Population density of Hokkaido. Japan has set its sights on Sakhalin, and Russia needs to demand the return of the island of Hokkaido: historically it is ours. Brief tour of the island

The second largest island in Japan, Hokkaido, on the one hand, is a typically Japanese region in which people live in peace with the surrounding nature, while developing traditional crafts and high technology. At the same time, Hokkaido is exotic in its own way - its territories are located in the very north of Japan, and therefore the winters here are snowy, and the sun shines on average seventeen days a year. In addition, the first, albeit short-lived, democratic state within Japan was formed on the island.

LAND OF AIN

The Ainu people lived in Hokkaido for thousands of years, who subsequently had to fight the Japanese for the right to live in their native lands.

The initial settlement of the Japanese island of Hokkaido occurred approximately twenty thousand years ago. Then the Ainu lived here - one of ancient peoples Japanese islands. However, the history of the development of Hokkaido still contains many mysteries: after all, the first mention of the island, known to scientists today, appeared on the pages of the Japanese written monument “Hon Seki”, dating back to the eighth century. There is a widespread theory, according to which the island of Watarishima, which is discussed in the chronicle, is Hokkaido, named so only in 1869.

Local residents were engaged in hunting and fishing, and trade connections with other islands allowed them to provide themselves with rice. The Ainu also bought iron from their neighbors.

However, their peaceful life was destined to end in the 14th-15th centuries, when the Japanese began to expand their spheres of influence. Gradually they began to populate the Oshima Peninsula, located in the southwest of Hokkaido, which was aggressively received by the Ainu. Tensions between peoples escalated into a war, which ended in 1475 with the death of the Ainu leader. The Japanese warriors did not seize the possessions of the vanquished, but received privileged rights to trade with the indigenous inhabitants of the island.

During the heyday of the Matsumae principality, whose main territories were located on the island of Oshima, Hokkaido became part of the possessions of local rulers. From that moment on, a long-term struggle flared up on the island with renewed vigor between the Japanese, who laid claim to their rights to the territory, and the indigenous inhabitants of the lands. Ainu uprisings took place until the second half of the 18th century, but they did not bring any results: in the face of a possible Russian attack from the west, the Japanese confidently held the strategic important island.

During the year (1868/1869), when Japan was engulfed in the Boshin War (a conflict between supporters of the feudal government led by the Tokugawa dynasty and representatives of the movement in support of imperial power), there was a independent republic Ezo. It was proclaimed after the military defeat of the Tokugawa forces: thousands of military personnel moved to Hokkaido, who, as a result of the first elections in Japanese history, elected the head new republic- Admiral Enomoto Takeaki.

However, the emperor did not tolerate arbitrariness for long in his territories, and on March 20, 1869, a military fleet was sent to the shores of the island. The battle that soon followed was not resolved in favor of the fleeing soldiers: the Ezo Republic was abolished, and its president was sentenced to serve a prison term.

In 1882, Hokkaido was divided into three prefectures: Hakodate, Sapporo and Nemuro. Four years later, the island was united into one prefecture, which by 1947 was equal to other Japanese prefectures.

Hokkaido became a difficult test last years Second World War. In 1945, its territory was bombed, as a result of which more than seventy towns and villages were severely damaged.

The island of Hokkaido is located significantly north of the rest of Japan, which causes sharp differences in climatic conditions. This is especially noticeable during the cold and snowy winter: work stops in the north of the island water transport due to strong winds and danger floating ice in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

GOLDEN MEAN

Residents of Hokkaido manage to harmoniously combine the development of industry and Agriculture with work to preserve the island's nature.

Hokkaido is located in the north of Japan, and its shores overlook the Japanese and Sea of ​​Okhotsk, as well as to the Pacific Ocean. On the Nemuro Peninsula - the region of Hokkaido - is the extreme eastern point Japan, Cape Nosappu-Saki. In terms of area, the island ranks 21st in the world, and in terms of population - 20th (however, in recent years, serious problems of population decline have arisen in Hokkaido).

Approximately half of the island's territory is occupied by mountain ranges, which stretch along the central axis of Hokkaido from north to south, while the coastal lands are predominantly plains.

Vast areas (more than 70%) on the island of Hokkaido are occupied by forests. Many forest areas are under state protection: there are six national parks, five quasi-national parks, as well as twelve prefectural nature parks. Their total area is approximately 10% of the area of ​​Hokkaido.

Hokkaido has a humid continental climate, with slightly cooler temperatures throughout the year than other areas of Japan. The winters here are long, cold and snowy, but in the summer the island does not have the heat usual for Japanese lands, and therefore summer time The popularity of Hokkaido cities among Japanese tourists from other prefectures is increasing. True, according to rough estimates, there are only about seventeen sunny days a year in Hokkaido, while snowy and rainy days There are approximately 272 here per year.

However, special weather do not prevent the residents of Hokkaido from engaging in agriculture, and quite successfully at that. Soybeans, potatoes, carrots, onions and cereals are grown on the island's lands. The traditional crop for Japanese plantations - rice - is practically not cultivated here.

In general, the island of Hokkaido plays an important role in the Japanese economy. Along with agriculture, a developed industry has been built on the island. Iron ore, coal are mined here, and equipment is produced (including for nuclear power plants). Traditionally, the coastal cities of the prefecture also serve as a source of fresh fish (especially salmon) and seafood for neighboring lands. Despite the large number of industrial jobs on offer, most locals work in the service sector (this sector accounts for about three-quarters of Hokkaido's GDP). Import volumes here significantly exceed export volumes.

From a legal point of view, the island of Hokkaido is part of the territories of the prefecture of the same name. It also includes the small islands of Rishiri, Okusuri and Rebun. In addition, according to the Japanese authorities, the prefecture also includes some islands of the group Kuril Islands.

The largest city islands - Sapporo, located in the west of Hokkaido and is the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name. It is also the fifth largest city in all of Japan. Numerous industrial enterprises are concentrated here, including those specializing in the field of high technology, food industry, and paper production. Sapporo is also popular resort, the island has many hot springs, which contributes to the development of tourism.

FUN FACTS

■ Since 1859, the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church has been operating in Sapporo, through whose efforts one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Japan was built - the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord. Since 1983, it has been classified as a cultural property of Japan.

■ In addition to earthquakes, residents of Hokkaido are threatened volcanic eruptions: There are five active volcanoes on the island.

■ The area of ​​Hokkaido is approximately equal to the territory of Austria.

■ Sapporo is famous for its annual Snow Festival. It was first held in 1950, and then it was a small exhibition snow figures created by amateurs. However, the scale grew over time, and now the festival is held simultaneously on three sites, with professional sculptors and beginners participating equally.

■ There are many hot springs throughout Hokkaido. The most interesting of them is Jigokudani, or the Valley of Hell. The area received such an ominous name because of the numerous geysers that periodically soar above the ground. Japanese macaques are big fans of swimming in the geothermal waters of local springs. Here they can often be found in winter.

■ The Ainu, who once made up the main population of the island of Hokkaido, previously lived in the territories of Russia, in particular in the south of Kamchatka, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. A distinctive feature of the Ainu is their European appearance. Today, about thirty thousand descendants of the Ainu live in Japan, but over many centuries they managed to assimilate with the Japanese.

ATTRACTIONS

■ Sapporo: clock tower Sapporo is one of the few surviving buildings in Hokkaido late XIX V. in American colonial style; Odori Boulevard is one of the central streets of the city; Botanical Garden- he preserved part of the forest that grew on the site of Sapporo; TV Tower (147 m) Sapporo; Nakajima Park; Mount Moiwa - 8 km from Sapporo; Beer Museum (former sugar factory);
■ Hakodate: Five-Bastion Fortress (1864); Church of the Resurrection of the Lord; Koryuji Monastery; Higashi-Honganji Monastery, Momomachi Catholic Church;
■ National parks: Akan, Shiretoko, Kushiro-Shitsugen, Taiseiuzan, Shikotsu-Toya, Rishiri-Rebun;
■ Quasi National parks: Onuma, Abashiri, Hidaka;
■ Prefectural natural Park Akkeshi.

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands No. 92

When visiting Japan, you should definitely check out Hokkaido - you will get a lot of pleasure visiting the onsen. Onsens are specially designed natural hot springs. They are very popular both among the Japanese themselves, and are the highlight of the Japanese resort for foreigners (according to this, the residents of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin are not surprised by this, but flying to the Kuril Islands is the same as to Japan), Hokkaido is also known for its ski resorts. Hokkaido's climate is very different from the other three islands.

A short excursion about the island:

The island of Hokkaido is only 40 km from Sakhalin, but these 40 kilometers are the surface of the sea. Hokkaido is an island in northern Japan, the second largest after. Hokkaido is connected to the island of Honshu by the Seikan Tunnel, which is laid at a depth of 240 meters and is located 100 meters below sea level. The length of the underwater part of the tunnel is 23.3 kilometers. The total length of the tunnel is almost 54 kilometers and today the Seikan railway tunnel is one of the longest tunnels in the world.

The island of Hokkaido is located in the very north of the country and is least developed in relation to other islands of Japan: Honshu, Kyushu and. This is due to such factors as: the harsher climate of Hokkaido, territorial remoteness, which was the reason for not so close communication with the main territory.

Until the mid-20th century, the lack of any means of crossing made communication between the islands quite expensive. Moreover, this part of the territory of Japan became seriously interested only at the end of the 19th century (1868-1869), when clashes occurred between the Japanese Empire and the Republic of Ezo, which existed at that time on the territory of the island, which bore the same name as the republic (Ezo Island, more early name - Matsumae). As a result of the military conflict, the Republic of Ezo ceased to exist and on August 15, 1869, the island of Ezo was renamed Hokkaido.

The island of Hokkaido is divided from the island of Honshu by the Sangar Strait, the width of the strait ranges from 18 to 110 kilometers, the length is 96 kilometers. The shores of the islands (Hokkaido and Honshu, separated by a strait, are mountainous and covered with forest. Fifty percent of the territory of the island of Hokkaido consists of graceful and rocky mountains and fifty percent is plain. In Hokkaido, unlike other islands, the ratio of plains to mountains is very high. Other islands of Japan cannot boast of having plains, since almost 80-90 percent of the territory is occupied by mountains, which makes land in Japan especially valuable and expensive.

From the north, the island of Hokkaido is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and the island is also washed by Sea of ​​Japan And Pacific Ocean.

In addition to the main islands of Japan, its territory includes more than 6,800 small islands, so the following islands stretch along the island of Hokkaido:

  • Rebun and Rishiri
  • Teuri and Yagishiri
  • Okushiri
  • Oshima
  • Kojima

These are full-fledged territorial units in which the infrastructure is also highly developed, agriculture, folk crafts, fishing and tourism are actively developing. The islands have transport connections with the main islands of the country and have airports on their territory, sea ​​ports. Communication with the “ground” is maintained by airplanes, by sea transport, ferries. Municipal transport is well developed on the islands, there are all the necessary shops, hotels, and many onsen.

As a rule, the origin of the islands is volcanic, however, the territory of the islands contains a lot of vegetation, and national parks are located on some of the islands.

The area of ​​the island of Hokkaido is 83,500 square kilometers, the population is 5,600,000 people, the population density is one of the lowest in Japan - 67 people per square kilometer, for comparison on Honshu - 452 people per square kilometer.

The climate in Hokkaido, by Japanese standards, is very harsh, winters are snowy and long, the absolute minimum recorded on the island is minus 41 degrees (in the city of Asahikawa), although this was more than 100 years ago. But the average temperature on the island remains around 10 degrees below zero throughout the winter. Therefore, the Winter Olympic Games and the Asian Games were held here several times. The Japanese themselves come here for ski resorts and enjoy participating in the snow festival, which is held in , annually in February. In summer it is rainy here, the air humidity is 95-99% and the air temperature reaches forty degrees Celsius.

The main nine cities of Hokkaido contain 60% of the island's population:

  • (approximately 1,920,000 people)
  • Asahikawa (approximately 350,000 people)
  • Hakodate (approximately 280,000 people)
  • Kushiro (approximately 180,000 people)
  • Tomakomai (approximately 170,000 people)
  • Obihiro (approximately 170,000 people)
  • Otaru (approximately 130,000 people)
  • Kitami (approximately 120,000 people)
  • Ebetsu (approximately 120,000 people)

The northern part of Hokkaido is covered with coniferous forests, mainly fir, cedar and spruce, the undergrowth is dominated by dense thickets of bamboo, birch trees and many shrubs also grow on the island, and broad-leaved trees grow in the southern part of the island. Among the animals that live on the island are: sable, ermine, weasel, brown bear, and fox. They say their bears are especially ferocious.

but they look so cute, they love it when they treat you to apples

Photos taken in Shikotsu-Toya National Park

In Japan, everything is done for the people, you wanted to go to the mountains, but there they already laid out smooth paths and built a ladder for you so as not to knock your feet.

Japan is a country that almost constantly experiences minor earthquakes and a country that is constantly under threat of natural disasters. But harsh climatic conditions do not prevent the Japanese from being cheerful and open people. Children are taught from early childhood how to behave in emergency situations. And in the event of a large-scale tragedy, which, unfortunately, has befallen the Japanese people more than once, they remain persistent, united and unbending.

And while the volcano sleeps, at its foot there is a city and local residents live their lives measuredly.

The photographs were taken in the village of Toyako, Iburi District, Hokkaido Governorate.

I offer you a short video about this amazing place.

Japan is a country that is one of the most beloved by many tourists. The magnificent nature of Japan, its unique rich story and unique culture attract many people from all over the world.

The peculiarity of the location below the described corner of the Earth in geographically is that it is both the easternmost and the most northern island Japanese archipelago.

Japan: Hokkaido Island

It is the second largest island in Japan. Its northernmost extreme point, like all of Japan, is Cape Soya, and the easternmost one is Nosappu-Saki.

The closest neighboring island is Honshu, separated by waters washing it north shore, The Sea of ​​Japan is the western one, and the Pacific Ocean is the eastern one.

Honshu is an island larger than Hokkaido. Previously it was known under the names Hondo and Nippon. It makes up 60% of the area of ​​the entire country. But only Hokkaido, which is one of the 4 largest islands Japan, the best preserved pristine nature. Approximately 10% of its territory is occupied by national parks (there are 20 in total). Therefore, Hokkaido is the center of eco-tourism.

The territory has total area more than 83,453 km2.
It is inhabited by 5,507,456 people (according to statistics for 2010).

A Brief History of Hokkaido Island

The settlement of Hokkaido territories began about 20 thousand years ago. In those days, the Ainu lived here - one of the most ancient peoples. The history of development still keeps a huge number of mysteries. The very first mention known to scientific researchers today was made on the pages of the Hon Shoki, a Japanese written monument dating back to the eighth century AD.

There is one fairly widespread theory according to which the island of Watarishima (which is discussed in this chronicle) is Hokkaido, which was named that way only in 1869.

The islanders (Ainu) were engaged in fishing and hunting in those days, and the trade relations existing at that time with neighboring islands gave them the opportunity to provide themselves with rice and iron.

Peaceful quiet life they ended in the XIV-XV centuries, when the Japanese began to gradually populate the neighboring Oshima Peninsula (southwest of Hokkaido). This was aggressively accepted by the Ainu, leading to hostilities that ended in 1475 with the death of their leader.

During the heyday of the reign of Prince Matsumae, whose territories were located mainly on the island. Oshima, the island of Hokkaido gradually became part of their possessions. And again, from that moment on, a long-term struggle broke out on the island between the local indigenous people and the Japanese. The Ainu rebelled until the 2nd half of the 18th century, but these actions did not bring any results. The Japanese confidently held the important island in their hands, especially since there was still a possibility of a Russian attack from the west.

In 1868-1869 in Hokkaido there was an independent republic of Ezo, which was proclaimed after the resettlement of thousands of military personnel to the island, who, after the first Japanese elections, elected the head of the republic, Admiral E. Takeaki.

The emperor did not tolerate such arbitrariness in his territories, and in March 1869 the Ezo Republic was abolished and its head was convicted.

There were also difficult times for the island in 1945, when its territories were subjected to terrible bombing. As a result, many cities and villages suffered greatly.

Relief, mined minerals

The island of Hokkaido is mostly mountainous terrain. More than half of the territory is occupied by mountains, the rest is covered by plains. Mountain ranges (Hidaka, Tokachi, etc.) are elongated in the submeridional direction. Highest point Hokkaido - Mount Asahi (height 2290 meters). There are 8 volcanoes on the island, all active. Earthquakes often occur here, as in Japan.

Coal, iron ore and sulfur are mined on the island.

Cities and ethnic composition of the population

Hokkaido (prefecture) is administratively divided into 14 subprefectures.
The island's capital is Sapporo, which has a population of 1,915,542 (2010 statistics).

Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido. It is separated from the Kuril Islands by the Izmena and Kunashir straits.

The major cities of the island are Muroran, Tomakomai, Otaru. The ethnic composition is quite simple: Japanese - 98.5% of the total population, Koreans - 0.5%, Chinese - 0.4% and other nationalities (including Ainu) - only 0.6%.

Rivers and lakes

The most large rivers The islands are Ishikari (length 265 km) and Tokachi (length 156 km).
The largest lakes are Shikotsu, Toya and Kuttyaro (crater) and Saroma (lagoonal origin). There are also a significant number of small volcanic lakes in Hokkaido, which are fed by mineral hot springs.

Climate

The island of Hokkaido has climatic conditions that are somewhat different than other Japanese regions. Here the average annual temperature is only +8 °C. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, these places receive an average of only 17 full sunny days per year. But in summer, about 149 rainy days are recorded, and in winter - about 123 snowy days.

And yet, by Japanese standards, the summer climate on the island of Hokkaido is drier and the winter climate more severe than in other areas of the country.

And the concept of “north” in Hokkaido is quite relative. For example, the city of Wakkanai, located on far north islands, located south of the city Paris. In general, this island is considered the “harsh North” in Japan.

Flora and fauna

For the most part, the vegetation cover of Hokkaido consists of coniferous forests (fir and spruce) interspersed with bamboo (occupying 60% of the island's area). Cedar and birch forests and shrub heaths are common in the mountains.

Among the mammals found here are foxes, bears, sables, stoats and weasels. All japanese islands(Hokkaido being one of them) is surprisingly populated diverse world birds, and their coastal waters abound with numerous species of fish.

Attractions

What's interesting besides amazing unique nature, can still be seen on the island of Hokkaido? Reviews from travelers about this island, as well as about all of Japan, are the most positive.

There are several in Sapporo remarkable places: the clock tower of the same name is one of the few surviving buildings from the late 19th century in the American botanical garden with a preserved area of ​​natural forest that once grew on the site of the city; Odori Boulevard; television tower (height 147 meters); Mount Moiwa 8 kilometers from the capital; beer museum (once a beer production factory); Nakajima Park.

The city of Hakodate has a five-bastion fortress (1864); Koryuji Monastery; Church of the Resurrection of the Lord and Momomachi Catholic Church; Higashi Honganji Monastery.

Hokkkaido has national parks: Shikotsu-Toya, Kushiro-Shitsugen, Akan, Shiretoko, Rishiri-Rebun and Taiseiuzan. Quasi-national parks - Hidaka, Abashiri, Onuma, Akkeshi Prefectural Natural Park.

In conclusion, some interesting facts


  • Sapporo hosts an annual Snow Festival, which was first held in 1950. This is a kind of exhibition of snow figures.
  • Hokkaido is home to many hot springs. The most interesting of them is Jigokudani (Hell Valley). In this area there are numerous geysers that periodically soar above the ground.
  • Hokkaido's area is approximately equal to Austrian territory.
  • Since 1859, there has been an Orthodox church in Sapporo, built by the mission of the Russian Church - the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord. Since 1983, it has officially been classified as a cultural property of Japan.

In the old Russian transcription - Matsmai, Matsmay.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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    Hokkaido is located in northern Japan. North coast The island is washed by the cold Sea of ​​Okhotsk and faces the Pacific coast of the Russian Far East. The territory of Hokkaido is almost equally divided between mountains and plains. The mountains are located in the center of the island and stretch in ridges from north to south. The most high peak- Asahi volcano (2290 m). In the western part of the island, along the Ishikari River (length 265 km), there is a valley with the same name, in the eastern part, along the Tokachi River (156 km) there is another valley. The southern part of Hokkaido is formed by the Oshima Peninsula, separated by the Sangar Strait from Honshu. Between these islands, the Seikan railway tunnel is built under the seabed.

    The easternmost point of Japan is located on the island - Cape Nosappu-Saki. Also on it is located the extreme northern point Japan - Cape Soya.

    The largest city of Hokkaido and the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name is Sapporo. The area of ​​the city is 1121.12 km², the population is 1,933,787 people (June 30, 2014), the population density is 1724.87 people/km². This is the only million-plus city on the island, in the agglomeration of which up to 2/3 of the population of Hokkaido lives.

    Climate

    Hokkaido's climate is noticeably colder than other areas of Japan. Average annual temperature on the island the average (except for the mountains) is +8 °C. The proximity of the Pacific Ocean means that the island has an average of only 17 full sunny days a year, an average of 149 rainy days in summer, and 123 snowy days in winter. Despite the amount of precipitation, Hokkaido is drier in summer than other regions of the country and colder in winter. In Japan, the island is considered the “harsh North”, since the island’s climate is strikingly different from that of other, more southern islands of the country. Mount Asahi, as well as the mountains of the Shiretoko Peninsula, is dominated by a subarctic climate, which is unusual for Japan.

    Flora and fauna

    Most of Hokkaido is covered with forests. Coniferous forests of spruce and fir predominate, with dense thickets of bamboo in the undergrowth. At the heights there are cedar and birch forests, and there are heathlands with shrubs. In the northern part, the border of coniferous forests is at an altitude of 500 meters; in the south of the island, the forests consist of broad-leaved trees. In the forests you can find sable, ermine, weasel, brown bear, and fox. Hokkaido bears are distinguished by their ferocious temperament.

    Historical information

    The oldest artifacts found in Hokkaido belong to the Late Paleolithic era. These are stone flakes made primitive man 25-20 thousand years ago. They were found at the Shukyubai-Sankakuyama mountain site (Japanese: 祝梅三角山遺跡) in the city of Chitose and the Shimaki site (Japanese: 嶋木遺跡) in the village of Kamishihoro. 15-12 thousand years ago, during the Mesolithic era, the technique of making stone blades spread to Hokkaido, with which the emergence of a culture of microlithic tools is associated. At the same time, the inhabitants of the island learned to use bows and arrows.

    It is believed that the first written mention of Hokkaido was made in a chronicle Nihon shoki, completed in 720. According to the chronicle, Abe no Hirafu, who sailed north at the head of a large fleet from 658 to 680, came into contact with the Misihase and Emishi tribes. Watarashima Island (Japanese: 渡島), visited by Hirafu, is considered modern Hokkaido.

    The island was known as Ezochi until the Meiji Restoration. Immediately after the end of the Boshin War in 1868, a group of shogunal supporters led by Enomoto Takeaki temporarily occupied the island, proclaiming the creation of the Ezo Republic. (Japanese: 蝦夷共和國 edzo kyo:wakoku) , but the uprising was suppressed in May 1869. Ezochi came under the control of the Hakodate Prefectural Government of Hakodate Prefecture (Japanese: 箱館府 hakodate fu) . Since 1689 and the formation of the Development Authority (Japanese: 開拓使 kaitakushi) , the island became known as Hokkaido and was divided into the following provinces: Oshima, Siribeshi, Iburi, Ishikari, Teshio, Kitami, Hidaka, Tokachi, Kushiro, Nemuro and Chishima.

    The main goal of the department was to secure the Hokkaido region from the possible advance of Russia into Far East. Kuroda Kiyotaka stood at its head. His first step in office was a visit to the United States, during which he hired Horace Capron, Secretary of Agriculture under President Grant. From 1871 to 1873, Karpon tried to introduce Western methods of farming and mining, but, without achieving much success, he was forced to return home in 1875. In 1876, another American specialist, William Clark, founded the Sapporo Agricultural College (Japanese: 札幌農學校 sapporo no gakko) . Although Clark stayed in Hokkaido for only one year, he left a positive impression and contributed to the development of local agriculture, as well as the spread of Christianity. Known in Japan for his call to students: “Guys, be ambitious!” (English) Boys, be ambitious!), these words can be found as inscriptions on buildings in Hokkaido to this day. During this decade, the population of Hokkaido grew from 58 thousand to 240 thousand people.

    In 1882, the administration was abolished and Hokkaido was divided into three prefectures: Hakodate Prefecture (Japanese: 函館県 hakodate ken) , Sapporo Prefecture (Japanese: 札幌県 sapporo ken) and Nemuro Prefecture (Japanese: 根室県 nemuro ken) . In 1886, after the abolition of prefectures, the region came under the jurisdiction of the specially created Hokkaido Agency (Japanese: 北海道庁 hokkaido: cho:) . In 1947, after the entry into force of a new law on local autonomy, Hokkaido received the status corresponding to the status of a prefecture. The Hokkaido Development Agency was created by the Japanese Cabinet in 1949. (Japanese: 北海道開発庁 Hokkaido: kaihatsu cho:) Prime Minister of Japan for direct administration of the territory. The agency was absorbed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2001. Hokaido Division (Japanese: 北海道局 hokkaido: kyoku) and Hokkaido Regional Development Department (Japanese: 北海道開発局 Hokkaido: kaihatsu kyoku) under the ministry still play a large role in the development of infrastructure projects on the island.

    Demography

    Historical colonization

    The history of the Japaneseization of Hokkaido began long before the Japanese landed on the island, where, according to rough estimates, up to 50,000 Ainu aborigines lived. IN X-XV centuries The Japanese managed to conquer and largely assimilate the Ainu of the northern half of the island. Honshu from the city of Sendai, for a long time the former center of the Ainu resistance to the city of Tsugaru, which, being located directly opposite Hokkaido, became a springboard for the development of the latter. According to the inventory of 1788, about 26.5 thousand Japanese already lived in the Matsumae Principality, but their number did not grow so quickly in the 19th century: the rather cold (for the Japanese) local climate had a restraining influence, to which only fishermen could adapt, but not not rice farmers. But the rapid progressive development of the Japanese economy since the last third of the nineteenth century led to rapid growth population and a constant shortage of raw materials in the form of wood, seafood, and minerals. Agrarian overpopulation southern islands also made itself felt.

    Subsequently, the number of Japanese colonists grew rapidly, and the number of Ainu decreased during conflicts and assimilation. From now on, significant assistance to the Japanese in developing the island was provided by the Americans, who, together with the Japanese, feared the strengthening of Russia in the Far East. This assistance yielded certain results: in the 1870s, the Japanese population grew from 58,000 to 240,000. This allowed Japan to secure Hokkaido, but the country did not yet have enough demographic resources to develop Sakhalin, so it was

    Sapporo's Odori Promenade - one of Japan's most attractive post-war urban innovations - stretches from east to west for a full mile, a straight and wide green boulevard with flower beds, lilacs, maples and fountains along the centerline. The world famous Sapporo Snow Festival takes place here in the first week of February. Snow and ice sculptures performed by corporate, professional and amateur teams are very complex and often very large.

    Sapporo is famous throughout Japan for its beer. Its production in the 70s. XIX century was established by a German brewer who appreciated the advantages of the surrounding area for growing hops. The beer garden in the northeast of the city's inner city is a great place to sample his signature drink.

    Brief tour of the island

    Occupying a volcanic crater 26 km west of Chitose Airport, Lake Shikotsu is one of the most scenic hiking and camping spots in southern Hokkaido. Every year, starting in May, there is excellent salmon fishing here. Little remains of the Ainu culture in Hokkaido, but not far from resort town Noboribetsu is Shiraoi, a recreated Ainu village where members of the Ainu people demonstrate their mastery of the nation's arts and crafts. The magnificent Ainu Museum, opened with the assistance of European and American anthropologists, offers visitors a vibrant exhibition on the history of the indigenous inhabitants of the Japanese islands.

    There are many national parks in Hokkaido. Reserved National Park Shiretoko in the far northeast is listed World Heritage UNESCO and attractive for its black rocks, virgin forests and rich wildlife.

     

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