knowledge Overview
Hokkaido is a first-level administrative division of Japan in the Hokkaido region. Its area is about 83,424 km2 and its population about 0.1 million (2024), with its capital at Sapporo.
History
The land of the Ainu people; after rule by the Matsumae domain it was named Hokkaido with the founding of the Colonization Commission in 1869. Settlement advanced through Meiji-era tondenhei soldier-farmers and collective migration, and after the war it developed as a food base and tourist destination.
Geography and industry
Agriculture (wheat, potatoes, dairy), fishing and tourism are the three pillar industries. The Sapporo Snow Festival, Asahiyama Zoo, Lake Kussharo and Lake Mashu, and the lavender fields of Furano are among its many attractions.
Transport
Hokkaido Shinkansen crosses from Shin-Aomori on Honshu through the Seikan Tunnel to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto; the extension to Sapporo, due around 2030, is under construction. New Chitose Airport serves Sapporo.