Hokkaido
The traditional land of the Ainu, once called Ezo-chi
Table of Contents
A regional prefecture located in the far north of Japan. The do in Hokkaido is a form of Japanese administrative district. Hokkaido faces Honshu to the south across the Tsugaru Strait. The island can be divided into two chief parts: the main eastern body of the island bordered by the Ishikari and Yufutsu Plains, and the southwestern peninsula portion made up primarily by the Oshima Peninsula. The Kitami and Hidaka mountains run north-south through the central part of the main body of the island, with the Ishikari Mountains situated between them. In the eastern part is the Tokachi Plain, the Shiranuka Hills, and the Konsen Plateau, and at the eastern tip, the Shiretoko and Nemuro peninsulas jut out into the sea. The prefecture features a generally cool, subarctic climate, with the Sea of Japan side receiving a great deal of snow accumulation in wintertime, and the areas along the Pacific coast experiencing sea fog in summertime. Inland areas feature a continental climate with high temperatures in the summer and intense cold in the winter. During the winter, ice floes (drift ice) can be seen in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Once called Ezo-chi, the island was home to the indigenous Ainu people, though starting in the Kamakura period (1185–1333), more ethnically Japanese settlers gradually migrated to the area. This led to conflicts between the Ainu and Japanese, with Koshamain’s revolt occurring in the mid-Muromachi period (around the 15th century) and Shakushain’s revolt taking place in 1669. In the Edo period (1603–1868), the Matsumae clan of Matsumae Domain took increasing control in governing the region, which came to be divided into Matsumae-chi — the realm of Japanese inhabitants — and Ezo-chi, the realm of Ainu inhabitants. In the Bakumatsu period (the closing days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, 1853–1868), the Edo shogunate placed Ezo-chi under the direct control of the shogunate due to the need to defend the northern frontier. After the Meiji Restoration, Ezo-chi was renamed Hokkaido, and the Kaitakushi (Hokkaido Development Commission) was established to invite immigrants to the region, which was then developed and defended by tondenhei (agricultural soldiers or colonizers). In 1882, the Kaitakushi was abolished, and in 1886, the Hokkaido-cho (Hokkaido Government Office) was established. In 1897, 19 subprefectures (shicho) were established for the administrative district of Hokkaido, with incorporations and reorganizations bringing the number down to 14. In conjunction with reforms to the subprefecture system enacted in 2010, these were made into General Subprefectural Bureaus and Subprefectural Bureaus. In 2005, Shiretoko was designated a World Natural Heritage Site. The Jomon prehistoric sites in Hokkaido and northern Tohoku that were designated World Cultural Heritage Sites in 2021 also include six archaeological sites in Hokkaido.
ゆかりの人物
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Benkei
コシャマイン
Portrait of Tobu, the Chieftain of Monbetsu, Ezo
土方歳三(ひじかたとしぞう)
榎本武揚(えのもとたけあき)
黒田清隆(くろだきよたか)
ウィリアム・スミス・クラーク
荻野吟子(おぎのぎんこ)
ジョン・バチラー
金田一京助(きんだいちきょうすけ)
Kite, harpoon
伊藤整(いとうせい)
井上靖(いのうえやすし)
名物・特産
Salmon
Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii)
Konbu
ハナサキガニ(花咲ガニ)
Crane (Tsuru)
マリモ
Horse (Uma)
ジャガイモ畑
Woodcarving techniques
旭川ラーメン
ジンギスカン
Nishin Sampei-jiru (herring soup)
名所・史跡
大雪山(たいせつざん)
Mt. Yotei
摩周湖(ましゅうこ)
北海道洞爺湖町
Survey Map of Rebun and Rishiri Islands
知床(しれとこ)
納沙布岬(のさっぷみさき)
釧路湿原
登別温泉
Ofune Site: Panoramic view
松前城
Goryokaku
出来事・行事
Kitamae Ships
屯田兵(とんでんへい)の兵屋
ニシン漁
洞爺丸事件
札幌オリンピック
青函連絡船の終航
さっぽろ雪まつり
へそ祭り
層雲峡の氷瀑まつり
Figures who explored the northern territories
Tadataka Ino
Tokunai Mogami
Juzo Kondo
Kahei Takadaya
Rinzo Mamiya
松浦武四郎
Ainu manners and customs
Ainu Genre Paintings
アイヌの結婚式
Ainu Village
アイヌ民家(チセ)(復元)
アイヌ熊祭図
Coat
Ainu Embroidery
タマサイ(首飾)
Headband
Mat
Ainu Craft
アイヌ鍬形
Snowshoes
アイヌ墓
Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Hall
もっと調べる
参考文献
- 『日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)』(JapanKnowledge)
- 『改訂新版 世界大百科事典』(JapanKnowledge)
- 『国史大辞典』(JapanKnowledge)
- 日本歴史地名大系(JapanKnowledge) 『北海道の地名』
- 電子展示会「近代日本人の肖像」(国立国会図書館)
- 旧国名でみる日本地図帳 : お国アトラス平凡社 編,平凡社古い日本の地理的単位である旧国で区分した地図を、国の概要や特産と共に紹介。
- マルチメディアマイペディア 百科事典CD-ROM
- JapanKnowledge所収コンテンツの最終アクセス日は、いずれも2024/1/31。








































