Hokkaido

Hokkaido 北海道
Prefecture and region
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	北海道
• Rōmaji	Hokkaidō
Satellite image of Hokkaido by Terra, May 2001
Flag Symbol
Anthem: Hikari afurete, Mukashi no mukashi and Hokkai bayashi
Coordinates: 43°N 142°E / 43°N 142°E / 43; 142
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Island	Hokkaido
Capital	Sapporo
Largest city	Sapporo
Subdivisions	Districts: 74, Municipalities: 179
Government
• Governor	Naomichi Suzuki
Area
• Total	83,423.84 km2 (32,210.12 sq mi)
• Rank	1st
Population  (July 31, 2023)
• Total	5,111,691
• Rank	8th
• Density	61/km2 (160/sq mi)
GDP [1]
• Total	JP¥ 20,465 billion US$ 187.7 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 code	JP-01
Website	www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Tanchō (red-crowned crane, Grus japonensis)
Flower	Hamanasu (rugosa rose, Rosa rugosa)
Mascot	Kyun-chan (キュンちゃん)
Tree	Ezomatsu (Jezo spruce, Picea jezoensis)

Hokkaido (Japanese: 北海道, Hepburn: Hokkaidō, pronounced [hokkaꜜidoː] ^ⓘ, lit. 'Northern Sea Circuit') is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region.^[2] The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.

The largest city on Hokkaido is its capital, Sapporo, which is also its only ordinance-designated city. Sakhalin lies about 43 kilometres (27 mi) to the north of Hokkaidō, and to the east and northeast are the Kuril Islands, which are administered by Russia, though the four most southerly are claimed by Japan. The position of the island on the northern end of the archipelago results in colder climate, with the island seeing significant snowfall each winter. Despite the harsher climate, it serves as an agricultural breadbasket for many crops.

Hokkaido was formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso.^[3] Although Japanese settlers ruled the southern tip of the island since the 16th century, Hokkaido was primarily inhabited by the Ainu people.^[4] In 1869, following the Meiji Restoration, the entire island was annexed, colonized and renamed Hokkaido by Japan.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]} Japanese settlers dispossessed the Ainu of their land and forced them to assimilate.^[4][8] In the 21st century, the Ainu are almost totally assimilated into Japanese society; as a result, the majority of Japanese of Ainu descent have no knowledge of their heritage and culture.^[11][12][13]

When establishing the Development Commission, 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 北海道, as a compromise between 海北道 and 北加伊道 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. 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].^[14]

In 1947, Hokkaidō became a full-fledged prefecture. The historical suffix 道 (-dō) translates to "prefecture" in English, ambiguously the same as 府 (-fu) for Osaka and Kyoto, and 県 (-ken) for the rest of the "prefectures". Dō, as shorthand, can be used to uniquely identify Hokkaido, for example as in 道道 (dōdō, "Hokkaido road")^[15] or 道議会 (Dōgikai, "Hokkaido Assembly"),^[16] the same way 都 (-to) is used for Tokyo. The prefecture's government calls itself the "Hokkaidō Government" rather than the "Hokkaidō Prefectural Government".

With the rise of indigenous rights movements, there emerged a notion that Hokkaido should have an Ainu language name. If a decision to change the name is made, however, whichever Ainu phrase is chosen, its original referent is critically different from the large geographical entity. The phrase aynumosir (アイヌモシㇼ) has been a preferred choice among Japanese activists.^[17] Its primary meaning is the "land of humans", as opposed to the "land of gods" (kamuymosir). When contrasted with sisammosir (the land of the neighbors, often pointing to Honshu or Japanese settlements on the southern tip of Hokkaido), it means the land of the Ainu people, which, depending on context, can refer to Hokkaido,^[18] although from a modern ethnolinguistic point of view, the Ainu people have extended their domain to a large part of Sakhalin and the entire Kuril Islands. Another phrase, yaunmosir (ヤウンモシㇼ) has gained prominence. It literally means the "onshore land", as opposed to the "offshore land" (repunmosir), which, depending on context, can refer to the Kuril Islands, Honshu, or any foreign country. If the speaker is a resident of Hokkaido, yaunmosir can refer to Hokkaido.^[19] Yet another phrase, akor mosir (アコㇿモシㇼ) means "our (inclusive) land". If uttered among Hokkaido Ainus, it can refer to Hokkaido or Japan as a whole.^[18]

During the Jomon period the local culture and the associated hunter-gatherer lifestyle flourished in Hokkaidō, beginning over 15,000 years ago. In contrast to the island of Honshu, Hokkaidō saw an absence of conflict during this time period. Jomon beliefs in natural spirits are theorized to be the origins of Ainu spirituality. 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.^[20]

The Nihon Shoki, finished in 720 AD, is often said to be the first mention of Hokkaidō in recorded history. According to the text, Abe no Hirafu^[21] 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 (渡島), which is often believed to be present-day Hokkaidō. However, many theories exist concerning 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.^{[citation needed]}

During the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185), people in Hokkaidō conducted trade with Dewa Province, an outpost of the Japanese central government. From the feudal period, the people in Hokkaidō began to be called Ezo. Hokkaidō subsequently became known as Ezochi (蝦夷地, lit. "Ezo-land")^[22] or Ezogashima (蝦夷ヶ島, lit. "Island of the Ezo"). The Ezo mainly relied upon hunting and fishing and obtained rice and iron through trade with the Japanese.^{[citation needed]}

During the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the Japanese established a settlement at the south of the Oshima Peninsula, with a series of fortified residences such as that of Shinoridate. As more people moved to the settlement to avoid battles, disputes arose between the Japanese and the Ainu. The disputes eventually developed into war. Takeda Nobuhiro (1431 – 1494) killed the Ainu leader, Koshamain,^[21] 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,^{[citation needed]} who had extensive trading networks.^[23] The Matsumae held authority over the south of Ezochi until the end of the Edo period.^{[citation needed]}

The Matsumae clan rule over the Ainu must be understood^{[citation needed]} in the context of the expansion of the Japanese feudal state. Medieval military leaders in northern Honshu (ex. Northern Fujiwara, Akita clan) maintained only tenuous political and cultural ties to the imperial court and its proxies, the Kamakura shogunate and Ashikaga shogunate. Feudal strongmen sometimes defined their own roles within the medieval institutional order, taking shogunate 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.^[24] The Matsumae clan were of Yamato descent like other ethnic Japanese people, whereas the Emishi of northern Honshu were a distinctive group related to the Ainu. The Emishi were conquered and integrated into the Japanese state dating back as far as the 8th century and as result began to lose their distinctive culture and ethnicity as they became minorities. By the time the Matsumae clan ruled over the Ainu, most of the Emishi were ethnically mixed and physically closer to Japanese than they were to Ainu. From this, the "transformation" theory postulates that native Jōmon peoples changed gradually with the infusion of Yayoi immigrants into the Tōhoku region of northern Honshu, in contrast to the "replacement" theory that posits the Jōmon was replaced by the Yayoi.^[25]

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 known as the Menashi–Kunashir rebellion was crushed. After that rebellion, the terms "Japanese" and "Ainu" referred to clearly distinguished groups, and the Matsumae were unequivocally Japanese.

According to John A. Harrison of the University of Florida, prior to 1868 Japan used proximity as its claim to Hokkaido, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands; however, Japan had never thoroughly explored, governed, or exploited the areas, and this claim was invalidated by the movement of Russia into the Northeast Pacific area and by Russian settlements on Kamchatka (from 1699), Sakhalin (1850s) and the Sea of Okhotsk Coast (1640s onwards).^[26]

Prior to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the Tokugawa shogunate realized the need to prepare northern defenses against a possible Russian invasion and took over control of most of Ezochi in 1855-1858.^[27] Many Japanese settlers regarded the Ainu as "inhuman and the inferior descendants of dogs".^[8][28] The Tokugawa irregularly imposed various assimilation programs on the Ainu due to the Tokugawa's perception of a threat from Russia.^[8] For example, assimilation programs were implemented in response to perceived threats from Russia, which included the Laxman expedition [ru] of 1793 and the Golovnin Incident of 1804.^[8] Once the respective Russian threats appeared to subside, the assimilation programs were halted until 1855.^[8] However, in 1855, once the Treaty of Shimoda was signed, which defined the borders between Russian Empire and Tokugawa Japan, the Tokugawa again viewed Russia as a threat to Japanese sovereignty over Hokkaido, and reinstated assimilation programs on the Ainu.^[8]

Prior to the Meiji era, the island was called Ezochi, which can be translated as "land of the barbarians" or "the land for people who did not obey the government."^[29] 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 defeated in May 1869. Through colonial practices, Ezochi was annexed into Japanese territory.^{[30][8][10][9]} Ezochi was subsequently put under control of Hakodate Prefectural Government. When establishing the Development Commission (開拓使, Kaitakushi), the Meiji government introduced a new name. After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaidō, which can be translated to "northern sea route,"^[3] and regional subdivisions were established, including the provinces of Oshima, Shiribeshi, Iburi, Ishikari, Teshio, Kitami, Hidaka, Tokachi, Kushiro, Nemuro and Chishima.^[31]

The initiative to colonize Ezo, which later became Hokkaido, traces back to 1869, where Japanese proponents argued that the colonization of Ezo would serve as a strategic move to enhance Japan's standing and influence on the global stage, particularly in negotiations with Western powers, specifically Russia.^[32] The Meiji government invested heavily in colonizing Hokkaido for several reasons.^[33] Firstly, they aimed to assert their control over the region as a buffer against potential Russian advances.^[33] Secondly, they were attracted to Hokkaido's rich natural resources, including coal, timber, fish, and fertile land.^[33] Lastly, since Western powers viewed colonial expansion as a symbol of prestige, Japan viewed the colonization of Hokkaido as an opportunity to present itself as a modern and respected nation to Western powers.^[33]

The primary purpose of the Development Commission was to secure Hokkaidō before the Russians extended their control of the Far East beyond Vladivostok. The Japanese failed to settle in the interior lowlands of the island because of aboriginal resistance.^[34] The resistance was eventually destroyed, and the lowlands were under the control of the commission.^[34] The most important goal of the Japanese was to increase the farm population and to create a conducive environment for emigration and settlement.^[34] However, the Japanese did not have expertise in modern agricultural techniques, and only possessed primitive mining and lumbering methods.^[34] Kuroda Kiyotaka was put in charge of the project, and turned to the United States for help.^[34]

His first step was to journey to the United States and recruit Horace Capron, President Ulysses S. Grant's commissioner of agriculture. From 1871 to 1873 Capron bent his efforts to expounding Western agriculture and mining, with mixed results. Frustrated with obstacles to his efforts, Capron 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 a lasting impression on Hokkaidō, inspiring the Japanese with his teachings on agriculture as well as Christianity.^[35] His parting words, "Boys, be ambitious!", can be found on public buildings in Hokkaidō to this day. The population of Hokkaidō increased from 58,000 to 240,000 during that decade.^[36]

Kuroda hired Capron for $10,000 per year and paid for all expenses related to the mission. Kuroda and his government were likely intrigued by Capron's previous colonial experience, particularly his involvement in the forced removal of Native Americans from Texas to new territories after the Mexican–American War.^[37] Capron introduced capital-intensive farming techniques by adopting American methods and tools, importing seeds for Western crops, and bringing in European livestock breeds, which included his favorite North Devon cattle.^[38] He founded experimental farms in Hokkaido, conducted surveys to assess mineral deposits and agricultural potential, and advocated for improvements in water access, mills, and roads.^[39]

The settler colonization of Hokkaido by the Japanese was organized and supported through collaboration between the Japanese state and American experts and technology.^[37] From the 1870s to the 1880s, Japanese leaders placed their efforts on settling Hokkaido by systematically migrating former samurai lords, samurai retainers, and common citizens, which included farmers and peasants, providing them with "free" land and financial assistance.^[37] This transformation was facilitated with the expertise of American advisors who introduced various colonization technologies, transforming Hokkaido into land suitable for Japan's capitalist aspirations.^[37]

Japanese leaders drew inspiration from American settler colonialism during their diplomatic visits to the United States.^[33] Japanese colonial officials learned settler colonial techniques from Western imperial powers, particularly the United States. This included declaring large portions of Hokkaido as ownerless land, providing a pretext for the dispossession of the Ainu people. ^[33][40] Japan established the Hokkaido Colonization Board in 1869, a year after the start of the Meiji era, with the goal of encouraging Japanese settlers to Hokkaido.^[41] Mainland Japanese settlers began migrating to Hokkaido, leading to Japan's colonization of the island.^[40] Motivated by capitalist and industrial goals, the Meiji government forcefully appropriated fertile land and mineral-rich regions throughout Hokkaido, without consideration for their historical Ainu inhabitancy.^[40] The Meiji government implemented land seizures and enacted land ownership laws that favored Japanese settlers, effectively stripping Ainu people of their customary land rights and traditional means of subsistence.^[40] The 1899 Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act further marginalized and impoverished the Ainu people by forcing them to leave their traditional lands and relocating them to the rugged, mountainous regions in the center of the island.^[42][43] The act prohibited the Ainu from fishing and hunting, which were their main source of subsistence.^[44] The Ainu were valued primarily as a source of inexpensive manual labor, and discriminatory assimilation policies further entrenched their sense of inferiority as well as worsened poverty and disease within Ainu communities.^[45] These policies exacerbated diasporic trends among the Ainu population, as many sought employment with the government or private enterprises, often earning meager wages that barely sustained their families.^[40]

The Meiji government embarked on assimilation campaigns aimed not only at assimilating the Ainu but also eradicating their language and culture entirely.^[40] They were forced to take on Japanese names and language, and gradually saw their culture and traditions eroded.^[42] The Ainu were forbidden to speak their own language and taught only Japanese at school.^[46] Facing pervasive stigma, many Ainu concealed their heritage.^[42] UNESCO has recognized the Ainu language as critically endangered.^[47] Given the Meiji state's full political control over the island, the subsequent subjugation of its indigenous inhabitants, aggressive economic exploitation, and ambitious permanent settlement endeavors, Hokkaido emerged as the sole successful settler colony of Japan.^[40]

After the Meiji colonization of Hokkaido, Meiji Japan depended on prison labour to accelerate the colonization process.^[8] The Japanese built three prisons and rendered Hokkaido a prison island, where political prisoners were incarcerated and used as prison labour.^[8] During the opening ceremony of the first prison, the Ainu name “Shibetsuputo” was replaced with the Japanese name “Tsukigata,” as an attempt to “Japanize” Hokkaido's geography.^[8] The second prison opened near the Hokutan Horonai coal mine, where Ainu people were forced to work.^[8] Cheap prison labour played an important role in coal and sulphur mining, as well as road construction in Hokkaido.^[8] Eventually, several types of indentured labour, Korean labour, child labour and women labour replaced convict labour in Hokkaido.^[8] Working conditions were difficult and dangerous.^[8] Japan's transition to capitalism depended heavily on the growth of the coal mining sector in Hokkaidō.^[8] The importance of coal from Hokkaidō increased throughout the First World War, and the mines required a large amount of labourers.^[8]

In mid-July 1945, various shipping ports, cities, and military facilities in Hokkaidō were attacked by the United States Navy's Task Force 38. On 14–15 July, aircraft operating from the task force's aircraft carriers sank and damaged a large number of ships in ports along Hokkaidō'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.^[48] Before the Japanese surrender was formalized, the Soviet Union made preparations for an invasion of Hokkaidō, but U.S. President Harry Truman made it clear that the surrender of all of the Japanese home islands would be accepted by General Douglas MacArthur per the 1943 Cairo Declaration.^[49]

Hokkaidō became equal with other prefectures in 1947, when the revised Local Autonomy Act became effective. The Japanese central government established the Hokkaidō Development Agency (北海道開発庁, Hokkaidō Kaihatsuchō) as an agency of the Prime Minister's Office in 1949 to maintain its executive power in Hokkaidō. The agency was absorbed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2001. The Hokkaidō Bureau (北海道局, Hokkaidō-kyoku) and the Hokkaidō Regional Development Bureau (北海道開発局, Hokkaidō Kaihatsukyoku) of the ministry still have a strong influence on public construction projects in Hokkaidō.

Hokkaidō

Native name: 北海道
Geography
Location	East Asia
Coordinates	43°N 142°E / 43°N 142°E / 43; 142
Archipelago	Japanese archipelago
Area	77,981.87 km2 (30,108.97 sq mi)
Highest elevation	2,290 m (7510 ft)
Highest point	Mount Asahi
Administration
Japan
Prefectures	Hokkaidō
Largest settlement	Sapporo (pop. 1,890,561)
Demographics
Population	5,377,435 (September 30, 2016)
Pop. density	64.5/km2 (167.1/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Ainu Japanese

The island of Hokkaidō is located in the north of Japan, near Russia (Sakhalin Oblast). It has coastlines on the Sea of Japan (to the west of the island), the Sea of Okhotsk (to the north), and the Pacific Ocean (to the east). The center of the island is mountainous, with volcanic plateaux. Hokkaidō has multiple plains such as the Ishikari Plain 3,800 km² (1,500 sq mi), Tokachi Plain 3,600 km² (1,400 sq mi), the Kushiro Plain [ja] 2,510 km² (970 sq mi) (the largest wetland in Japan) and Sarobetsu Plain 200 km² (77 sq mi). Hokkaidō is 83,423.84 km² (32,210.12 sq mi) which make it the second-largest island of Japan.

The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu (Aomori Prefecture);^[3] La Pérouse Strait separates Hokkaidō from the island of Sakhalin in Russia; Nemuro Strait separates Hokkaidō from Kunashir Island in the Russian Kuril Islands.

The governmental jurisdiction of Hokkaidō incorporates several smaller islands, including Rishiri, Okushiri Island, and Rebun. (By Japanese reckoning, Hokkaidō also incorporates several of the Kuril Islands.) Hokkaidō Prefecture is the largest and northernmost Japanese prefecture. The island ranks 21st in the world by area.

• 
  Lake Tōya, a volcanic caldera lake
• 
  Hokkaido seen from the International Space Station
• 
  Shiretoko Goko Lakes in the town of Shari, Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaidō
• 
  The Oyashio Current colliding with the Kuroshio Current off the coast of Hokkaido

Hokkaidō has the third-largest population of Japan's five main islands, with 5,111,691 people as of 2023^[update].^[2][52] It has the lowest population density in Japan, with just 61 inhabitants per square kilometre (160/sq mi). Hokkaidō ranks 21st in population among the world's islands. Major cities include Sapporo and Asahikawa in the central region, and the port of Hakodate facing Honshu in the south. Sapporo is Hokkaidō's largest city and the fifth-largest in Japan. It had a population of 1,959,750 as of 31 July 2023^[update] and a population density of 1,748/km² (4,530/sq mi).

There are three populations of the Ussuri brown bear found on the island. There are more brown bears in Hokkaidō than anywhere else in Asia besides Russia. The Hokkaidō brown bear is separated into three distinct lineages. There are only eight lineages in the world.^[53] Those on Honshu died out long ago.

The native conifer species in northern Hokkaidō is the Sakhalin fir (Abies sachalinensis).^[54] The flowering plant Hydrangea hirta is also found on the island.

Notable flora and fauna^[55]

Name	Type	Notes
Ussuri brown bear	Fauna	One of the largest populations by average size of brown bears (Ursus arctos lasiotus)
Steller's sea eagle	Fauna	On average, the heaviest eagle species in the world (Haliaeetus pelagicus)
Hokkaido wolf	Fauna	Extinct subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus hattai).
Yezo sika deer	Fauna	Large subspecies of the sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis)
Ezoris	Fauna	Also called the Ezo squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris orientis)
Ezo red fox	Fauna	Native to northern Japanese archipelago (Vulpes vulpes schrencki)
Ezo tanuki	Fauna	Subspecies of raccoon dog native to Hokkaido (Nyctereutes viverrinus albus)
Hokkaido dog	Fauna	A Spitz-type domesticated hunting dog perhaps descend from introduced Akitas
Dosanko	Fauna	Also called the "Hokkaido horse"
Sable	Fauna	(Martes zibellina) A species of marten which inhabits Hokkaido and Northern Asia.
Viviparous lizard	Fauna	(Zootoca vivipara)
Ezo salamander	Fauna	(Hynobius retardatus)
Dolly Varden trout	Fauna	(Salvelinus malma)
Sasakia charonda	Fauna	National butterfly of Japan (ō-murasaki, "great purple")
Grey Heron	Fauna	(Ardea cinerea) Long legged wading bird.
Chum salmon	Fauna	(white salmon (白鮭 シロサケ) is native to middle and northern Honshu, Hokkaido and the North Pacific.
Sockeye salmon	Fauna	(Oncorhynchus nerka, ベニザケ - Benizake) live in Hokkaido and the North Pacific.
Ezo spruce	Flora	Picea jezoensis
Sakhalin spruce	Flora	Picea glehnii
Japanese rose	Flora	Rosa rugosa

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

• Hokkaido Koma-ga-take
• Mount Meakan
• Mount Tarumae
• Mount Tokachi
• Mount Usu and Shōwa-shinzan

In 1993, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 generated a tsunami which devastated Okushiri, killing 202 inhabitants. An earthquake of magnitude 8.3 struck near the island on September 26, 2003. On September 6, 2018, an earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck with its epicenter near the city of Tomakomai, causing a blackout across the whole island.^[56]

On May 16, 2021, an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck off Japan's Hokkaidō prefecture.^[57]

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

• 
  Overview of Kushiro Wetland
• 
  Lake Akan and Mount Meakan
• 
  View of Lake Mashū
• 
  Lake Shikotsu
• 
  Sōunkyō, a gorge in the Daisetsu-zan Volcanic Area

• Twelve prefectural natural parks (道立自然公園). The prefectural natural parks cover 146,802 ha, the largest area of any prefecture.^[58]
  • Akkeshi Prefectural Natural Park
  • Esan 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

As of April 2010^[update], Hokkaidō has nine General Subprefectural Bureaus (総合振興局) and five Subprefectural Bureaus (振興局). Hokkaidō 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 because of 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.

1 a 2 3 b 4 c 5 d 6 7 8 9 e (disputed) (disputed)
Subprefecture		Japanese	Main city	Largest municipality	Pop. (2009[update])	Area (km2)	Municipalities
1	Sorachi	空知総合振興局	Iwamizawa	Iwamizawa	338,485	5,791.19	10 cities	14 towns
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 six villages. However, the table above excludes these islands' data.

Hokkaidō is divided into 179 municipalities.

There are 35 cities in Hokkaidō:

Name		Area (km2)	Population	Subprefecture	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji
Abashiri	網走市	470.94	34,919	Okhotsk Subprefecture
Akabira	赤平市	129.88	10,686	Sorachi Subprefecture
Asahikawa	旭川市	747.6	333,530	Kamikawa Subprefecture
Ashibetsu	芦別市	865.02	14,260	Sorachi Subprefecture
Bibai	美唄市	277.61	24,768	Sorachi Subprefecture
Chitose	千歳市	594.5	96,475	Ishikari Subprefecture
Date	伊達市	444.28	34,898	Iburi Subprefecture
Ebetsu	江別市	187.57	119,086	Ishikari Subprefecture
Eniwa	恵庭市	294.87	68,883	Ishikari Subprefecture
Fukagawa	深川市	529.12	21,618	Sorachi Subprefecture
Furano	富良野市	600.97	22,715	Kamikawa Subprefecture
Hakodate	函館市	677.89	264,845	Oshima Subprefecture
Hokuto	北斗市	397.29	46,083	Oshima Subprefecture
Ishikari	石狩市	721.86	58,755	Ishikari Subprefecture
Iwamizawa	岩見沢市	481.1	84,127	Sorachi Subprefecture
Kitahiroshima	北広島市	118.54	58,918	Ishikari Subprefecture
Kitami	北見市	1,427.56	119,135	Okhotsk Subprefecture
Kushiro	釧路市	1,362.75	167,875	Kushiro Subprefecture
Mikasa	三笠市	302.64	9,056	Sorachi Subprefecture
Monbetsu	紋別市	830.7	22,983	Okhotsk Subprefecture
Muroran	室蘭市	80.65	93,716	Iburi Subprefecture
Nayoro	名寄市	535.23	28,373	Kamikawa Subprefecture
Nemuro	根室市	512.63	27,109	Nemuro Subprefecture
Noboribetsu	登別市	212.11	49,523	Iburi Subprefecture
Obihiro	帯広市	618.94	165,851	Tokachi Subprefecture
Otaru	小樽市	243.13	115,333	Shiribeshi Subprefecture
Rumoi	留萌市	297.44	22,242	Rumoi Subprefecture
Sapporo (capital)	札幌市	1,121.26	1,973,432	Ishikari Subprefecture
Shibetsu	士別市	1,119.29	19,794	Kamikawa Subprefecture
Sunagawa	砂川市	78.69	17,589	Sorachi Subprefecture
Takikawa	滝川市	115.9	41,306	Sorachi Subprefecture
Tomakomai	苫小牧市	561.49	174,216	Iburi Subprefecture
Utashinai	歌志内市	55.99	3,019	Sorachi Subprefecture
Wakkanai	稚内市	761.47	33,869	Sōya Subprefecture
Yūbari	夕張市	763.2	8,612	Sorachi Subprefecture

These are the towns and villages in Hokkaido Prefecture:

Name		Area (km2)	Population	Subprefecture	District	Type	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji
Abira	安平町	237.13	8,323	Iburi Subprefecture	Yūfutsu District	Town
Aibetsu	愛別町	250.13	2,992	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Akaigawa	赤井川村	280.11	1,157	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Yoichi District	Village
Akkeshi	厚岸町	734.82	9,048	Kushiro Subprefecture	Akkeshi District	Town
Ashoro	足寄町	1,408.09	7,150	Tokachi Subprefecture	Ashoro District	Town
Assabu	厚沢部町	460.58	3,884	Hiyama Subprefecture	Hiyama District	Town
Atsuma	厚真町	404.56	4,659	Iburi Subprefecture	Yūfutsu District	Town
Betsukai	別海町	1,320.15	15,179	Nemuro Subprefecture	Notsuke District	Town
Biei	美瑛町	677.16	10,374	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Bifuka	美深町	672.14	4,609	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Nakagawa District	Town
Bihoro	美幌町	438.36	20,920	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Abashiri District	Town
Biratori	平取町	743.16	5,305	Hidaka Subprefecture	Saru District	Town
Chippubetsu	秩父別町	47.26	2,463	Sorachi Subprefecture	Uryū District	Town
Enbetsu	遠別町	590.86	2,966	Rumoi Subprefecture	Teshio District	Town
Engaru	遠軽町	1,332.32	20,757	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Monbetsu District	Town
Erimo	えりも町	283.93	4,954	Hidaka Subprefecture	Horoizumi District	Town
Esashi	江差町	109.57	8,117	Hiyama Subprefecture	Hiyama District	Town
Esashi	枝幸町	1,115.67	8,578	Sōya Subprefecture	Esashi District	Town
Fukushima	福島町	187.23	4,390	Oshima Subprefecture	Matsumae District	Town
Furubira	古平町	188.41	3,265	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Furubira District	Town
Haboro	羽幌町	472.49	7,338	Rumoi Subprefecture	Tomamae District	Town
Hamanaka	浜中町	427.68	6,120	Kushiro Subprefecture	Akkeshi District	Town
Hamatonbetsu	浜頓別町	401.56	3,841	Sōya Subprefecture	Esashi District	Town
Hidaka	日高町	992.67	12,596	Hidaka Subprefecture	Saru District	Town
Higashikagura	東神楽町	68.64	10,385	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Higashikawa	東川町	247.06	8,092	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Hiroo	広尾町	596.14	7,182	Tokachi Subprefecture	Hiroo District	Town
Hokuryū	北竜町	158.82	1,965	Sorachi Subprefecture	Uryū District	Town
Honbetsu	本別町	391.99	7,441	Tokachi Subprefecture	Nakagawa District	Town
Horokanai	幌加内町	767.03	1,571	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Uryū District	Town
Horonobe	幌延町	574.27	2,415	Sōya Subprefecture	Teshio District	Town
Ikeda	池田町	371.91	6,933	Tokachi Subprefecture	Nakagawa District	Town
Imakane	今金町	568.14	5,575	Hiyama Subprefecture	Setana District	Town
Iwanai	岩内町	70.64	13,210	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Iwanai District	Town
Kamifurano	上富良野町	237.18	11,055	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Sorachi District	Town
Kamikawa	上川町	1,049.24	3,706	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Kaminokuni	上ノ国町	547.58	5,161	Hiyama Subprefecture	Hiyama District	Town
Kamishihoro	上士幌町	700.87	4,908	Tokachi Subprefecture	Katō District	Town
Kamisunagawa	上砂川町	39.91	3,278	Sorachi Subprefecture	Sorachi District	Town
Kamoenai	神恵内村	147.71	904	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Furuu District	Village
Kenbuchi	剣淵町	131.2	3,293	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Kikonai	木古内町	221.88	4,448	Oshima Subprefecture	Kamiiso District	Town
Kimobetsu	喜茂別町	189.51	2,286	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Town
Kiyosato	清里町	402.73	4,222	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Shari District	Town
Koshimizu	小清水町	287.04	5,029	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Shari District	Town
Kunneppu	訓子府町	190.89	5,227	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Tokoro District	Town
Kuriyama	栗山町	203.84	12,365	Sorachi Subprefecture	Yūbari District	Town
Kuromatsunai	黒松内町	345.65	2,739	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Suttsu District	Town
Kushiro	釧路町	252.57	19,941	Kushiro Subprefecture	Kushiro District	Town
Kutchan	倶知安町	261.24	15,573	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Town
Kyōgoku	京極町	231.61	3,144	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Town
Kyōwa	共和町	304.96	6,136	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Iwanai District	Town
Makkari	真狩村	114.43	2,081	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Village
Makubetsu	幕別町	340.46	26,610	Tokachi Subprefecture	Nakagawa District	Town
Mashike	増毛町	369.64	4,634	Rumoi Subprefecture	Mashike District	Town
Matsumae	松前町	293.11	7,843	Oshima Subprefecture	Matsumae District	Town
Memuro	芽室町	513.91	18,806	Tokachi Subprefecture	Kasai District	Town
Minamifurano	南富良野町	665.52	2,611	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Sorachi District	Town
Mori	森町	378.27	16,299	Oshima Subprefecture	Kayabe District	Town
Moseushi	妹背牛町	48.55	3,134	Sorachi Subprefecture	Uryū District	Town
Mukawa	むかわ町	166.43	8,527	Iburi Subprefecture	Yūfutsu District	Town
Naganuma	長沼町	168.36	11,262	Sorachi Subprefecture	Yūbari District	Town
Naie	奈井江町	88.05	5,664	Sorachi Subprefecture	Sorachi District	Town
Nakafurano	中富良野町	108.7	5,086	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Sorachi District	Town
Nakagawa	中川町	594.87	1,585	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Nakagawa District	Town
Nakasatsunai	中札内村	292.69	3,980	Tokachi Subprefecture	Kasai District	Village
Nakashibetsu	中標津町	684.98	24,014	Nemuro Subprefecture	Shibetsu District	Town
Nakatonbetsu	中頓別町	398.55	1,776	Sōya Subprefecture	Esashi District	Town
Nanae	七飯町	216.61	28,514	Oshima Subprefecture	Kameda District	Town
Nanporo	南幌町	81.49	7,816	Sorachi Subprefecture	Sorachi District	Town
Niikappu	新冠町	585.88	5,696	Hidaka Subprefecture	Niikappu District	Town
Niki	仁木町	167.93	3,874	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Yoichi District	Town
Niseko	ニセコ町	197.13	4,938	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Town
Nishiokoppe	西興部村	308.12	1,120	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Monbetsu District	Village
Numata	沼田町	283.21	3,207	Sorachi Subprefecture	Uryū District	Town
Obira	小平町	627.29	3,277	Rumoi Subprefecture	Rumoi District	Town
Oketo	置戸町	527.54	3,042	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Tokoro District	Town
Okoppe	興部町	362.41	3,963	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Monbetsu District	Town
Okushiri	奥尻町	142.98	2,812	Hiyama Subprefecture	Okushiri District	Town
Ōmu	雄武町	637.03	4,596	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Monbetsu District	Town
Oshamambe	長万部町	310.75	5,694	Oshima Subprefecture	Yamakoshi District	Town
Otobe	乙部町	162.55	3,925	Hiyama Subprefecture	Nishi District	Town
Otoineppu	音威子府村	275.64	831	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Nakagawa District	Village
Otofuke	音更町	466.09	44,235	Tokachi Subprefecture	Katō District	Town
Ōzora	大空町	343.62	7,430	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Abashiri District	Town
Pippu	比布町	87.29	3,845	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Rankoshi	蘭越町	449.68	4,893	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Isoya District	Town
Rausu	羅臼町	397.88	5,395	Nemuro Subprefecture	Menashi District	Town
Rebun	礼文町	81.33	2,651	Sōya Subprefecture	Rebun District	Town
Rikubetsu	陸別町	608.81	2,528	Tokachi Subprefecture	Ashoro District	Town
Rishiri	利尻町	76.49	2,169	Sōya Subprefecture	Rishiri District	Town
Rishirifuji	利尻富士町	105.69	2,665	Sōya Subprefecture	Rishiri District	Town
Rubetsu[59]	留別村	1,442.82	2,814	Nemuro Subprefecture	Etorofu District	Village
Rusutsu	留寿都村	119.92	1,940	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Village
Ruyobetsu[59]	留夜別村	960.27	3,401	Nemuro Subprefecture	Kunashiri District	Village
Samani	様似町	364.33	4,482	Hidaka Subprefecture	Samani District	Town
Sarabetsu	更別村	176.45	3,275	Tokachi Subprefecture	Kasai District	Village
Saroma	佐呂間町	404.99	5,617	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Tokoro District	Town
Sarufutsu	猿払村	590	2,884	Sōya Subprefecture	Sōya District	Village
Setana	せたな町	638.67	8,501	Hiyama Subprefecture	Kudō District	Town
Shakotan	積丹町	238.2	2,215	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Shakotan District	Town
Shana[59]	紗那村	973.3	1,426	Nemuro Subprefecture	Shana District	Village
Shari	斜里町	736.97	11,897	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Shari District	Town
Shibecha	標茶町	1,099.41	7,862	Kushiro Subprefecture	Kawakami District	Town
Shibetoro[59]	蘂取村	760.5	881	Nemuro Subprefecture	Shibetoro District	Village
Shibetsu	標津町	624.49	5,374	Nemuro Subprefecture	Shibetsu District	Town
Shihoro	士幌町	259.13	6,234	Tokachi Subprefecture	Katō District	Town
Shikabe	鹿部町	110.61	3,920	Oshima Subprefecture	Kayabe District	Town
Shikaoi	鹿追町	399.69	5,570	Tokachi Subprefecture	Katō District	Town
Shikotan[59]	色丹村	253.33	1,499	Nemuro Subprefecture	Shikotan District	Village
Shimamaki	島牧村	437.26	1,560	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Shimamaki District	Village
Shimizu	清水町	402.18	9,784	Tokachi Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Shimokawa	下川町	644.2	3,836	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Shimukappu	占冠村	571.31	1,251	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Yūfutsu District	Village
Shinhidaka	新ひだか町	1,147.75	23,516	Hidaka Subprefecture	Hidaka District	Town
Shinshinotsu	新篠津村	78.24	3,235	Ishikari Subprefecture	Ishikari District	Village
Shintoku	新得町	1,063.79	6,285	Tokachi Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Shintotsukawa	新十津川町	495.62	6,787	Sorachi Subprefecture	Kabato District	Town
Shiranuka	白糠町	773.74	7,972	Kushiro Subprefecture	Shiranuka District	Town
Shiraoi	白老町	425.75	17,759	Iburi Subprefecture	Shiraoi District	Town
Shiriuchi	知内町	196.67	4,620	Oshima Subprefecture	Kamiiso District	Town
Shosanbetsu	初山別村	280.04	1,249	Rumoi Subprefecture	Tomamae District	Village
Sōbetsu	壮瞥町	205.04	2,665	Iburi Subprefecture	Usu District	Town
Suttsu	寿都町	95.36	3,113	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Suttsu District	Town
Taiki	大樹町	816.38	5,742	Tokachi Subprefecture	Hiroo District	Town
Takasu	鷹栖町	139.44	6,780	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Takinoue	滝上町	786.89	2,757	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Monbetsu District	Town
Teshikaga	弟子屈町	774.53	7,631	Kushiro Subprefecture	Kawakami District	Town
Teshio	天塩町	353.31	3,241	Rumoi Subprefecture	Teshio District	Town
Tōbetsu	当別町	422.71	16,694	Ishikari Subprefecture	Ishikari District	Town
Tōma	当麻町	204.95	6,662	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Tomamae	苫前町	454.5	3,261	Rumoi Subprefecture	Tomamae District	Town
Tomari	泊村	82.35	1,750	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Furuu District	Village
Tomari[59]	泊村	538.56	5,595	Nemuro Subprefecture	Kunashiri District	Village
Tōyako	洞爺湖町	180.54	9,231	Iburi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Town
Toyokoro	豊頃町	536.52	3,262	Tokachi Subprefecture	Nakagawa District	Town
Toyotomi	豊富町	520.69	4,054	Sōya Subprefecture	Teshio District	Town
Toyoura	豊浦町	233.54	4,205	Iburi Subprefecture	Abuta District	Town
Tsubetsu	津別町	716.6	5,011	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Abashiri District	Town
Tsukigata	月形町	151.05	3,429	Sorachi Subprefecture	Kabato District	Town
Tsurui	鶴居村	571.84	2,516	Kushiro Subprefecture	Akan District	Village
Urahoro	浦幌町	729.64	5,023	Tokachi Subprefecture	Tokachi District	Town
Urakawa	浦河町	694.24	12,800	Hidaka Subprefecture	Urakawa District	Town
Urausu	浦臼町	101.08	1,983	Sorachi Subprefecture	Kabato District	Town
Uryū	雨竜町	190.91	2,546	Sorachi Subprefecture	Uryū District	Town
Wassamu	和寒町	224.83	3,553	Kamikawa Subprefecture	Kamikawa District	Town
Yakumo	八雲町	955.98	17,299	Oshima Subprefecture	Futami District	Town
Yoichi	余市町	140.6	19,698	Shiribeshi Subprefecture	Yoichi District	Town
Yūbetsu	湧別町	505.74	8,474	Okhotsk Subprefecture	Monbetsu District	Town
Yuni	由仁町	133.86	5,426	Sorachi Subprefecture	Yūbari District	Town

As Japan's coldest region, Hokkaidō has relatively cool summers and icy/snowy winters. Most of the island falls in the humid continental climate zone with Köppen climate classification Dfb (hemiboreal) in most areas but Dfa (hot summer 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 highest temperature ever recorded is 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) on 26 May 2019.^[60]

The northern portion of Hokkaidō falls into the taiga biome^[61] 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 have isolated snowstorms that develop long-lasting snowbanks. 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. The generally high quality of powder snow and numerous mountains in Hokkaidō make it a popular region for snow sports. 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. Hokkaidō 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 Hokkaidō. Ports on the open Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan are generally ice-free year round, though most rivers freeze during the winter.

Unlike the other major islands of Japan, Hokkaidō 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.

Hokkaidō's largest city is the capital, Sapporo, which is a designated city. The island has two core cities: Hakodate in the south and Asahikawa in the central region. Other important population centers include Tomakomai, Iwamizawa, Kushiro, Obihiro, Kitami, Abashiri, Wakkanai, and Nemuro.

• 
  Sapporo City
• 
  Asahikawa
• 
  Hakodate
• 
  Kushiro
• 
  Obihiro
• 
  Kitami
• 
  Iwamizawa
• 
  Abashiri
• 
  Wakkanai
• 
  Nemuro
• 
  Rumoi

• 2014–2016: inverted house by Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Raphael Zuber, Neven Fuchs, Laura Cristea) and Kengo Kuma & Associates^[62][63]

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.^[64]

Agriculture and other primary industries play a large role in Hokkaidō's economy. Hokkaidō has