An island separated from Hokkaido. Japanese islands. Hokkaido Island. Flora and fauna

For a long time I had such a dream to visit all four main islands of Japan. And the last remained the northern island, Hokkaido. For various reasons, I still couldn’t get there. But now it has finally happened, and here I am going to Hokkaido, to its capital, the city of Sapporo. It's eight hours from Tokyo by train!

Once in Hokkaido, I realized that everything here is not quite the same as in central Japan, which is more familiar to me. Huge spaces uncrowded with people, mountain landscapes and cold - that's what you can expect on this northern island.

1. There are brand new Hokkaido Shinkansen in Hokkaido - they,. And these are also green!

2. In these trains, in addition to the usual “green” carriages (this is something like a business class), there is also a so-called Grand Class, in hierarchy it is more like the first one on airplanes. True, in terms of comfort it is rather similar to an ordinary one. I can’t even imagine how much such a ticket costs. An ordinary "economy" fare from Tokyo to Sapporo costs $240 each way! The good thing is that the JR-Pass covers these trips.

3. The Japanese are constantly developing their network of super-express trains, extending it throughout the country. So the Hokkaido Shinkansen is a new thing. It was launched only in March 2016.

4. Its first anniversary was recently celebrated.

5. Also, the Hokkaido Shinkansen doesn’t run as much By Hokkaido, how much on him. The first station on the island is the final station for these express trains. To get from one island to another, the Shinkansen travels through a 54-kilometer tunnel under the Tsugaru Strait. The rails are located 100 meters below the seabed!

6. We took this shinkansen to a town called Hokadate, and decided to look around a little before moving on to Sapporo.

7. Here the appearance of the Shinkansen is very welcome; these green express trains are found everywhere. It seems they will even replace the previous symbol of the city - squid. Throughout Japan, construction barriers are supported by funny little animals, but here they use the Shinkansen for these purposes!

8. The station square is just a huge parking lot.

9. Hakodate is a coastal city, a port, and there is a seafood market here in the mornings.

10. For sale crabs, squids, sea ​​urchins, and other strange seafood. All this was “still running” yesterday.

11. Max bought an octopus on a stick. He says it was delicious.

12. View of the bay. Once upon a time, the Americans forced the Japanese government to open trade with them. The Japanese thought and thought, and chose Hakodate as a place where American ships would be allowed to enter. At that time, the Dutch had already won the right to trade in the south, in Nagasaki. The authorities did not want foreigners to appear in the more central parts of Japan, and specifically chose ports remote from Tokyo and Kyoto for such trade in order to reduce outside influence.

13. Signs to attractions are built into the sidewalk. Here you Train Station, and old brick warehouses.

14. These warehouses were built for trade with foreigners, they are somewhat reminiscent of the port buildings in Red Hook, New York.

15. Today there are shops and cafes here, this is one of the places that tourists are offered to see in Hakodate.

16. View from these warehouses to the bay. There are mountains in the distance. Hakodate has very strong winds and almost zero temperatures now in mid-April. So it’s unpleasant to be outside for a long time.

17. Let's go inside, to the warehouses. In one of the stores I came across nesting dolls! The Russian trace is obvious. Look, there’s even Cheburashka and Gena!

18. At the next counter there are a lot of little ears from my childhood. Nice to see that! True, it seems to be somehow further from the center.

19. But next to the warehouses there is a real log hut. What is this? How did she get here? It’s unclear, it was closed inside.

20. Hakodate has preserved old wooden houses. There are probably temples in the city, but we didn’t come across them, this is not Kyoto.

21. Overall it's a pretty standard Japanese town. It has its own hatch design (I’ll show you later), and on the streets, .

22. There are also plenty of Hokadate that receive various benefits in exchange for their small size.

23. But most importantly, there is a tram in the city! I even felt offended. , but here, even in such a hole - here you go. Again I felt sorry for NY, where all the trams were cut out in the 20th century.

24. A strange inscription in English in the cockpit: “The driver has a pen and a notepad for communication.” Is he supposed to write on the go?..

25. Okay, we've walked around Hakodate, and it's time to move on to Sapporo. We still have about three hours to travel by train like this. It is diesel, which is rare in central Japan, but here in Hokkaido the tracks have not yet been fully electrified. According to Hokkaido Shinkansen plans, it will reach Sapporo only by 2031!

26. Our neighbours. They turned two chairs to face each other, creating a small compartment for themselves.

27. Landscape outside the window. In Tokyo and, and here in the north of the country there is still snow.

28. In some places there are huge snowdrifts!

29. And in the distance there are beautiful snow-capped mountains. Hokkaido, like the rest of Japan, has many mountains.

30. Closer to the coast the snow had melted. We pass endless fields with greenhouses. I wonder what they grow here.

31. Solar storage panels. Compared to other parts of Japan, Hokkaido is spacious and you can get electricity.

32. Birches outside the window! Matryoshka dolls, Cheburashka, hut, and now birch trees! Hokkaido clearly loves everything Russian!

33. For most of the journey the train runs along the seashore. When the Shinkansen is built here, it will shorten the distance using tunnels - up to 75% of the route will be underground. In the meantime, it's beautiful.

34. True, we chose the wrong side of the carriage; our neighbors were luckier. For the future, we will know that from Hokadate to Sapporo you need to sit on the right. Back - left.

35. Clouds and mountains. It's sunset soon.

36. Well, it's beautiful!

37. Sometimes we pass through small towns. In Hokkaido, houses in such settlements are simpler than

Skip to navigation Skip to search

Hokkaido
Japanese
北海道
Characteristics	Square
83,400 km²	Highest point
2290 m	Population
5,500,000 people (2010)	Population density
65.95 people/km²
Location
43°30′ N. w. 143°00′ E. d.	Washing waters
Sea of ​​Okhotsk,
A country	Hokkaido
Hokkaido
Region

Media files on Wikimedia Commons Hokkaido 北海道 Hokkaido(Japanese), "government of the North Sea") , formerly known as Edzo , in old Russian transcription:, Yesso (Yeso), Yesso, Ieddo Iedzo - the second largest island. Until 1859, it was also called Matsumae after the surname of the ruling feudal clan, which owned the castle town. Matsumae - in old Russian transcription:, Matsmay.

Matsmai

Geography

Physical map of Hokkaido

Satellite image of Hokkaido (Terra satellite, NASA MODIS; May 2001) Hokkaido is located in the northern part of the Japanese Islands, being the second largest in the archipelago. The island has the extreme northern point Japan - Cape Soya (45°31’). Also on it is located the extreme eastern point

Japan - Cape Nosappu-Saki (Nosyappu; 145°49’E). The southern outskirts of Hokkaido are Cape Shirakami (41°24’), the western edge is Cape Ota (139°46’ E). North coast The islands are washed by the cold Sea of ​​Okhotsk and face the Pacific coast of the Far East, separated from Sakhalin by the La Perouse (Soya) Strait, and from the Kuril Islands by the Kunashir Strait, or Nemuro Strait. At the same time, the shortest distance to the Kuril Islands is only 7 km. Hokkaido forms the Oshima Peninsula, separated by the Sangar Strait from Honshu, which is 17 km away. Between these islands, the Seikan railway tunnel is built under the seabed. The coastline is slightly indented in comparison with other islands of the archipelago; its length is 2447.3 km, including nearby small islands - 2759.7 km, or 10.4% of the entire length coastline Japan.

The relief of the island is predominantly mountainous with a predominance of folded block mountains. Basic mountain ranges extend diagonally, at the point of intersection of which the Central mountain range with the highest point - Asahi volcano (2290 m). Besides him, there are others active volcanoes: Tokachi and Yosan. Plain areas occupy only a third of the island. In the western part, along the Ishikari River (length 265 km), there is a low-lying area with the same name, adjacent to it is the Yufutsu Plain, in the eastern part, along the Tokachi River (156 km) - another flat territory.

Due to its high proportion of mineral resources, Hokkaido is called the “northern pearl of the country.” The largest reserves (over 25% of the country's reserves) are of hard and brown coal, gold, silver, ferruginous sand, iron, manganese and mercury ores.

The river network is extensive, but the length of the rivers is short, only six have more than 100 km. Among them is the second largest river in Japan - Ishikari. River arteries are used for shipping, irrigation and electricity. The lakes are predominantly freshwater, but there are also salty, lagoon-type lakes. The most large lake islands - Saroma; its area is 149.1 km² (4th place in the country), its greatest depth is 19.5 m.

The soil cover is monotonous; Podzols predominate, but brown soils are found on the Oshima Peninsula. The proportion of peatlands is significant; with an area of ​​295 thousand hectares, they are found in the lower reaches of the Kushiro, Teshio and Ishikari rivers.

The largest city Hokkaido and the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name -. The city's area is 1,121.26 km² (October 1, 2016), population is 1,962,064 people (June 1, 2017), population density is 1,749.87 people/km². It is the only million-plus city on the island, accounting for 36.6% of the total population of Hokkaido and 1.5% of the population of Japan.

Climate

Hokkaido's climate is temperate monsoon; it varies in different areas of the island - warmer west and colder east and northeast. The amplitude of temperature fluctuations is 60 °C (from 30 °C to −30 °C). Precipitation is relatively less than in the rest of Japan; the maximum fluctuates around 1100 mm per year. In summer, a lack of rain leads to shallowing of rivers, but at the same time, winter is characterized by an abundance of snow. East End the islands are characterized big amount days with sunshine. The monsoon climate determines frequent typhoons in August-September.

Flora and fauna

Most of Hokkaido's territory is occupied by mixed and broad-leaved forests (5.54 million hectares, or 22% of all Japanese forests). Coniferous species of Hokkaido spruce and Sakhalin fir with dense thickets of bamboo in the undergrowth account for 41.7% of the entire forest fund, while deciduous species (oak, poplar, ash, chestnut, beech) make up 58.3%. In the mountainous areas there are cedar and birch forests, and there are heathlands with shrubs. Coniferous forests are common in the northern part of the island; their upper limit in the spectrum of altitudinal zones reaches a height of 500 meters, while in the south and central part of the island the forests consist of broad-leaved tree species. In the animal world you can find brown bear, sika deer, fish eagle owl, Japanese crane, common fox, wild boar, serow and others. There are six on the island national parks : Daisetsuzan, Shikopu-Toya, Akan, Shiretoko, Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu, Kushiro-Shitsugen.

Historical information

Reconstruction of Jomon dwellings at the Sannai-Maruyama site

Settlement of the Ainu at the end of the 19th century: the island of Hokkaido by this time was still completely inhabited exclusively by representatives of this people

Reconstruction of Ainu housing in the settlement of Nibutani

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, which is associated with the emergence of a culture of microlithic tools. At the same time, the inhabitants of the island learned to use bows and arrows.

The appearance of ceramics in Hokkaido dates back to the 8th millennium BC. e. It is represented by the Ainu Jomon culture. On the island, this culture found its expression in two styles of tableware design - southwestern and northeastern. The first was influenced by the style of the Tohoku region neighboring island Honshu, and the second took shape independently. The dishes from the southwestern part of Hokkaido were flat-bottomed, while those from the northeastern part were sharp-bottomed. Around 6 millennium BC. e. pointed-bottomed dishes gave way to flat-bottomed ones, and old styles evolved into new ones - cylindrical (Japanese: 円筒式土器) in the southwest and northern-cylindrical (Japanese: 北筒式土器) in the northeast. In the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. e. the inhabitants of Hokkaido adopted the lush Kamegaoka style (Japanese: 亀ヶ岡式土器) from neighboring Honshu, which supplanted regional styles.

At the turn of our era, the Yayoi agricultural culture spread to Japan. Hokkaido remained outside the influence of this culture. Its inhabitants continued to live by hunting and gathering, were semi-sedentary and adhered to the traditions of the previous Jomon era. Their culture was called post-Jomon. During the 3rd-4th centuries, under the influence southern islands Hokkaido residents began to use metal tools and make jewelry from precious stones.

Starting from the 7th century, the northeastern regions of Hokkaido (the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk) were influenced by the Okhotsk culture. Its bearers used stone, iron and bone tools. A large settlement and burial ground of these northern hunters was found at the Moyoro site (Japanese: 最寄遺跡) in the territory of the city of Abashiri. The latest monuments of the Okhotsk culture date back to the 9th century.

In the 8th century, based on the post-Jomon culture, arose new culture Satsumon. Its carriers were the proto-Ainu. Like the Jomon, the proto-Ainu were primarily hunter-gatherers, although they practiced primitive agriculture. They made their weapons and tools from iron, less often from stone or bone. The Proto-Ainu traded with the neighboring Nivkhs in the north and the Japanese in the south.

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. Watarishima Island (Japanese) 渡島 ) , visited by Hirafu, is considered to be modern Hokkaido. Arai Hakuseki, who lived during the Edo period, believed that Watarishima was the same as Ezo (i.e. Hokkaido)

During the Nara and Heian periods (710-1185), the inhabitants of Hokkaido (Ainu) conducted active trade with the Dewa province of Japan. In the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of Hokkaido began to be called Ezo, and the island itself - Ezochi (Japanese. 蝦夷地, "land of Ezo") or Ezogashima (jap. 蝦夷ヶ島, "Ezo Island"). The main occupation of the Ezo people was hunting and fishing, and they obtained rice and iron through trade with Japan.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), a Japanese settlement appeared in the south of the Oshima Peninsula. As the number of settlers grew, disagreements began to arise with the local population, which over time escalated into military conflict. Japanese leader Takeda Nobuhiro killed the Ainu leader Koshamain in 1457. Nobuhiro became the founder of the Matsumae clan, which held the exclusive right to trade with the Ainu throughout the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods (1568-1868). The Matsumae clan ruled the Matsumae domain (jap. 松前藩 matsumae han) from its founding in 1604 until the end of the Edo period in 1868.

The Ainu staged uprisings against feudal rule. The last major uprising was the Xiagusyain Rebellion in 1669-1672. In 1789, the Menasi-Kunashir uprising was also suppressed. In 1799-1821 and 1855-1858, in response to the threat from Russia, the shogunate introduced direct rule on the island. Shortly before the Meiji Restoration, the Tokugawa Shogunate, concerned about a possible Russian invasion, began preparing its northern borders for defense and took Ezochi under its full control. During this period, the policy towards the Ainu softened a little, but the general management style remained the same.

The island was known as Ezochi until the Meiji Restoration. Immediately after the end of the Boshin War in 1868, a group of supporters of the shogunate led by Enomoto Takeaki temporarily occupied the island, proclaiming the creation of the Republic of Ezo (Japanese). 蝦夷共和國 edzo kyo:wakoku) , but the uprising was suppressed in May 1869. Ezochi came under the administration of the Hakodate Prefectural Government of Hakodate Prefecture (Japanese: Hakodate Prefecture). 箱館府 hakodate fu) . In 1869, the Development Authority (Japanese) was formed. 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.

Ainu, indigenous people Hokkaido

The main goal of the Japanese administration was to secure the Hokkaido region from the possible advance of Russia to Far East. It was headed by Kuroda Kiyotaka. His first step in office was a visit to , during which he hired Horace Capron, President Grant's Secretary of Agriculture. 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 to directly rule the territory. The agency was absorbed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2001. Hokaido Department (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.

In the extreme southwest of the Oshima Peninsula, in 1604, the feudal principality of Matsumae was established, a vassal state of the Tokugawa shoguns, into whose possession the entire island was given. It was called Ezo at that time, and its indigenous population were the Ainu, whose conquest by the Japanese lasted more than two centuries. In 1712-1713, based on questions from the Ainu and the stories of the Japanese, who were brought to Kamchatka by a storm in 1710, the Cossack Ivan Petrovich Kozyrevsky compiled his description of the island. In the spring of 1779, Russian sailors and fishermen, led by Antipin and Shabalin, headed to the shores of Hokkaido in seven canoes. On June 24 of the same year, they entered the Notkomo harbor in the northeast of the island, where they collected yasak from the Ainu living there and actually accepted 1,500 people into Russian citizenship. This fact caused indignation among the Japanese. In the fall of 1792, a Russian expedition led by Adam Laxman visited northern Hokkaido, although the Japanese forbade the Russians from trading with the Hokkaido Ainu.

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, which for a long time was the ancient 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 1788 inventory, 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 19th century led to rapid growth population and a constant shortage of raw materials in the form of wood, seafood, and minerals. The agricultural overpopulation of the 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 1871 to 1876, the Americans provided significant assistance to the Japanese in developing the island, 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 have enough demographic resources to develop Sakhalin, and in 1875 Japan completely abandoned its claims to Sakhalin in exchange for the cession of the Kuril Islands by the Russian Empire. Japanese colonization became especially widespread at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. For example, in 1897, 64,350 Japanese immigrants arrived on the island, in the next 1898 63,630 were registered, in 1901 - 50,100, etc. As a result, in 1903, according to current statistics, the Japanese population of Hokkaido reached 845 thousand. people, and only 18 thousand Ainu aborigines were counted. In 1905, after the conquest of southern Sakhalin and the formation of Karafuto Prefecture, Japanese colonists and natives from Hokkaido poured into Sakhalin, where by 1945 a 350,000-strong Japanese diaspora, predominantly of Hokkaido origin, had formed. By 1925, the population of the island of Hokkaido reached 2.5 million people, and by 1960 it exceeded 5 million. By this time, most of the Sakhalin Japanese returned to Hokkaido, because southern Sakhalin was conquered by the USSR and came under its jurisdiction.

Notes

1. Meckler G.K., 1986, p. 13.
2. Hokkaido // Great Russian Encyclopedia
3. Japan // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron
4. Yesso // Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron
5. Abridged notes of the fleet by captain-lieutenant (now captain of the first rank) Golovnin, about his voyage on the sloop Diana, for the inventory of the Kuril Islands, in 1811. - St. Petersburg. : State Admiralty Department, 1819. - 172 p.
6. Meckler G.K., 1986, p. 16.
7. Meckler G.K., 1986, p. 16−17.
8. Meckler G.K., 1986, p. 39.
9. Meckler G.K., 1986, p. 17−18.
10. Meckler G.K., 1986, p. 18.
11. Sapporo 2017. Facts and Figures(English) . City of Sapporo. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
12. Meckler G.K., 1986, p. 17.
13. National Forests in Hokkaido (English). Hokkaido Regional Forest Office. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (March 2014). Retrieved February 23, 2018.
14. The Wildlife in Japan (English). Wildlife Division, Nature Conservation Bureau. Ministry of the Environment (2015). Retrieved February 23, 2018.
15. Kushiro Shitsugen National Park 26,861 ha.:(July 31, 1987 (undefined) (unavailable link). JIBIS. Ministry of the Environment. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012.
16. McClain, James L. Japan, A Modern History. - First. - New York, N.Y. : W.W. Norton & Company, 2002. - P. 285. - ISBN 0-393-04156-5.
17. Nakamura, Akemi, “Japan’s last frontier took time to tame, cultivate image”, The Japan Times, July 8, 2008, p. 3.
18. Nussbaum, Louis Frederic. (2005). "Hokkaido" in Japan Encyclopedia , page 343 in Google Books
19. Ernest Satov. (1882). "The Geography of Japan" in Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, Vol. 1–2, pp. 88. in Google Books
20. Let the Sea Make a Noise, pp. 355-356.
21. Walter Allen McDougall (1993). Let the Sea Make a Noise, page 357
22. Nechaev A. Conquest of the furry (undefined) . // Around the World. - No. 1 (January 2002). Retrieved September 21, 2015.
23. Kuril Islands in the history of Russian-Japanese relations. Russian history. Russian empire (undefined) . Retrieved February 3, 2013. Archived February 7, 2013.
24. Kurile Islands. Their discovery and annexation to Russia (1711-1778) (undefined) . // Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. - 01/12/2012. Retrieved February 3, 2013. Archived February 11, 2013.
25. Shirokorad. A.B. Japan. Unfinished rivalry
26. Sources about the history of the struggle of the Ainu people in Japan - the topic of a scientific article on history and historical sciences, read the text of the research paper for free in electronic...
27. History of the Ainu language: a first approximation - the topic of a scientific article on linguistics, read the text of the research paper for free in the CyberLeninka electronic library

Literature

• Vasilievsky, R. S. In the footsteps of the ancient cultures of Hokkaido. - M.: Nauka, 1981. - 176 p. - (Countries and peoples). - 67,000 copies.
• Meckler, G.K. Hokkaido / prev. K. M. Popova, V. V. Kovyzhenko; USSR Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oriental Studies. - 2nd ed., rev. and additional - M.: Nauka, 1986. - 163, p.

Links

• HOKKAIDO // Japan from A to Z. Popular illustrated encyclopedia. (CD-ROM). - M.: Directmedia Publishing, “Japan Today”, 2008. - ISBN 978-5-94865-190-3.
• HOKKAIDO // Conifer - Shervinsky. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2017. - P. 118. - (Big Russian Encyclopedia: [in 35 volumes] / chief editor Yu. S. Osipov; 2004-2017, vol. 34). - ISBN 978-5-85270-372-9.

In the old Russian transcription - Matsmay, - in old Russian transcription:.

Encyclopedic YouTube

• 1 / 5

  Hokkaido is located in northern Japan. The northern coast of 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 of 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. The northernmost point of Japan is also located on it - 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 by 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 administration 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 in the 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 19th century led to rapid population growth and a constant shortage of raw materials in the form of wood, seafood, and minerals. The agricultural overpopulation of the 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

  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 the 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, winter events were held here Olympic Games and the Asian Games were held 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 coniferous forests, mainly fir, cedars and spruce, the undergrowth is dominated by dense thickets of bamboo, birches 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 even paths and built a ladder for you so that your feet won’t get knocked down.

  

  

  

  

  

  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.

  In the meantime, the volcano is sleeping, at its foot there is a city and local residents live their lives in a measured manner.

  

  

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

  I offer you a short video about this amazing place.

  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 Shoki”, 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 by 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.
  Hokkaido is located in the north of Japan, and its shores overlook the Japanese and Sea of ​​Okhotsk, as well as to Pacific Ocean. On the Nemuro Peninsula - a region of Hokkaido - is the easternmost point of 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 that 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, and twelve prefectural nature parks. total area they make up approximately 10% of Hokkaido's area.
  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 interfere with Hokkaido residents' activities agriculture, and quite successfully. 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 vacancies offered in industrial companies, the majority local residents 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 Kuril Islands group.
  The largest city on the island is 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.

  
  

  general information

  Administrative division: 14 subprefectures within Hokkaido Prefecture as a whole).
  Capital: Sapporo (1,915,542 people -2010).
  Language: Japanese.
  Ethnic composition: Japanese (98.5%). Koreans (0.5%). Chinese (0.4%), 0.6% - others (Ainu).
  Religions: Shintoism, Buddhism.
  Currency unit: yen.
  Largest cities: Sapporo, Tomakomai, Muroran, Otaru.
  Largest rivers: Ishikari, Tokachi.
  Most important airport: international Airport Chitose.

  Numbers

  Area: 83,453.57 km2.
  Population: 5,507,456 people (2010).
  Population density: 65.9 people/km 2 .
  The most high point: Mount Asahi (2290 m).

  Economy

  Industry: food, paper, woodworking, coal and iron ore mining, equipment production (including for nuclear power plants).
  Agriculture: growing soybeans, potatoes, carrots, onions, cereals, rice. Fishing.
  Service sector: tourism, financial services, trade, transport.

  Climate and weather

  Continental humid. Characterized by cold, snowy winters and cool summers.
  Average temperature in July:+19.5°C.
  Average January temperature:-8°C.
  Average precipitation: 800-1500 mm.

  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.

  Curious facts

  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 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 have managed to assimilate with the Japanese.

  In Sapporo, since 1859, there has been a mission of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose efforts built one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Japan - 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.

   

  It might be useful to read:

  • How to get on an excursion to Antarctica?;
  • Czech Republic Troy Castle. Troja Castle in Prague. Ancient winery and museum;
  • Böcklin and his “island of the dead” A cultural phenomenon of its time;
  • Air tickets to Crimea Air tickets to Crimea will become cheaper;
  • What you can and cannot take with you;
  • Open left menu Heviz How to get from Budapest to Lake Heviz;
  • Cable car in Nha Trang (Vinpearl) The longest cable car in the world Vietnam;
  • Kamenets-Podolsk fortress - a historical monument of Ukraine Life outside the walls of the Kamenets-Podolsk fortress;