Takeda Nobuhiro killed the Ainu leader, Koshamain,[15] and defeated the opposition in 1457. It is the fastest growing town in Japan. They lived as hunters who caught and ate fish from the sea, and at times caught sea creatures that drifted here along with the sea ice, as the natural bounty found in the Okhotsk Sea was indeed a heavenly blessing. 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. The island has two core cities: Hakodate in the south and Asahikawa in the central region. In the 2017 election, candidates from the governing coalition of Liberal Democrats and Kōmeitō won seven districts and the main opposition Constitutional Democrats five. Best Answer for City In Northern Japan, Capital Of The Island Of Hokkaido Crossword Clue. [48] General elections for the Hokkaido assembly are currently held together with gubernatorial elections in the unified local elections (last round: April 2015). The highest temperature ever recorded is 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) on 26 May 2019.[30]. At last check, there were more than two million living in Sapporo. The island of Hokkaido is located at the north end of Japan, near Russia. Probably best known for its eponymous beer, Sapporo—the capital of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island—has maintained the youthful and open atmosphere of the 1972 Olympic Winter Games, drawing international visitors for its annual Snow Festival and its world-famous ramen. Other important population centers include Rumoi, Iwamizawa, Kushiro, Obihiro, Kitami, Abashiri, Wakkanai, and Nemuro. There are three populations of the Ussuri brown bear found on the island. Sapporo is the capital and largest city of the northern island of Hokkaido. The disputes eventually developed into war. One of its most appreciated event is the famous snow festival (Yuki Matsuri), happening each year in February, which presents superb ice sculptures in the as famous Odori park, located in the heart of the city. Hokkaido is one of eight prefectures in Japan that have subprefectures (支庁 shichō). [1] The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. Hokkaido Treasure Island Travel Inc. is a DMC (Destination Management Company) based in Sapporo, the capital city of the island. Hokkaido is a real-life island in Japan. The current governor of Hokkaido is Harumi Takahashi. The second largest of the Japanese islands ... and from the island of Sakhalin, Russia, by La Pérouse Strait: constitutes an autonomous administrative division. It ranks first in the nation in the production of a host of agricultural products, including wheat, soybeans, potatoes, sugar beets, onions, pumpkins, corn, raw milk, and beef. Hokkaido's largest city is the capital, Sapporo, which is a designated city. For the lower house of the National Diet, Hokkaido is divided into twelve single-member electoral districts. Hokkaido is a real-life island in Japan. These sub-prefectures still exist today, although they have much less power than they possessed before and during World War II; they now exist primarily to handle paperwork and other bureaucratic functions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu.[2]. In 1789, a smaller movement known as the Menashi–Kunashir rebellion was crushed. The kai element also strongly resembles the On'yomi, or Sino-Japanese, reading of the characters 蝦夷 (on'yomi as [ka.i, カイ], kun'yomi as [e.mi.ɕi, えみし]) 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 蝦夷 Ka-i, of the Nivkh exonym for the Ainu, namely Qoy or IPA: [kʰuɣɪ]. Sakhalin lies about 43 kilometers (26 mi) to the north of Hokkaido, and to the east and northeast are the Kuril Islands, which are administered by Russia, though the four most southerly are claimed by Japan. For the proportional election segment, Hokkaido and Tokyo are the only two prefectures that form a regional "block" district of their own. Ezochi was subsequently put under control of Hakodate-fu (箱館府), Hakodate Prefectural Government. Ainu Grassroots Organizing and the Indigenous Peoples Summit in Ainu Mosir", "The Plight of Ainu, Indigenous People of Japan", "National Museum of Ethnology, Japan: Permanent Exhibitions", Hokkaido Population during Tokugawa Shogun, "A Journey into the culture and history of Hokkaido", "ウェブマガジン カムイミンタラ　～北海道の風土・文化誌　：オホーツク文化人とモヨロ貝塚　網走　流氷とともにやってきた古代民族の謎とロマンに魅せられた父子三代と研究者たち", Japan's last frontier took time to tame, cultivate image. ^[note 1] Source: English edition of Sightseeing in Hokkaido, Winter Festival and Events, Coordinates: 43°N 142°E / 43°N 142°E / 43; 142, "Chapter 3: Nivkh as an Aspiration Language," p. 53, Howell, David. The Okhotsk people, an ancient people of the North, formed the Okhotsk culture unique to Hokkaido from the 5th to 9th centuries. [19], Hokkaido was known as Ezochi until the Meiji Restoration. Other important population centers include Rumoi, Iwamizawa, Kushiro, Obihiro, Kitami, Abashiri, Wakkanai, and Nemuro. Sapporo is the capital and largest city on the northernmost major Japanese island Hokkaido. In the upper house of the National Diet, a major reapportionment in the 1990s halved the number of Councillors from Hokkaido per election from four to two. The shogunate made the plight of the Ainu slightly easier but did not change the overall form of rule. Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, Vols. When establishing the Development Commission (開拓使, Kaitakushi), the Meiji government introduced a new name. The largest city on Hokkaido is its capital, Sapporo, which is also its only ordinance-designated city. Hokkaido has the third largest population of the five main islands with 5,383,579 (2015). Japan's Meiji government renamed the island Hokkaido in 1869, set national borders encompassing the entire island as part of Japan, and encouraged settlers to move north. Subprefectural offices in Hokkaido carry out many of the duties that prefectural offices fulfill elsewhere in Japan. [39], As of January 2014, 74 individual municipalities in Hokkaido have sister city agreements with 114 cities in 21 different countries worldwide.[46]. Hokkaido’s capital Sapporo is the 5th Japanese most populated city with close to 2 millions inhabitants, located in the northern… Kanpai's rating The Shakotan peninsula in Western Hokkaido is the sea urchin capital of Japan, famous for having the best quality uni in the country. About 2,000 years ago, the island was colonized by Yayoi people, and much of the island's population shifted away from hunting and gathering towards agriculture. Hokkaido has been chosen as the most attractive prefecture for 8 years in a row, attracting a lot of tourists from home and abroad. Alternative spelling of Hokkaido. After that rebellion, the terms "Japanese" and "Ainu" referred to clearly distinguished groups, and the Matsumae were unequivocally Japanese. Here are some of the best restaurants to enjoy crab in Sapporo, Japan, the capital of Hokkaido island and home to some of the country's most famous fishing waters. It is bordered by the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the west, the Sea of Okhotsk to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south. There are more brown bears in Hokkaido than anywhere else in Asia besides Russia. "Translation of Message from Harry S. Truman to Joseph Stalin", August 19, 1945, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, RGASPI Fond 558, Opis 11, Delo 372, Listy 112–113. Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido Island-located in the West. In mid-July 1945, various shipping ports, cities, and military facilities in Hokkaido were attacked by the United States Navy's Task Force 38. Undersea rail tunnel joining Hokkaido and Honshu. There’s not a whole lot to see and do in Sapporo – compared to the rest of Hokkaido, at least – but it’s worth spending a night or two here. Photo: J o, CC BY-SA 3.0. [1][25] It has the lowest population density in Japan with just 64.5/km2 (160/sq mi) (2016). [33], 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. Hokkaido’s four seasons offer travelers a rich variety of experiences. With a few small adjacent islands, it constitutes a do (province) of Japan. It is bordered by the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the west, the Sea of Okhotsk to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south. In the early 19th century, the Shogunate made a small trading post here, the capital city of Hokkaido was still in Hakodate at that time. The snowfall usually commences in earnest in November and ski resorts (such as those at Niseko, Furano, Teine and Rusutsu) usually operate between December and April. 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 Aynu Mosir (アィヌ・モシリ), a name taken by the modern Ainu to refer to their traditional homeland. Other groups are the Hokkaidō Yūshikai of New Party Daichi and independents with twelve seats, Kōmeitō with eight, and the Japanese Communist Party with four members. 5,643,515), c.30,130 sq mi (78,040 sq km), N Japan, separated from Honshu island by the Tsugaru Strait and from Sakhalin, Russia, by the Soya Strait.It is the second largest, northernmost, and most sparsely populated of the major islands of Japan. Zhang, D, Katsuki, T. & Rushforth, K. 2013. pronoun. Hokkaido became equal with other prefectures in 1947, when the revised Local Autonomy Law became effective. Hokkaido (hōkī`dō), island (1990 pop. From the Middle Ages, the people in Hokkaido began to be called Ezo. This is mostly because of its great size; many parts of the prefecture are simply too far away to be effectively administered by Sapporo. The Hokkaido Legislative Assembly has 100 members from 47 electoral districts. Hokkaido's largest city is the capital Sapporo, other cities on the island include: Asahikawa, Hakodate, Kushiro and Muroran. The population of Hokkaido is roughly 5,300,000 (2019 estimate), and the main city on the island is Sapporo, which is also the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. Times reported that Hokkaido recorded its first case early February with a woman from Wuhan, China attending the annual snow festival in the island’s capital city of Sapporo. Cities such as Muroran were primarily developed to supply the rest of the archipelago with coal.[12]. By the 28th of February, the island had recorded 66 cases, the highest of any prefecture in Japan. It is between Honshu and Kyushu. According to Matsuura, the name was thought up because the Ainu called the region Kai. The prefecture's government calls itself the "Hokkaido Government" rather than the "Hokkaido Prefectural Government". [32], Agriculture and other primary industries play a large role in Hokkaido's economy. Of course, for the native people of the island, the Ainu, it was not a frontier but their homeland, Ainu Mosir, where they hunted, fished and traded with their neighbours to north and south. Major cities include Sapporo and Asahikawa in the central region and the port of Hakodate facing Honshu in the south. Location reachable with the JRP: Order Japan Rail Pass (from ~$291), Stay connected with a Pocket Wifi in Japan. Hokkaido synonyms, Hokkaido pronunciation, Hokkaido translation, English dictionary definition of Hokkaido. During the Jomon period the local culture and the associated hunter-gatherer lifestyle flourished in Hokkaido, beginning over 15,000 years ago. ; Shikoku - the second smallest main island after Okinawa. Hokkaido is cooler than the rest of Japan, and the merciful lack of Japan's muggy summers and rainy season makes it a very popular domestic destination between May … Her first election in 2003 in a close race against centre-left supported Yoshio Hachiro and seven other candidates ended a 20-year streak of victories by Socialist Party Takahiro Yokomichi and then his former vice governor Tatsuya Hori who beat Hideko Itō twice by large margins. The last large-scale resistance was Shakushain's revolt in 1669–1672. The Ezo mainly relied upon hunting and fishing and obtained rice and iron through trade with the Japanese. Hokkaido Treasure Island Travel Inc. is a DMC (Destination Management Company) based in Sapporo, the capital city of the island. Life in Sapporo is much different. Hokkaido is also well known for fishing industry. It’s also the main producer of the nation’s dairy. The 1972 Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo. Hokkaido subsequently became known as Ezochi (蝦夷地, lit. What’s special about Hokkaido? The indigenous Hokkaido population (the Okhotsk) beliefed in natural spirits and are theorized to be the origins of Ainu spirituality. The island is surrounded by the Sea of Japan on the west, Sea of Okhotsk on the north and the Pacific Ocean on the Southeast. Sapporo is known for having hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, and for its annual Sapporo Snow Festival, which draws more than 2 million tourists from abroad. Hokkaido has relationships with several provinces, states, and other entities worldwide. Translated by Sergey Radchenko. In 2017, the Liberal Democratic Party received 28.8% of the proportional vote and won three seats, the Constitutional Democratic Party won three (26.4% of the vote), one seat each went to Kibō no Tō (12.3%) and Kōmeitō (11.0%). It’s the fifth largest city in Japan. Sapporo The island’s capital may be one of the most underrated cities in Japan. If Kanpai helped you in some way or another, we'd love you to share the website around! Twelve prefectural natural parks (道立自然公園). 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 Matsumae clan rule over the Ainu must be understood in the context of the expansion of the Japanese feudal state. Its capital and largest city is Sapporo. Overview of Hokkaido. Hokkaido is famous for its beautiful landscape, consisting of volcanos, mountains and forests. "Ainu Ethnicity and the Boundaries of the Early Modern Japanese State", Past and Present 142 (February 1994), p. 142, Ossenberg, Nancy (see reference) has the best evidence of this relationship with the Jōmon. Share your opinion, Travel buddy Tokyo and Sapporo March 2018. 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). 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. [12], 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.[36][37]. [13][14].mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. Hokkaidō (北海道) is the Japan of wide-open spaces, with 20% of the country's land area but only 5% of its population. ... Sapporo The island’s capital may be one of the most underrated cities in Japan. Excluding the skyscrapers and beer gardens of its capital city, Sapporo, Japan's northernmost island oftentimes falls off the radar of travelers on a rushed itinerary. At last check, there were more than two million living in Sapporo. One of the airlines, Air Do was named after Hokkaido. Hokkaido is the second-largest island of Japan, with a total area of 32,221 square miles (83,453 sq km). 1–2, p. 88. http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/122333, "Molecular Phylogeography of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) in Northeastern Asia Based on Analyses of Complete Mitochondrial DNA Sequences", "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture", https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hokkaido-sizzling-in-temperatures-as-high-as-395-deg-c-as-unseasonal-heat-wave-grips, "Trend toward stronger agriculture seen in Hokkaido", "Japan Opens a Futuristic Bullet Train Line from Tokyo to Hokkaido", "Japan's melody roads play music as you drive", "Your car as a musical instrument – Melody Roads", "Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation", "MOU of the Establishment of Friendship between Province of Chiang Mai and Prefecture of Hokkaido", Gubernatorial election results since 1947, Members by electoral district and parliamentary group, Chyornye Bratya (Chirpoy and Brat Chirpoyev), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hokkaido&oldid=995824642, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Articles with dead external links from November 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles containing Ainu (Japan)-language text, Pages using infobox settlement with no coordinates, Articles lacking reliable references from August 2020, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.