Introduction to Japanese geography

Hokkaido (Hokkaido) is the only prefecture among Japan's 47 prefectures and the northernmost first-level administrative region. It is the largest island in Japan except Honshu and the 21st largest island in the world. Slightly smaller than the island of Ireland. Honshu Island is bounded by Tsugaru Strait to the south and Sakhalin Island is bounded by Soya Strait to the north. Sapporo is the administrative center and largest city of Hokkaido.

· Famous scenic spots

Lake Shikotsu, etc.

· Areas under jurisdiction

Sapporo City, etc.

· Government Residence

Sapporo City

· Railway Station

New Chitose Airport, Hakodate Airport, etc.

· Geographical Location

Located in the northernmost part of the Japanese archipelago

Hokkaido[1] is located in the northern part of Japan, accounting for one-fifth of Japan's area, and its population is only half of Tokyo's. The population density is extremely low, and most of it is concentrated in Sapporo. Located between Otaru and Asahikawa in the center, visitors to Hokkaido often have a sense of vastness and comfort. Compared with the crowded and prosperous cities in other Japanese cities, it is really unique. Hokkaido is famous for its charming snow scenery, so winter is the best season to visit Hokkaido. The annual Hokkaido Snow Festival takes place in early February every year. The venues are located in Odori Park and Makomanai Self-Defense Force Plaza. Visitors can visit the ice sculptures carved by experts from all over the world who gather here to show off their skills. A masterpiece of art, majestic and ingenious.

In addition, there are many places worth visiting in Hokkaido. Noboribetsu Hot Spring is the largest hot spring in Hokkaido. It is surrounded by mountains. There are 11 types of hot springs gushing out in the narrow canyon. The water temperature ranges from 45 to 93. It can treat a variety of diseases. You can also visit the famous Hell Valley and Pharmacists here. Wonderful sights such as the Tathagata statue, the volcanic crater's cliffs and the mouth of the Liuhuang Fountain. Lake Shikotsu is the largest lake in Hokkaido. Mount Tarumae and Mount Eizen stand on the lakeside. They are both active volcanoes. They erupted in 1978 and are still spewing smoke, which contrasts with the calm lake surface. There is a bear ranch on nearby Sifang Ridge, where more than 200 precious brown bears are raised and can perform wonderful performances. Visitors can feed freely and take photos in the park.

The northernmost island among Japan’s four main islands. Japan's second largest island. Located in the northernmost part of the Japanese archipelago (between 40°33' and 45°33' north latitude, and between 139°20' and 148°53' east longitude). It is 420 kilometers wide from north to south, 540 kilometers long from east to west, and covers an area of ??83,520 square kilometers (32,247 square miles). It forms an administrative unit "do" with neighboring small islands, accounting for 21% of Japan's land area. It is bounded by the Sea of ??Japan to the west, the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Sea of ??Okhotsk to the northeast; it is adjacent to Honshu by the Tsugaru Strait to the southwest, and faces the Russian Sakhalin Island (Sakhalin Island) across the La Perouse Strait (Soya Strait) to the north. In order to control the strategic location of the Two Gorges, Japan's northern border outpost is known as the "Key to Japan's North Gate". The geography is characterized by a cool climate and recently formed mountains and volcanoes.

Natural climate

Significant monsoon, temperate maritime climate. Average temperature: January-4-10, August 18-20. Annual precipitation is 800-1200 mm. There is snow from December to March, with the maximum depth reaching 4 meters. There is a lot of sea fog on the southeast coast in summer, and ice drifts on the north and east coast in winter.

Tourist Attractions

Drift Ice Icebreakers

The "Kalingo II" and "Aurora" icebreakers depart from Monbetsu Port and are required for boat tours For 1 hour, the tour boat travels among the drifting ice and you can observe the flowing water close at hand. This fascinating tour program runs for 2 months starting in mid-January. There is also an "Aurora" operating in Abashiri City.

Hakodate’s night view

Together with Hong Kong and Naples, it is listed as one of the three most famous night views in the world.

Due to terrain factors, Hakodate's night view is famous for its special fan shape. The night view of Hakodate is X-shaped with twinkling lights, like an unknown realm in space. It is said that Hakodate consumes one million dollars in electricity every night.

Otaru

Otaru is located in the west of Hokkaido, facing Ishikari Bay. It developed as the maritime gateway of Hokkaido about 100 years ago and became extremely prosperous. Many banks and companies came here to develop. , even known as the "Wall Street of the North." In the past, the canal was crowded with countless sampans loading and unloading goods, and there were brick and stone warehouses along the bank, creating a busy scene. Nowadays, these warehouse buildings have been converted into glass craft shops, teahouses, restaurants and large shops. In the evening, the stone streets and gasoline lamps lit on both sides fill the city with a nostalgic atmosphere, making people feel very friendly and warm.

Otaru is also known as the "Slope City". There are many slopes in the city, including the steep slope named "Hell Slope" and the sloping and curved Funami Slope. There is a Mount Tengu behind the winter ski resort. From the lookout on the mountain, you can not only have a panoramic view of the city, but also the harbor scenery. There is a cable car here for tourists to go up the mountain. The coastal area in the suburbs belongs to the Nisai Kao Shakotan Otaru Coastal National Park. Among them are scenic areas such as Ota Maui, which is famous for its cliffs. There are especially many tourists here in summer.

Red brick official residence

It was built in 1888. After many renovations, it was restored to its original appearance in 1968. It was designated as an important cultural property in 1969. The architectural style adopts American Neo-Baroque style.

Asahidake's Garden

From Asahi

Kawa City, you can take a bus or *** for 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Asahidake Hot Spring, and then use the ropeway to get there. An alpine plant garden at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The highest peak "Asahidake" is 2,290 meters above sea level. It is the place where you can enjoy snow for the longest time in Japan. Even in June in summer, the mountain top shrouded in thick fog is still covered with the remaining white snow from winter, making it mysterious and eerie.

The highest peak of the Daisetsu Mountains with an altitude of 2290m. The aerial ropeway runs to the 1600m point. If mountain climbing you need to use real equipment for mountain climbing. There is a walking course that starts from the top of the aerial ropeway and lasts about one hour. When walking this walking route, it doesn’t matter if you wear shoes and clothing that are easy to walk on. In early summer it becomes a flowerbed of blooming alpine plants. On days after rain or snow, the walking path is muddy, and boots are rented out at the top station of the aerial ropeway.

Matsumae Domain Residence

The most prosperous and proud city north of Sendai.

Seteng Youth Travel Village

The 2.7-hectare park has tent areas, camping cabins, campfire squares, cooking areas, showers, toilets and other well-equipped outdoor activity venues. .

Hakodate Waterfront Area

Along the western coast from Hakodate Station to Hakodate Port, old buildings and warehouses that prospered as an international trade port are reused. Building complex. Hakodate Meiji Museum, BAY Hakodate, Kanamori Western Museum, etc. are very popular among young tourists.

Cape Tuna

About 450 meters along the coast, the rock faces of the andesite pillars and their magnificent stone patterns protrude from the sea, creating a mysterious scene in the morning and evening sunlight. Due to its excellence in academics and tourism, it has been designated as a Hokkaido Natural Monument.

Hyesan

Hyesan

In the volcanic area, the lava dome hills form a rare double bell volcano.

Esan, called Esan in Japanese, is an active volcano with an altitude of 618 meters in the Esan Provincial Natural Park at the southeastern end of the Kameda Peninsula in southern Hokkaido and protruding toward the Pacific Ocean. Eishan is also a good place to overlook the distant scenery. On a clear and cloudless day, you can see Mount Yotei, Komagatake and the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture.

Located at the foothills of Mt. Ezuishan, Eishan Rhododendron Park is a great place to view Mount Ezo's azaleas and gensa lampstand flowers. Starting around early May, more than 600 species of alpine plants including azaleas, bilberries, and baby's breath bloom in the wilderness. The area is dyed into a sea of ??red flowers, and the Huishan Rhododendron Festival is held in early summer.

In addition, Huishan Hot Spring is also very popular among local people. It has been used as a hot spring treatment place since the mid-19th century. It is quite famous because the color of the hot spring is wine-colored. In addition, the nearby "Mizuna Seaside Hot Spring" has a three-step beach bath. The water temperature changes according to the ebb and flow of the tide. This open-air hot spring allows you to experience the wonders of watching the sea and hot springs.

Floating Island Park

A unique park with 10 floating islands that move slowly and change their posture according to the direction or time.

Onuma Quasinational Park

Yes

The water park at the southern foot of Komagatake has beautiful Japanese-style scenery and is an attractive tourist and leisure destination.

Odori Park

Odori Park is in the city center. There are many urban sculptures, fountains, lilac trees and locust trees. To the north are various commercial and financial institution buildings. and the Hokkaido Government Building. To the south is a large-scale underground commercial street, which is also the city's central commercial street and is bustling with activity. In summer, there are many garden-style beer bars in the park, and in winter, Sapporo's most grand event, the Sapporo Ice and Snow Festival, is held. During the ice and snow festival, spectacular snow sculptures and beautiful ice sculptures are erected everywhere in this large park.

Shiroikoibitopark

Shiroikoibitopark is the production and display place for Shiroikoibito chocolate sandwich biscuits and ice cream. It is also a European-style classical castle full of British atmosphere. Shiroi Koibito symbolizes the half-year-long white snow in Hokkaido and the expectation for your lover. In addition to being a famous chocolate dessert, its place of production is also synonymous with magic and mystery. Its brightly colored brick walls, spiers of different shapes, magnificent castle, and simple and elegant bell tower all highlight the solemn and generous atmosphere. The factory not only has a chocolate museum that displays the history and production process of chocolate, but also a shop where you can buy authentic "Shiroi Koibito". The most surprising thing is that you can experience the process and fun of homemade chocolate in person. Under the guidance of the store staff, you can make a variety of delicious chocolate desserts, which are most suitable as gifts to convey love to your lover.

Otaru Canal Otaru Unga

The Otaru Canal is located in the port area of ??Otaru City and is an iconic landscape of Otaru and even Hokkaido. The canal was opened in 1923 and was used to load and unload cargo, witnessing the prosperity of the "Wall Street of the North" in this area. Today, half of the length of the Otaru Canal has been filled in and used as a road, but a row of masonry warehouses along the bank have been preserved and transformed into glass handicraft shops and other specialty shops. Added with the decoration of gas lamps, they look bright on winter nights. Extraordinarily beautiful. Strolling along the Otaru Canal during the day is a great pleasure. On one side of the river is a long pedestrian walkway, with a Victorian-style kerosene street lamp standing at regular intervals on the road. It is very nostalgic, and many artists can often be seen painting live here.

Food

Hokkaido Ramen [3]

No matter whether you are tired of eating ramen in other cities in Japan, when you come to Hokkaido, you must not miss the local characteristics The three major ramen in Japan: Sapporo miso ramen, Asahikawa soy sauce ramen and Hakodate salt ramen. Hokkaido is now the region with the most prosperous ramen culture in Japan. In Sapporo, there are also food streets with a large number of ramen shops such as Ramen *** and Kuniwa Ramen Yokocho.

The specialty of Hokkaido ramen is that the soup base is mostly made of chicken bones, seafood, vegetables and other ingredients. In addition to the common barbecued pork, bean sprouts, dried bamboo shoots, etc., the toppings also include butter, corn, seafood and other unique Hokkaido flavors.

Hokkaido Seafood

Hokkaido is rich in aquatic resources, making various seafood dishes such as sushi and crab meat dishes the representative high-end cuisine of Hokkaido. The most highly rated seafood in Japan is produced here, with the main types of fish being produced: salmon, pollock, Pacific herring, Far Eastern sardines, saury, etc. As a port city in the north, Otaru will naturally not disappoint those who like fish and seafood. The number of seafood shops and restaurants in several main streets is comparable to that of Otaru's iconic glass craft shops. The golden shops on both sides of the beautiful canal are basically occupied by the catering industry.

Sushi

Hokkaido is also known as the Kingdom of Sushi. Surrounded by the sea, Hokkaido is a treasure house of fresh seafood. Sushi is a unique delicacy in Japan. The sushi in Hokkaido is similar to the sushi in Honshu. Compared with other dishes, it is very popular among Japanese and overseas people because it uses more scallops, clams, crabs and sea urchins as ingredients.

Desserts

Hokkaido has a developed animal husbandry industry and produces first-class dairy products. In addition, it is deeply influenced by European food culture, and a large number of long-established dessert shops have been born. Famous for its taste and rich milky aroma. Snow Parlor in Sapporo, Snaffle in Hakodate, and Letao in Otaru are all must-visit famous stores. Because most of them are made from pure natural fresh ingredients, it is difficult to transport them to stores outside Hokkaido. They are truly local delicacies.

Soup Curry

Soup Curry (Soup Curry) is not really a Japanese dish, but it may be authentic that you can only eat in Hokkaido. After curry was introduced to Japan from India, the curry rice made by the Japanese was quite different from the original Indian version, and this difference even expanded after arriving in Hokkaido. The curry sauce turned into a pot of soup, and the ingredients changed from simple pieces of meat, potatoes, diced radish and the like to a variety of large vegetables and even grilled chicken steaks. The color is bright, the aroma is refreshing, and it makes you appetizing. open.

Genghis Khan Barbecue

Outside of Hokkaido, the Japanese almost never eat mutton. Put the mutton and vegetables together on the iron plate with a protrusion in the center and eat it while grilling it. Pair it with beer, a specialty of Hokkaido. It is very enjoyable to drink and eat the meat. There are generally two ways to eat Genghis Khan Barbecue. One is to marinate the meat slices and then grill them; the other is to grill the raw mutton and then dip it in the sauce. Genghis Khan Barbecue uses locally produced lamb. The fresh lamb has little odor, so it is recommended to try it. Sapporo has the largest number of Genghis Khan BBQ restaurants, and there are always queues in front of many popular restaurants.

North

Kaido crab: Produced in the Sea of ??Japan at the junction of Russia, South Korea and Japan. Mainly cod crabs, hairy crabs and flower crabs.

Hokkaido’s kelp (kelp): Hokkaido produces species such as true kelp, Rishiri kelp, Rausu kelp, and Sanshi kelp.

Hokkaido ramen: Sapporo’s miso soup flavor, Asahikawa’s soy sauce flavor, and Hakodate’s salt ramen.

Genghis Khan Roast Lamb: Grill lamb and vegetables in a round iron pot. For mutton barbecue, there are two ways to eat it: barbecue with seasonings and fresh barbecue (including frozen meat).

Sapporo beer: unique aroma and refreshing taste. The Sapporo Beer Festival, held every year in July and August, is a festival of drinking and carnival. Shiroi Koibito Chocolate: One of the most famous chocolate brands in Japan. Produced by "Ishiya Seika" in Sapporo, Hokkaido, it is a snack made of two biscuits sandwiched with a layer of white chocolate. Yubari honeydew melon: Japanese name "Yubari メロン". Japanese premium melon. The meat is red, soft and juicy. Born in 1961.

Best travel time

Winter (December to February) is the best travel season in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido is located at a higher latitude, but due to ocean currents, the temperature varies greatly between winter and summer. August is midsummer, with temperatures as high as 30 degrees; January is midwinter, with temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees. Every year, the cold wind blows from late November to the end of April of the following year.

* Construction of new universities

The Japanese government invested 50,000 yen in the construction of new universities on April 1, 2016. Among them, the internationally renowned Wakkanai Daiwan University (National The first phase of the university includes: the School of Art and Design building, the School of Education building, the library of the administrative building, dormitories for cultural students, dormitories for non-literary students, teaching buildings, sports fields, and gymnasiums.

History and Culture

Historical Development

In the past, "Nihon Shoki" appeared as a Toshima, and had contact with Abe Hirafu, the Nara Period, the Heian Period and Dewa Country made the deal. The residents at that time were called Ezo together with the residents in the northern part of the Tohoku region. The two may be of the same ethnic group and may be the ancestors of the current Ainu people.

In the first year of Meiji (1868), the new Meiji government decided to set up the Hakodate Tribunal in Ezo, and immediately changed the name to Hakodate Prefecture. In 1869, Ezo was renamed Hokkaido, and 86 counties (geographic divisions) in 11 countries were established. After the establishment of the Hokkaido Development Mission in July of the same year (Hakodate Prefecture was therefore abolished), the development of Hokkaido was officially carried out. In 1882, the development mission was abolished and the three prefectures of Hakodate, Sapporo, and Nemuro were established to replace the development mission. In 1886, the Hokkaido Agency was established in place of the three prefectures. Due to the policies of the Meiji government, many Japanese moved from various parts of the mainland, and the enthusiasm for development poured into various parts of the prefecture.

In 1869, when the Meiji government asked for a new name for "Ezo Land", Matsuura Takeshiro named "Kita" (きた) from the north and "カイナー" (the Ainu name for the place). ), and the "道" (どう) commonly used by Japan for territory, were merged into "きたかいどう", which was translated into Chinese characters as "北凯道"; in the end, it was adopted, but in consideration of the era of the legal system The five prefectures and seven roads are "Eastkaido", "Nankaido" and "Westkaido", so it was changed to "Hokkaido" (ほっかいどう).

Cultural customs

Snow festivals are held in nine places in Hokkaido. In eastern Hokkaido, there are the Shiretoko Snow Festival, Abashiri Ice Floe Tour, and Abashiri. Okhotsk Ice Floe Festival. In central Hokkaido, there are the Sapporo Snow Festival, the Sounkyo Icefall Festival, the Asahikawa Winter Festival, and the Lake Akan Ice Festival. There are also two places in southern Hokkaido, the Obihiro Ice Festival and the Kushiro Ice Festival. The largest and oldest one should be the Sapporo Snow Festival. Snow festivals in various places are held for different lengths of time, and some only last for a few days. For example, the Zao Ice Tree Festival only lasts for two days, and the Akan Lake Ice Festival only lasts for four days. The Abashiri floating ice cruise tour lasts for three months, from January 15th to April 15th every year. As for the best snow festival, the Sapporo Snow Festival lasts for one week, starting from February every year. Starting three days before the second Sunday. The first snow festival began in 1950, when only six teams of middle school students participated in the snow festival held in Odori Park. In 1955, with the participation of the Self-Defense Forces, the Snow Festival began to attract attention and developed into the largest festival in Sapporo. It is said that for Japanese, there are two things that must be done once, which are climbing Mount Fuji and attending the Sapporo Snow Festival. It can be seen that the Japanese love the snow festival.

Political Economy

Economic Overview

According to the industrial composition ratio of the total production in Hokkaido, the primary industry is 3.3%, the secondary industry is 22.4%, and the third industry is 22.4%. Industry is 76.7% (as of fiscal 2000. In order to have this, the numerical value should be deducted to total more than 100%). Compared with the whole country, the ratio of primary industry and tertiary industry is higher, while the ratio of secondary industry and special manufacturing industry is small. An industrial structure with agriculture as the main body. Secondary industry, Tomakomai, Kushiro City, machinery manufacturing, feed and fertilizer complex enterprises are developed.

Agriculture

The cultivated land area per farm household is 16.9ha (in 2002), which is 13 times that of other metropolitan prefectures. This may just be because the land is vast, but due to the development of agriculture that corresponds to the climatic conditions of various places in Hokkaido, kites and kites made on a large scale since the beginning of land reclamation have a large number of professional farmers with few opportunities to run concurrent businesses in the rural areas. The reason why so many people are abandoning farmland is that neighboring farmers have absorbed and merged the abandoned farmland and expanded the area. This is also considered to be the main reason. In: Livestock accounts for 45% of the total agricultural production. Especially in the Kushiro Branch and Nemuro Branch, the farmland area of ??60.3ha for one family reached (in 2003) 12.2% of Hokkaido's entire agricultural production. Dairy cattle have a large production volume.

The Hidaka Branch Office is the center for the production of light stallions such as British thoroughbreds.

The dry land cultivation of wheat, potatoes, etc. is also more expensive (expensive) than in the country, and there are many varieties of sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, etc. in the country.

Fisheries Industry

During the Meiji Era, Hokkaido's Sea of ??Japan coast had a high dependence rate on Hokkaido's fisheries industry, led by herring fishing. After that, the northern fishery in the Kamchatka Sea and the Bering Sea expanded dramatically, and the fishery industry developed on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido. In 1977, the 200 nautical mile water area of ????the Hokkaido fishery center, which was set as the center of the ocean, suffered great damage. But after all, Hokkaido is the fishery kingdom that unloads a quarter of the whole country. The foundation of the secondary industry that developed in Hokkaido is fisheries industry. Tourists who come to visit the destination for seafood such as crabs and sea urchins are also waiting, and the tourism industry is also making a contribution. Kushiro City is the fishery city with the largest unloading volume in Hokkaido and has ranked first in the world for unloading for 13 consecutive years since 1990.

Mining

During the period of high growth during the Meiji period, Yubari City and the Ishikari Coalfields took the Kushiro Coalfield as the center and the coal industry prospered. However, the Pacific Coal Mine in Kushiro City is now In order to finally finish large-scale coal mining, the pit coal mining business was carried out on a small scale through the Kushiro Charcoal Pit.

Industry

Tomakomai City and Kushiro City are industrial and commercial cities with large-scale papermaking and pulp industries, machinery manufacturing, and feed and fertilizer complexes.

Muroran City is an industrial city with iron and steel manufacturing and chemical complexes.

Hakodate City Shipbuilding.

Sapporo City is prosperous in food processing and manufacturing, which has developed from the processing of agricultural and fishery products produced in the prefecture.

Hokkaido’s industrial Pacific coast includes Tomakomai and Kushiro, two areas. Food processing is concentrated in Morojo, an inland area from Tomakomai to Sapporo.

Tourism-related industries

The 1972 Sapporo Olympics took the opportunity to use the Hokkaido Development Agency as the center to develop and advance the New Chitose Airport and railways, and the tourism industry blossomed greatly. . In the summer, you can travel to the lavender fields of Furano and go down the Kushiro River. In the winter, skiing and snowboarding are prosperous, and the retail industry and transportation industry are developed for tourists arriving here. After the bubble economy, the tourism industry also failed to recover. After the bankruptcy of Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, chain bankruptcies occurred one after another, and the economic situation was difficult. The number of tourists from outside the province has generally been around 6 million since 1997. However, the number of foreign tourists has recently increased from 120,000 (in 1997) to 290,000 (in 2003). In particular, the number of group guests has increased significantly from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea to Akan National Park, Shiretoko National Park, and Kushiro Marsh National Park. For people in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where it hardly snows, Hokkaido is a place where you can enjoy the majestic nature and hot springs at hand, and feel its charm. Sapporo City, Asahikawa City, and Kushiro City were designated as international conference and tourist cities by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and several international conferences were held.

Administrative divisions

Administratively, Hokkaido is a "road" [2] and is currently the only road in Japan (equal in status to Japanese prefectures). It has 14 branch offices. , is a second-level administrative district; each branch office has cities, counties, towns, and villages, excluding the four northern islands. There are currently 179 cities, towns, and villages in Hokkaido (35 cities, 129 towns, and 15 villages) and 64 counties. Sapporo is the administrative center and largest city of Hokkaido.