiri, and Nemuro.

Hokkaido has the highest rate of depopulation in Japan. In 2000, 152 (71.7%) of Hokkaido's 212 municipalities were shrinking. Altogether, shrinking municipalities in Japan in the same year numbered 1,171.

Economy

Although there is some light industry (most notably paper milling and beer brewing) most of the population is employed by the service sector. In 2001, the service sector and other tertiary industries generated more than three-quarters of the gross domestic product.

However, agriculture and other primary industries play a large role in Hokkaido's economy. Hokkaido has nearly one fourth of Japan's total arable land. It ranks first in the nation in the production of a host of agricultural products, including wheat, soybeans, potatoes, sugar beet, onions, pumpkins, corn, raw milk, and beef. Hokkaido also accounts for 22% of Japan's forests with a sizable timber industry. The prefecture is also first in the nation in production of marine products and aquaculture.

Tourism is an important industry, especially during the cool summertime when visitors are attracted to Hokkaido's open spaces from hotter and more humid parts of Japan and other Asian countries. During the winter, skiing and other winter sports bring other tourists, and increasingly international ones, to the island.

Transportation

Hokkaido's only land link to the rest of Japan is the Seikan Tunnel. Most travelers to the island arrive by air: the main airport is New Chitose Airport at Chitose, just south of Sapporo. Tokyo-Chitose is in the top 10 of the world's busiest air routes, handling more than 40 widebody round trips on several airlines each day. One of the airlines, Air Do was named after Hokkaido. Hokkaido can also be reached by ferry from Sendai, Niigata and some other cities, with the ferries from Tokyo dealing only in cargo.

Within Hokkaido, there is a fairly well-developed railway network (see Hokkaidō Railway Company), but many cities can only be accessed by road.

Hokkaido is home to one of Japan's three Melody Roads, which is made from grooves cut into the ground, which when driven over causes a tactile vibration and audible rumbling transmitted through the wheels into the car body.

Education

The Hokkaidō Prefectural Board of Education oversees public schools (except colleges and universities) in Hokkaido. Public elementary and junior high schools (except Hokkaido Noboribetsu Akebi Secondary School and schools attached to Hokkaido University of Education) are operated by municipalities, and public high schools are operated by either the prefectural board or municipalities.

Hokkaido has 37 universities (7 national, 5 local public, and 25 private universities), 34 junior colleges, and 5 colleges of technology (4 national and 1 local public colleges). National universities located in Hokkaido are:

• Hokkaido University (former Sapporo Agricultural College)
• Hokkaido University of Education
• Muroran Institute of Technology
• Otaru University of Commerce
• Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
• Asahikawa Medical University
• Kitami Institute of Technology

Hokkaido prefectural government runs Sapporo Medical University, a medical school in Sapporo.

Sports

The 1972 Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo.

The sports teams listed below are based in Hokkaido.

Association football

• Consadole Sapporo (Sapporo)

Baseball

• Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Sapporo)

Ice hockey

• Nippon Paper Cranes (Kushiro)
• Oji Eagles (Tomakomai)

Basketball

• Levanga Hokkaido (Sapporo) Japan Basketball League (JBL)

Winter festivals

• Sapporo Snow Festival
• Asahikawa Snow Festival
• Sōunkyō Ice Festival

International relations

Hokkaido has relationships with several provinces, states, and other entities worldwide.

• Alberta, Canada, since 1980
• Heilongjiang, China, since 1980
• Massachusetts, USA, since 1988
• Sakhalin Oblast, Russia, since 1998
• Busan, South Korea, since 2005
• Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, since 2006

As of July 2008, 73 individual municipalities in Hokkaido have sister city agreements with 111 cities in 19 different countries worldwide.

See also

• 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake
• 2006 Kuril Islands tsunami
• Asia League Ice Hockey
• Former Hokkaidō government office building
• Kuril islands dispute
• People from Hokkaido
• Sankebetsu brown bear incident

Notes

1. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hokkaido" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 343, p. 343, at Google Books
2. ^ Japan Handbook, p. 760
3. Howell, David. "Ainu Ethnicity and the Boundaries of the Early Modern Japanese State", Past and Present 142 (February 1994), p. 142
4. Nakamura, Akemi, "Japan's last frontier took time to tame, cultivate image", Japan Times, 8 July 2008, p. 3.
5. Satow, Ernest. (1882). "The Geography of Japan" in Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, Vols. 1–2, p. 88., p. 33, at Google Books
6. McDougall, Walter A. (1993). Let the Sea Make a Noise, pp. 355–356.
7. McDougall, p. 357.
8. "Chapter VII: 1945". The Official Chronology of the US Navy in World War II. Hyperwar. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
9. "Chapter 3: Nivkh as an Aspiration Language," p. 53 RUG.nl
10. "Ainu Mosir. The land of human beings - Nanni Fontana - photographer". Nanni Fontana. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
11. July.04.2008 (2008-07-04). "ICU Students Support Indigenous Peoples Summit in Ainu Mosir 2008 « ICU BackNumbersite". Web.icu.ac.jp. Retrieved 2012-09-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
12. "Indigenous Peoples Summit in Ainu Mosir 2008 * News". Win-ainu.com. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
13. Lewallen, Ann-Elise (November 30, 2008). "Indigenous at last! Ainu Grassroots Organizing and the Indigenous Peoples Summit in Ainu Mosir". The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. 48-6-08. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
14. Okada, Mitsuharu Vincent (2012). "The Plight of Ainu, Indigenous People of Japan" (PDF). Journal of Indigenous Social Development. 1 (1). University of Hawaii: 1–14. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
15. "National Museum of Ethnology, Japan: Permanent Exhibitions". Retrieved 2011-08-26.
16. "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment Japan. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
17. C.Michael Hogan. 2011. Taiga. eds. M.McGinley & C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC
18. ^ "Hokkaido's Business Environment". Trade and Economic Exchange Group, Commerce and Economic Exchange Division, Department of Economic Affairs, Hokkaido Government. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
19. Takahara, Kanako (July 8, 2008). "Boom time for Hokkaido ski resort area". The Japan Times. The Japan Times Ltd. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
20. Johnson, Bobbie (13 November 2007). "Japan's melody roads play music as you drive". The Guardian. Farringdon Road, London, England: GMG. p. 19 (International section). Retrieved 2008-10-20.
21. "Your car as a musical instrument - Melody Roads". Noise Addicts. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
22. Nussbaum, "Hokkaido Daigaku" in p. 343, p. 343, at Google Books
23. "Exchange Affiliates". Retrieved on 5 December 2008.
24. ^ "Hokkaido – Alberta Relations" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-05-30.
25. "Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation". Retrieved 2010-05-30.
26. "Massachusetts Hokkaido Association". Retrieved 2010-05-30.
27. 市町村の姉妹友好提携 (Sister city partnerships). Retrieved on 5 December 2008. Template:Ja icon

Source:English edition of Sightseeing in Hokkaidō, Winter Festival and Events

References

• Bisignani, J. D. (1993). Japan Handbook. Chico, California: Moon Publications. 10-ISBN 0960332227/13-ISBN 9780960332229; 10-ISABN 0908054149/13-ISBN 9780908054145; OCLC 8954556
• McDougall, Walter A. (1993). Let the Sea Make a Noise: A History of the North Pacific from Magellan to MacArthur. New York: Basic Books. 10-ISBN 0465051529/13-ISBN 9780465051526; OCLC 28017793
• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

Further reading

• An itinerary of Hokkaido, Japan, Volume 1. Tokyo: Hakodate Chamber of Commerce. 1893. Retrieved 1 March, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• Hokkaido Official Website Template:Ja icon
• Hokkaido Official Website
• Template:Wikitravel

v t e Hokkaido
Sapporo (capital)
v t e Ishikari Subprefecture Sapporo Wards Atsubetsu Chūō Higashi Kita Kiyota Minami Nishi Shiroishi Teine Toyohira Cities Chitose Ebetsu Eniwa Ishikari Kitahiroshima District Ishikari District Shinshinotsu Tōbetsu
v t e Oshima Subprefecture Core city Hakodate City Hokuto Districts Futami District Yakumo Kameda District Nanae Kamiiso District Kikonai Shiriuchi Kayabe District Mori Shikabe Matsumae District Fukushima Matsumae Yamakoshi District Oshamambe
v t e Hiyama Subprefecture Districts Hiyama District Assabu Esashi Kaminokuni Kudō District Setana Nishi District Otobe Okushiri District Okushiri Setana District Imakane
v t e Shiribeshi Subprefecture City Otaru Districts Abuta District Kimobetsu Kutchan Kyōgoku Makkari Niseko Rusutsu Furubira District Furubira Furuu District Kamoenai Tomari Iwanai District Iwanai Kyōwa Isoya District Rankoshi Shakotan District Shakotan Shimamaki District Shimamaki Suttsu District Kuromatsunai Suttsu Yoichi District Akaigawa Niki Yoichi
v t e Sorachi Subprefecture Cities Akabira Ashibetsu Bibai Fukagawa Iwamizawa Mikasa Sunagawa Takikawa Utashinai Yūbari Districts Kabato District Shintotsukawa Tsukigata Urausu Sorachi District Kamisunagawa Naie Nanporo Uryū District Chippubetsu Hokuryū Moseushi Numata Uryū Yūbari District Kuriyama Naganuma Yuni
v t e Kamikawa Subprefecture Core city Asahikawa Cities Furano Nayoro Shibetsu Districts Kamikawa (Ishikari) District Aibetsu Biei Higashikagura Higashikawa Kamikawa Pippu Takasu Tōma Kamikawa (Teshio) District Kenbuchi Shimokawa Wassamu Nakagawa District Bifuka Nakagawa Otoineppu Sorachi District Kamifurano Minamifurano Nakafurano Uryū District Horokanai Yūfutsu District Shimukappu
v t e Rumoi Subprefecture City Rumoi Districts Mashike District Mashike Rumoi District Obira Teshio District Enbetsu Teshio Tomamae District Haboro Shosanbetsu Tomamae
v t e Sōya Subprefecture City Wakkanai Districts Esashi District Esashi Hamatonbetsu Nakatonbetsu Rebun District Rebun Rishiri District Rishiri Rishirifuji Sōya District Sarufutsu Teshio District Toyotomi Horonobe
v t e Okhotsk Subprefecture Cities Abashiri Kitami Monbetsu Districts Abashiri District Bihoro Ōzora Tsubetsu Monbetsu District Engaru Nishiokoppe Okoppe Ōmu Takinoue Yūbetsu Shari District Kiyosato Koshimizu Shari Tokoro District Kunneppu Oketo Saroma
v t e Iburi Subprefecture Cities Date Muroran Noboribetsu Tomakomai Districts Abuta District Tōyako Toyoura Shiraoi District Shiraoi Usu District Sōbetsu Yūfutsu District Abira Atsuma Mukawa
v t e Hidaka Subprefecture Districts Hidaka District Shinhidaka Horoizumi District Erimo Niikappu District Niikappu Samani District Samani Saru District Biratori Hidaka Urakawa District Urakawa
v t e Tokachi Subprefecture City Obihiro Districts Ashoro District Ashoro Rikubetsu Hiroo District Hiroo Taiki Kamikawa District Shimizu Shintoku Kasai District Memuro Nakasatsunai Sarabetsu Katō District Kamishihoro Otofuke Shihoro Shikaoi Nakagawa District Honbetsu Ikeda Makubetsu Toyokoro Tokachi District Urahoro
v t e Kushiro Subprefecture City Kushiro Districts Akan District Tsurui Akkeshi District Akkeshi Hamanaka Kawakami District Shibecha Teshikaga Kushiro District Kushiro Shiranuka District Shiranuka
v t e Nemuro Subprefecture City Nemuro Districts Menashi District Rausu Notsuke District Betsukai Shibetsu District Nakashibetsu Shibetsu Northern Territories Etorofu District Rubetsu Kunashiri District Tomari Ruyobetsu Shana District Shana Shibetoro District Shibetoro Shikotan District Shikotan
List of mergers in Hokkaido

v t e Regions and prefectures of Japan
Regions & subregions	Hokkaidō Tōhoku Kantō Nanpō Islands Chūbu Hokuriku Kōshin'etsu Shin'etsu Tōkai Kansai Chūgoku San'in San'yō Shikoku Kyūshū Northern Southern Okinawa
Prefectures	Hokkaidō Hokkaido Tōhoku Aomori Iwate Miyagi Akita Yamagata Fukushima Kantō Ibaraki Tochigi Gunma Saitama Chiba Tokyo Kanagawa Chūbu Niigata Toyama Ishikawa Fukui Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka Aichi Kansai Mie Shiga Kyoto Osaka Hyōgo Nara Wakayama Chūgoku Tottori Shimane Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Shikoku Tokushima Kagawa Ehime Kōchi Kyūshū Fukuoka Saga Nagasaki Kumamoto Ōita Miyazaki Kagoshima Okinawa
Category

v t e Islands of the Sea of Okhotsk

Antsiferov Atlasov Banka Zotova Baydukov and Belyakov Belichy Bolshoy Chome Bolshoy Shantar Broutona Chastye Islands Chetyre Paltsa Chirinkotan Chkalov Chyornye Bratya (Chirpoy and Brat Chirpoyev) Dobrzhansky Ekarma Feklistova Glinyanyy Hokkaido Iony Iturup Ivyinichaman Kamen-Mukdykyn Kamen Opasnosti Kekurny Ketoy Khalpili Islands Kharimkotan Konus Kunashir Kuril Islands Kusova Makanrushi Maly Shantar Matua Medvezhy Menshikov Morskaya Matuga Nansikan Nedorazumeniya Onekotan Oremif Paramushir Pilamif Prokofyeva Ptichy Island (Kamchatka Krai) Ptichy Island (Shantar Islands) Raikoke Rasshua Rechnaya Matuga Reyneke Rovny Island Sakhalin Sakharnaya Golova Shantar Islands Shelikan Shiashkotan Shumshu Simushir Sivuch'i Rocks Spafaryev, Ryabokon and Talan Telan Trety, Krayny and Vtoroy Tyuleny Umara Urup Ush Ushishir Utichy Yam Islands Yengalychev Zavyalov Zubchaty

43°N 142°E / 43°N 142°E / 43; 142

• Hokkaido region
• Hokkaido
• Islands of Japan
• Prefectures of Japan
• Ainu geography