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87-600: Kamaishi is located in the Kitakami Mountains of south-central Iwate Prefecture, with the Pacific Ocean to the east. The spectacular, rugged coast of Kamaishi is entirely within the Sanriku Fukkō National Park . There are four large bays, Ōtsuchi Bay in the north, Ryōishi Bay, Kamaishi Bay and Tōni Bay in the south. Each is separated by large, rocky, pine-covered peninsulas which jut out into

174-895: A conducive environment for emigration and settlement. However, the Japanese did not have expertise in modern agricultural techniques, and only possessed primitive mining and lumbering methods. Kuroda Kiyotaka was put in charge of the project, and turned to the United States for help. His first step was to journey to the United States and recruit Horace Capron , President Ulysses S. Grant's commissioner of agriculture. From 1871 to 1873 Capron bent his efforts to expounding Western agriculture and mining, with mixed results. Frustrated with obstacles to his efforts, Capron returned home in 1875. In 1876, William S. Clark arrived to found an agricultural college in Sapporo . Although he only remained

261-516: A large number of ships in ports along Hokkaidō's southern coastline as well as in northern Honshu. In addition, on 15 July a force of three battleships and two light cruisers bombarded the city of Muroran . Before the Japanese surrender was formalized, the Soviet Union made preparations for an invasion of Hokkaidō , but U.S. President Harry Truman made it clear that the surrender of all of

348-519: A modern ethnolinguistic point of view, the Ainu people have extended their domain to a large part of Sakhalin and the entire Kuril Islands. Another phrase, yaunmosir (ヤウンモシㇼ) has gained prominence. It literally means the "onshore land", as opposed to the "offshore land" ( repunmosir ), which, depending on context, can refer to the Kuril Islands, Honshu, or any foreign country. If the speaker

435-461: A non-Japanese identity. In fact, many of the feudal strongmen were descended from Emishi military leaders who had been assimilated into Japanese society. The Matsumae clan were of Yamato descent like other ethnic Japanese people , whereas the Emishi of northern Honshu were a distinctive group related to the Ainu. The Emishi were conquered and integrated into the Japanese state dating back as far as

522-475: A settlement at the south of the Oshima Peninsula , with a series of fortified residences such as that of Shinoridate . As more people moved to the settlement to avoid battles, disputes arose between the Japanese and the Ainu. The disputes eventually developed into war. Takeda Nobuhiro (1431 – 1494) killed the Ainu leader, Koshamain, and defeated the opposition in 1457. Nobuhiro's descendants became

609-454: A year, Clark left a lasting impression on Hokkaidō, inspiring the Japanese with his teachings on agriculture as well as Christianity. His parting words, "Boys, be ambitious!" , can be found on public buildings in Hokkaidō to this day. The population of Hokkaidō increased from 58,000 to 240,000 during that decade. Kuroda hired Capron for $ 10,000 per year and paid for all expenses related to

696-434: Is seismically active. Aside from numerous earthquakes , the following volcanoes are considered still active (at least one eruption since 1850): In 1993, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 generated a tsunami which devastated Okushiri , killing 202 inhabitants. An earthquake of magnitude 8.3 struck near the island on September 26, 2003. On September 6, 2018, an earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck with its epicenter near

783-674: Is 83,423.84 km (32,210.12 sq mi) which make it the second-largest island of Japan. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu ( Aomori Prefecture ); La Pérouse Strait separates Hokkaidō from the island of Sakhalin in Russia; Nemuro Strait separates Hokkaidō from Kunashir Island in the Russian Kuril Islands . The governmental jurisdiction of Hokkaidō incorporates several smaller islands, including Rishiri , Okushiri Island , and Rebun . (By Japanese reckoning, Hokkaidō also incorporates several of

870-621: Is a mountain range in northeastern Honshu , in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan . The range extends for 250 kilometres (160 mi) from the southern border of Aomori Prefecture in the north to the northern border of Miyagi Prefecture in the south, and are bordered by the Kitakami River valley in the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, with an average width of around 80 kilometres (50 mi).The Kitakami Mountains are thus mostly located within eastern Iwate Prefecture . The range

957-418: Is a proven failure". Numerous news videos were broadcast of the city, which can be recognized by a large green crane in the background and water rushing against tall buildings at the edge of the city. Kamaishi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 19 members. Kamaishi, together with the town of Ōtsuchi collectively contributes two seats to

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1044-578: Is a resident of Hokkaido, yaunmosir can refer to Hokkaido. Yet another phrase, akor mosir (アコㇿモシㇼ) means " our (inclusive) land". If uttered among Hokkaido Ainus, it can refer to Hokkaido or Japan as a whole. During the Jomon period the local culture and the associated hunter-gatherer lifestyle flourished in Hokkaidō, beginning over 15,000 years ago. In contrast to the island of Honshu, Hokkaidō saw an absence of conflict during this time period. Jomon beliefs in natural spirits are theorized to be

1131-433: Is almost 11 times bigger than the national average of 2.4 hectares. Tourism is an important industry, especially during the cool summertime when visitors are attracted to Hokkaidō's open spaces from hotter and more humid parts of Japan and other Asian countries. During the winter, skiing and other winter sports bring other tourists, and increasingly international ones, to the island. Coal mining played an important role in

1218-653: Is divided into 179 municipalities. There are 35 cities in Hokkaidō: These are the towns and villages in Hokkaido Prefecture: As Japan's coldest region, Hokkaidō has relatively cool summers and icy/snowy winters. Most of the island falls in the humid continental climate zone with Köppen climate classification Dfb ( hemiboreal ) in most areas but Dfa (hot summer humid continental) in some inland lowlands. The average August temperature ranges from 17 to 22 °C (62.6 to 71.6 °F), while

1305-536: Is largely an eroded plateau with a thick granite bedrock, thus accounting for its other name: Kitakami Plateau ( 北上高地 , Kitakami-kōchi ) . In the north, the mountains are characterized by marine terraces at an altitude of around 300 meters, whereas in the south, the mountains are drowned to form a deeply indented rias coast . Geologically, the Kitakami Mountains are Paleozoic and Mesozoic formations, divided into northern and southern groups.

1392-599: Is normally not affected by the June–July rainy season and the relative lack of humidity and typically warm, rather than hot, summer weather makes its climate an attraction for tourists from other parts of Japan. Hokkaidō's largest city is the capital, Sapporo , which is a designated city. The island has two core cities: Hakodate in the south and Asahikawa in the central region. Other important population centers include Tomakomai , Iwamizawa , Kushiro , Obihiro , Kitami , Abashiri , Wakkanai , and Nemuro . Although there

1479-416: Is some light industry (most notably paper milling and beer brewing) most of the population is employed by the service sector. In 2001, the service sector and other tertiary industries generated more than three-quarters of the gross domestic product. Agriculture and other primary industries play a large role in Hokkaidō's economy. Hokkaidō has nearly one fourth of Japan's total arable land. It ranks first in

1566-496: Is the only one of the eight to have such offices covering the whole of its territory outside the main cities (rather than having them just for outlying islands or remote areas). This is mostly because of its great size; many parts of the prefecture are simply too far away to be effectively administered by Sapporo. Subprefectural offices in Hokkaidō carry out many of the duties that prefectural offices fulfill elsewhere in Japan. Hokkaidō

1653-453: The "Lost Decade" . Kamaishi was heavily damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami , in which 1,250 city residents were killed or are missing; at least 4 of the town's 69 designated evacuation sites and three of the town's 14 schools were inundated. Of the 2,900 students who attended the town's schools, five elementary or junior high school students were killed or are missing. Tsunami waves as tall as 14 ft (4.3 m) surmounted

1740-515: The Ainu language as critically endangered. Given the Meiji state's full political control over the island, the subsequent subjugation of its indigenous inhabitants, aggressive economic exploitation, and ambitious permanent settlement endeavors, Hokkaido emerged as the sole successful settler colony of Japan. After the Meiji colonization of Hokkaido, Meiji Japan depended on prison labour to accelerate

1827-511: The Ainu people . In 1869, following the Meiji Restoration , the entire island was annexed , colonized and renamed Hokkaido by Japan. Japanese settlers dispossessed the Ainu of their land and forced them to assimilate . In the 21st century, the Ainu are almost totally assimilated into Japanese society; as a result, the majority of Japanese of Ainu descent have no knowledge of their heritage and culture. When establishing

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1914-536: The Development Commission , the Meiji government decided to change the name of Ezochi. Matsuura Takeshirō submitted six proposals, including names such as Kaihokudō ( 海北道 ) and Hokkaidō ( 北加伊道 ) , to the government. The government eventually decided to use the name Hokkaidō, but decided to write it as 北海道 , as a compromise between 海北道 and 北加伊道 because of the similarity with names such as Tōkaidō ( 東海道 ) . According to Matsuura,

2001-554: The Hashino iron mining and smelting site was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining . Commercial fishing and shellfish production are also important economic activities. Kamaishi has nine public elementary schools, five public junior high schools operated by the city board of education, and three public high schools operated by

2088-582: The Japanese home islands would be accepted by General Douglas MacArthur per the 1943 Cairo Declaration . Hokkaidō became equal with other prefectures in 1947, when the revised Local Autonomy Act became effective. The Japanese central government established the Hokkaidō Development Agency ( 北海道開発庁 , Hokkaidō Kaihatsuchō ) as an agency of the Prime Minister 's Office in 1949 to maintain its executive power in Hokkaidō. The agency

2175-468: The Kuril Islands .) Hokkaidō Prefecture is the largest and northernmost Japanese prefecture . The island ranks 21st in the world by area . Hokkaidō has the third-largest population of Japan's five main islands, with 5,111,691 people as of 2023 . It has the lowest population density in Japan, with just 61 inhabitants per square kilometre (160/sq mi). Hokkaidō ranks 21st in population among

2262-678: The Laxman expedition  [ ru ] of 1793 and the Golovnin Incident of 1804. Once the respective Russian threats appeared to subside, the assimilation programs were halted until 1855. However, in 1855, once the Treaty of Shimoda was signed, which defined the borders between Russian Empire and Tokugawa Japan, the Tokugawa again viewed Russia as a threat to Japanese sovereignty over Hokkaido and reinstated assimilation programs on

2349-534: The Meiji Restoration of 1868, the Tokugawa shogunate realized the need to prepare northern defenses against a possible Russian invasion and took over control of most of Ezochi in 1855-1858. Many Japanese settlers regarded the Ainu as "inhuman and the inferior descendants of dogs". The Tokugawa irregularly imposed various assimilation programs on the Ainu due to the Tokugawa's perception of a threat from Russia. For example, assimilation programs were implemented in response to perceived threats from Russia, which included

2436-648: The Mishihase and Emishi . One of the places Hirafu went to was called Watarishima ( 渡島 ) , which is often believed to be present-day Hokkaidō. However, many theories exist concerning the details of this event, including the location of Watarishima and the common belief that the Emishi in Watarishima were the ancestors of the present-day Ainu people . During the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185), people in Hokkaidō conducted trade with Dewa Province , an outpost of

2523-568: The Pacific Ocean . Immediately the rocky cliffs develop into hills rising to 400 or 500 metres (1,300 or 1,600 ft) along the coast and 1,200 or 1,300 metres (3,900 or 4,300 ft) farther inland. The highest point in Kamaishi is Mount Goyōzan in the southwest at 1,341.3 meters in elevation. Most of the land is mountainous, allowing for little agriculture. The main rivers are the Kasshigawa River which empties into Kamaishi Bay and

2610-745: The Sea of Japan (to the west of the island), the Sea of Okhotsk (to the north), and the Pacific Ocean (to the east). The center of the island is mountainous, with volcanic plateaux . Hokkaidō has multiple plains such as the Ishikari Plain 3,800 km (1,500 sq mi), Tokachi Plain 3,600 km (1,400 sq mi), the Kushiro Plain  [ ja ] 2,510 km (970 sq mi) (the largest wetland in Japan) and Sarobetsu Plain 200 km (77 sq mi). Hokkaidō

2697-409: The Sea of Okhotsk is often complicated by large floes of drift ice . Combined with high winds that occur during winter, this frequently brings air travel and maritime activity to a halt beyond the northern coast of Hokkaidō. Ports on the open Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan are generally ice-free year round, though most rivers freeze during the winter. Unlike the other major islands of Japan, Hokkaidō

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2784-555: The University of Florida , prior to 1868 Japan used proximity as its claim to Hokkaido, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands ; however, Japan had never thoroughly explored, governed, or exploited the areas, and this claim was invalidated by the movement of Russia into the Northeast Pacific area and by Russian settlements on Kamchatka (from 1699), Sakhalin (1850s) and the Sea of Okhotsk Coast (1640s onwards). Prior to

2871-537: The battleships USS  South Dakota , Indiana , Massachusetts , and Alabama , the heavy cruisers Chicago and Quincy , and nine destroyers bombarded the Japan Ironworks and warehouses, along with nearby oil tanks and vessels, to great effect. This was the first naval bombardment of the Japanese mainland . Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth Jr.'s battleships and cruisers, joined by two Royal Navy light cruisers, attacked again on 9 August. The mill

2958-685: The "replacement" theory that posits the Jōmon was replaced by the Yayoi. There were numerous revolts by the Ainu against feudal rule. The last large-scale resistance was Shakushain's revolt in 1669–1672. In 1789, a smaller movement known as the Menashi–Kunashir rebellion was crushed. After that rebellion, the terms "Japanese" and "Ainu" referred to clearly distinguished groups, and the Matsumae were unequivocally Japanese. According to John A. Harrison of

3045-632: The 1,950 m (6,400 ft) long and 63 m (207 ft) deep Kamaishi Tsunami Protection Breakwater, which had been completed in March 2009, after three decades of construction, at a cost of $ 1.5 billion. It was once recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's deepest breakwater . The subsequent decision to rebuild the breakwater at a cost of over $ 650 million was criticised as "a waste of money that aims to protect an area of rapidly declining population with technology that

3132-452: The 8th century and as result began to lose their distinctive culture and ethnicity as they became minorities. By the time the Matsumae clan ruled over the Ainu, most of the Emishi were ethnically mixed and physically closer to Japanese than they were to Ainu. From this, the "transformation" theory postulates that native Jōmon peoples changed gradually with the infusion of Yayoi immigrants into the Tōhoku region of northern Honshu, in contrast to

3219-525: The Ainu people by forcing them to leave their traditional lands and relocating them to the rugged, mountainous regions in the center of the island. The act prohibited the Ainu from fishing and hunting, which were their main source of subsistence. The Ainu were valued primarily as a source of inexpensive manual labor, and discriminatory assimilation policies further entrenched their sense of inferiority as well as worsened poverty and disease within Ainu communities. These policies exacerbated diasporic trends among

3306-603: The Ainu population, as many sought employment with the government or private enterprises, often earning meager wages that barely sustained their families. The Meiji government embarked on assimilation campaigns aimed not only at assimilating the Ainu but also eradicating their language and culture entirely. They were forced to take on Japanese names and language, and gradually saw their culture and traditions eroded. The Ainu were forbidden to speak their own language and taught only Japanese at school. Facing pervasive stigma, many Ainu concealed their heritage. UNESCO has recognized

3393-619: The Ainu. Prior to the Meiji era, the island was called Ezochi, which can be translated as "land of the barbarians" or "the land for people who did not obey the government." Shortly after the Boshin War in 1868, a group of Tokugawa loyalists led by Enomoto Takeaki temporarily occupied the island (the polity is commonly but mistakenly known as the Republic of Ezo ), but the rebellion was defeated in May 1869. Through colonial practices, Ezochi

3480-613: The Development Commission was to secure Hokkaidō before the Russians extended their control of the Far East beyond Vladivostok . The Japanese failed to settle in the interior lowlands of the island because of aboriginal resistance. The resistance was eventually destroyed, and the lowlands were under the control of the commission. The most important goal of the Japanese was to increase the farm population and to create

3567-491: The Iwate Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. Kamaishi was the home to one of Japan's most successful rugby union clubs, Nippon Steel Kamaishi , which existed from 1959 to 2001 and won several national titles during the 1970s and 1980s. The club was succeeded by the modern Kamaishi Seawaves . As part of the post-disaster recovery of

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3654-600: The Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Iwate 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Kamaishi was famous in modern times for its steel production, although after the closure of the blast furnace at Nippon Steel Kamaishi Iron and Steel Works and the scaling down of production in 1989, the local economy suffered greatly. The city has most recently made strong efforts towards promotion of eco-tourism. In 2015,

3741-515: The Japanese central government. From the feudal period , the people in Hokkaidō began to be called Ezo . Hokkaidō subsequently became known as Ezochi ( 蝦夷地 , lit. "Ezo-land") or Ezogashima ( 蝦夷ヶ島 , lit. "Island of the Ezo") . The Ezo mainly relied upon hunting and fishing and obtained rice and iron through trade with the Japanese. During the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the Japanese established

3828-422: The Japanese was organized and supported through collaboration between the Japanese state and American experts and technology. From the 1870s to the 1880s, Japanese leaders placed their efforts on settling Hokkaido by systematically migrating former samurai lords, samurai retainers, and common citizens, which included farmers and peasants, providing them with "free" land and financial assistance. This transformation

3915-554: The Kitakami Basin was born. The Kitakami Mountains were exposed to erosion for a long time because they were above water from the Cenozoic onwards. In addition, as a result the glacier effects of the last glacial period , the current gentle topography was created. Mount Hayachine , near the center of the range, is the highest peak at 1,917 metres (6,289 ft), and supports endemic alpine vegetation. Notable caves within

4002-555: The Kitakami Mountains include Akkadō and Ryūsendō . The peaks of the Kitakami mountains include the following: Hokkaido Hokkaido ( Japanese : 北海道 , Hepburn : Hokkaidō , pronounced [hokkaꜜidoː] , lit.   ' Northern Sea Circuit ' ) (Ainu: Ainu Moshiri) is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture , making up its own region . The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu ;

4089-413: The Kitakami Mountains were geologically part of Primorsky region of Siberia . About 30 million years to 15 million years ago, the Japanese archipelago separated from the continent and moved to its present position. The Kitakami Mountains around that time was an island, the west side was a shallow sea, and the Ōu Mountains were not yet born. The uplift of the Ōu mountain range began in late Miocene and

4176-596: The Pacific side. The generally high quality of powder snow and numerous mountains in Hokkaidō make it a popular region for snow sports. The snowfall usually commences in earnest in November and ski resorts (such as those at Niseko, Furano, Teine and Rusutsu) usually operate between December and April. Hokkaidō celebrates its winter weather at the Sapporo Snow Festival . During the winter, passage through

4263-486: The United States. This included declaring large portions of Hokkaido as ownerless land, providing a pretext for the dispossession of the Ainu people. Japan established the Hokkaido Colonization Board in 1869, a year after the start of the Meiji era, with the goal of encouraging Japanese settlers to Hokkaido. Mainland Japanese settlers began migrating to Hokkaido, leading to Japan's colonization of

4350-470: The Unosumai River which empties into Ōtsuchi Bay. Both have small floodplains that allow for development and agriculture. Iwate Prefecture Kamaishi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa ) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Kamaishi is 10.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1453 mm with September as the wettest month and February as

4437-474: The absorption of the neighboring villages of Kasshi, Unosumai, Kurihashi from Kamihei District and the village of Tōni from Kesen District . In 1875, the newly established Meiji government bought all of the furnaces and created the Kamaishi Iron Works. They also put Ōshima and a German engineer in charge of its modernization. The German director imported two large steam-driven blast furnaces of

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4524-498: The average January temperature ranges from −12 to −4 °C (10.4 to 24.8 °F), in both cases depending on elevation and distance from the ocean, though temperatures on the western side of the island tend to be a little warmer than on the eastern. The highest temperature ever recorded is 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) on 26 May 2019. The northern portion of Hokkaidō falls into the taiga biome with significant snowfall. Snowfall varies widely from as much as 11 metres (400 in) on

4611-523: The city of Tomakomai , causing a blackout across the whole island. On May 16, 2021, an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck off Japan's Hokkaidō prefecture. * designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 2005-07-14. As of April 2010 , Hokkaidō has nine General Subprefectural Bureaus (総合振興局) and five Subprefectural Bureaus (振興局). Hokkaidō is one of eight prefectures in Japan that have subprefectures (支庁 shichō ). However, it

4698-922: The colonization process. The Japanese built three prisons and rendered Hokkaido a prison island, where political prisoners were incarcerated and used as prison labour. During the opening ceremony of the first prison, the Ainu name “Shibetsuputo” was replaced with the Japanese name “Tsukigata,” as an attempt to “Japanize” Hokkaido's geography. The second prison opened near the Hokutan Horonai coal mine , where Ainu people were forced to work. Cheap prison labour played an important role in coal and sulphur mining, as well as road construction in Hokkaido. Eventually, several types of indentured labour, Korean labour, child labour and women labour replaced convict labour in Hokkaido. Working conditions were difficult and dangerous. Japan's transition to capitalism depended heavily on

4785-678: The direction of military engineer Takatō Ōshima . Ten furnaces were built in all but some were owned by private corporations. The first of these furnaces was lit on December 1, 1857; a day honored as the start of modern iron production in Japan. In the Meiji period establishment of the modern municipalities system, the town of Kamaishi was established within Minamihei District, Iwate on April 1, 1889. Minamihei and Nishihei Districts merged to form Kamihei District in 1896. Kamaishi attained city status on May 5, 1937, and expanded in 1955 with

4872-564: The driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.8 °C. Per Japanese census data, the population of Kamaishi peaked in around the year 1960 has declined steadily over the past 60 years. The area of present-day Kamaishi was part of ancient Mutsu Province , and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period . The area

4959-451: The drinking water were posted throughout the prefecture. In 1885, a new foundry was established which used coal from Hokkaido and iron ore from China . The 1896 Sanriku earthquake struck on June 15 at 7:32 pm while families were celebrating Boy's Festival on the beach. The earthquake measured magnitude 8.5 while the tsunami on the Iwate coast reached as high as 24 meters in places –

5046-508: The expansion of the Japanese feudal state. Medieval military leaders in northern Honshu (ex. Northern Fujiwara , Akita clan ) maintained only tenuous political and cultural ties to the imperial court and its proxies, the Kamakura shogunate and Ashikaga shogunate . Feudal strongmen sometimes defined their own roles within the medieval institutional order, taking shogunate titles, while in other times they assumed titles that seemed to give them

5133-555: The growth of the coal mining sector in Hokkaidō. The importance of coal from Hokkaidō increased throughout the First World War, and the mines required a large amount of labourers. In mid-July 1945, various shipping ports, cities, and military facilities in Hokkaidō were attacked by the United States Navy 's Task Force 38 . On 14–15 July, aircraft operating from the task force's aircraft carriers sank and damaged

5220-424: The highest ever recorded in Japan at the time. The city of Kamaishi was completely destroyed. The French Catholic missionary Henri Lispard was also swept out to sea and died when the wave struck. As an important foundry town, Kamaishi played a significant role in the Japanese war effort and was targeted by the U.S. Navy during World War II . On 14 July 1945, under the command of Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth Jr. ,

5307-543: The industrial development of Hokkaidō, with the Ishikari coalfield . Cities such as Muroran were primarily developed to supply the rest of the archipelago with coal. In 2023, Rapidus Corporation announced Hokkaido's largest business investment with a 5 trillion yen plan to build a semiconductor manufacturing factory in Chitose . The site is expected to eventually host over 1,000 employees. Hokkaido's only land link to

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5394-418: The island on the northern end of the archipelago results in a colder climate, with the island seeing significant snowfall each winter. Despite the harsher climate, it serves as an agricultural breadbasket for many crops. Hokkaido was formerly known as Ezo , Yezo , Yeso , or Yesso . Although Japanese settlers ruled the southern tip of the island since the 16th century, Hokkaido was primarily inhabited by

5481-531: The island. Motivated by capitalist and industrial goals, the Meiji government forcefully appropriated fertile land and mineral-rich regions throughout Hokkaido, without consideration for their historical Ainu inhabitancy. The Meiji government implemented land seizures and enacted land ownership laws that favored Japanese settlers, effectively stripping Ainu people of their customary land rights and traditional means of subsistence. The 1899 Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act further marginalized and impoverished

5568-551: The island. There are more brown bears in Hokkaidō than anywhere else in Asia besides Russia. The Hokkaidō brown bear is separated into three distinct lineages. There are only eight lineages in the world. Those on Honshu died out long ago. The native conifer species in northern Hokkaidō is the Sakhalin fir ( Abies sachalinensis ). The flowering plant Hydrangea hirta is also found on the island. Like many areas of Japan, Hokkaidō

5655-481: The large geographical entity. The phrase aynumosir ( アイヌモシㇼ ) has been a preferred choice among Japanese activists. Its primary meaning is the "land of humans", as opposed to the "land of gods" ( kamuymosir ). When contrasted with sisammosir (the land of the neighbors, often pointing to Honshu or Japanese settlements on the southern tip of Hokkaido), it means the land of the Ainu people, which, depending on context, can refer to Hokkaido, although from

5742-506: The latest design from Britain and set up a railway with 15 miles of track and a locomotive purchased from Manchester to deliver the ore. Production began in 1880 but had to be stopped soon after due to a lack of charcoal. An attempt to resume operations in 1882 by replacing charcoal with coke failed and the plant was closed. There were cholera outbreaks in Kamaishi in July 1882 and April 1884. The first left 302 people dead and warnings about

5829-807: The mission. Kuroda and his government were likely intrigued by Capron's previous colonial experience, particularly his involvement in the forced removal of Native Americans from Texas to new territories after the Mexican–American War . Capron introduced capital-intensive farming techniques by adopting American methods and tools, importing seeds for Western crops, and bringing in European livestock breeds, which included his favorite North Devon cattle . He founded experimental farms in Hokkaido, conducted surveys to assess mineral deposits and agricultural potential, and advocated for improvements in water access, mills, and roads. The settler colonization of Hokkaido by

5916-502: The mountains adjacent to the Sea of Japan down to around 1.8 metres (71 in) on the Pacific coast. The island tends to have isolated snowstorms that develop long-lasting snowbanks. Total precipitation varies from 1,600 millimetres (63 in) on the mountains of the Sea of Japan coast to around 800 millimetres (31 in) (the lowest in Japan) on the Sea of Okhotsk coast and interior lowlands and up to around 1,100 millimetres (43 in) on

6003-639: The name of its rugby team - the Kamaishi Nippon Steel Rugby Club. In 1960, the town was crippled by a tsunami generated by the Great Chilean Earthquake . However, following the closure of the steel mills in 1988, the economy of the city collapsed, and almost half its population moved away. Kamaishi is now known more for commercial fishing than heavy industry. On September 30, 2010, Foreign Policy magazine used Kamaishi as an example of Japan's relative decline in

6090-527: The name was thought up because the Ainu called the region Kai . The kai element also strongly resembles the On'yomi , or Sino-Japanese , reading of the characters 蝦夷 ( on'yomi as [ ka.i , カイ], kun'yomi as [ e.mi.ɕi , えみし]) which have been used for over a thousand years in China and Japan as the standard orthographic form to be used when referring to Ainu and related peoples; it is possible that Matsuura's kai

6177-404: The nation in the production of a host of agricultural products, including wheat, soybeans, potatoes, sugar beets, onions, pumpkins, corn, raw milk, and beef. Hokkaidō also accounts for 22% of Japan's forests with a sizable timber industry. The prefecture is first in the nation in production of marine products and aquaculture. The average farm size in Hokkaidō is 26 hectares per farmer in 2013, which

6264-444: The origins of Ainu spirituality. About 2,000 years ago, the island was colonized by Yayoi people, and much of the island's population shifted away from hunting and gathering towards agriculture. The Nihon Shoki , finished in 720 AD, is often said to be the first mention of Hokkaidō in recorded history . According to the text, Abe no Hirafu led a large navy and army to northern areas from 658 to 660 and came into contact with

6351-406: The other small fishing communities along the coast. However, it was not until 1857, and the construction of the first small blast furnace , that any real changes could be seen. In the 1850s, the feudal domains of Japan were engaged in an arms race to develop the first Western-style armaments, particularly large guns. The Nanbu Domain constructed blast furnaces of a foreign design in Kamaishi under

6438-584: The provinces of Oshima , Shiribeshi , Iburi , Ishikari , Teshio , Kitami , Hidaka , Tokachi , Kushiro , Nemuro and Chishima . The initiative to colonize Ezo, which later became Hokkaido, traces back to 1869, where Japanese proponents argued that the colonization of Ezo would serve as a strategic move to enhance Japan's standing and influence on the global stage, particularly in negotiations with Western powers, specifically Russia. The Meiji government invested heavily in colonizing Hokkaido for several reasons. Firstly, they aimed to assert their control over

6525-412: The region as a buffer against potential Russian advances. Secondly, they were attracted to Hokkaido's rich natural resources, including coal, timber, fish, and fertile land. Lastly, since Western powers viewed colonial expansion as a symbol of prestige, Japan viewed the colonization of Hokkaido as an opportunity to present itself as a modern and respected nation to Western powers. The primary purpose of

6612-680: The region, Kamaishi hosted part of the 2019 Rugby World Cup at a new stadium holding 16,000 spectators. Kamaishi won the "Award for Character" of the Rugby World Cup 2019 awards . The city also has a semi-professional association football club, Nippon Steel Corp. Kamaishi S.C. , which plays in the 5th division Tohoku Soccer League . [REDACTED] East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Kamaishi Line Sanriku Railway – Rias Line [REDACTED] Media related to Kamaishi, Iwate at Wikimedia Commons Kitakami Mountains Kitakami Mountains ( 北上山地 , Kitakami sanchi )

6699-586: The rulers of the Matsumae-han , which was granted exclusive trading rights with the Ainu in the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods (1568–1868). The Matsumae family 's economy relied upon trade with the Ainu, who had extensive trading networks. The Matsumae held authority over the south of Ezochi until the end of the Edo period. The Matsumae clan rule over the Ainu must be understood in the context of

6786-418: The same way 都 ( -to ) is used for Tokyo . The prefecture's government calls itself the "Hokkaidō Government" rather than the "Hokkaidō Prefectural Government". With the rise of indigenous rights movements, there emerged a notion that Hokkaido should have an Ainu language name. If a decision to change the name is made, however, whichever Ainu phrase is chosen, its original referent is critically different from

6873-580: The southern area has oldest previous Silurian foundation, which was once a shallow sea on the continental margin where the water temperature was high enough for coral growth from the Silurian to the Devonian periods; this region, later collided with the northern Kitakami mountainous area in the early Cretaceous period, and the whole was penetrated by the granite in various places. Until the Paleogene ,

6960-417: The two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel . The largest city on Hokkaido is its capital, Sapporo , which is also its only ordinance-designated city . Sakhalin lies about 43 kilometres (27 mi) to the north of Hokkaidō, and to the east and northeast are the Kuril Islands , which are administered by Russia , though the four most southerly are claimed by Japan . The position of

7047-453: The world's islands. Major cities include Sapporo and Asahikawa in the central region, and the port of Hakodate facing Honshu in the south. Sapporo is Hokkaidō's largest city and the fifth-largest in Japan. It had a population of 1,959,750 as of 31 July 2023 and a population density of 1,748/km (4,530/sq mi). There are three populations of the Ussuri brown bear found on

7134-609: Was absorbed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2001. The Hokkaidō Bureau ( 北海道局 , Hokkaidō-kyoku ) and the Hokkaidō Regional Development Bureau ( 北海道開発局 , Hokkaidō Kaihatsukyoku ) of the ministry still have a strong influence on public construction projects in Hokkaidō. The island of Hokkaidō is located in the north of Japan, near Russia ( Sakhalin Oblast ). It has coastlines on

7221-731: Was actually an alteration, influenced by the Sino-Japanese reading of 蝦夷 Ka-i , of the Nivkh exonym for the Ainu, namely Qoy or IPA: [kʰuɣɪ] . In 1947, Hokkaidō became a full-fledged prefecture. The historical suffix 道 ( -dō ) translates to "prefecture" in English, ambiguously the same as 府 ( -fu ) for Osaka and Kyoto , and 県 ( -ken ) for the rest of the "prefectures". Dō , as shorthand, can be used to uniquely identify Hokkaido, for example as in 道道 ( dōdō , "Hokkaido road") or 道議会 ( Dōgikai , " Hokkaido Assembly "),

7308-488: Was also the site of the Sendai Prisoner of War Camp , and 32 Allied prisoners were killed in the raids. A second naval bombardment followed on 8 August, specifically targeting the civilian portion the city. A total of 694 civilians and 30 Japanese military personnel were killed in the bombardment. Kamaishi played its part in Japan's post-war boom, continuing its reputation as a steel town, a reputation reflected in

7395-407: Was annexed into Japanese territory. Ezochi was subsequently put under control of Hakodate Prefectural Government. When establishing the Development Commission ( 開拓使 , Kaitakushi ) , the Meiji government introduced a new name. After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaidō, which can be translated to "northern sea route," and regional subdivisions were established, including

7482-415: Was facilitated with the expertise of American advisors who introduced various colonization technologies, transforming Hokkaido into land suitable for Japan's capitalist aspirations. Japanese leaders drew inspiration from American settler colonialism during their diplomatic visits to the United States. Japanese colonial officials learned settler colonial techniques from Western imperial powers, particularly

7569-685: Was inhabited by the Emishi people, and came under the control of the imperial dynasty during the early Heian period . During the Sengoku period , the area was dominated by various samurai clans before coming under the control of the Nambu clan during the Edo period , who ruled Morioka Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate . Before the discovery of magnetite in 1727, Kamaishi was little different from any of

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