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Subprefectures in Hokkaido

 

 
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Subprefectures in Hokkaido
 
 
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Hokkaido Prefecture
Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island and the largest, northernmost of its 47 prefectures of Japan....
 has 14 branch offices called ?? (shicho) in Japanese
Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
, which is often translated in English as subprefectures. Normally, a subprefecture consists of a few to a dozen cities, towns, and/or villages.

For historical reasons, some older people in Hokkaido
Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island and the largest, northernmost of its 47 prefectures of Japan....
 use the subprefecture name suffixed by -kannai in their address.

le>
1897 Nineteen shicho were placed under Hokkaido Agency (an agency of the national government): Sapporo, Hakodate, Kameda, Matsumae, Hiyama, Suttsu, Iwanai, Otaru, Sorachi, Kamikawa, Mashike, Souya, Abashiri, Muroran, Urakawa, Kushiro, Kasai, Nemuro, and Shana.
1899 Sapporo-ku, Hakodate-ku, and Otaru-ku were established as municipalities independent of shicho.






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Hokkaido Prefecture
Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island and the largest, northernmost of its 47 prefectures of Japan....
 has 14 branch offices called ?? (shicho) in Japanese
Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
, which is often translated in English as subprefectures. Normally, a subprefecture consists of a few to a dozen cities, towns, and/or villages.

For historical reasons, some older people in Hokkaido
Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island and the largest, northernmost of its 47 prefectures of Japan....
 use the subprefecture name suffixed by -kannai in their address.

History of shicho in Hokkaido

1897 Nineteen shicho were placed under Hokkaido Agency (an agency of the national government): Sapporo, Hakodate, Kameda, Matsumae, Hiyama, Suttsu, Iwanai, Otaru, Sorachi, Kamikawa, Mashike, Souya, Abashiri, Muroran, Urakawa, Kushiro, Kasai, Nemuro, and Shana.
1899 Sapporo-ku, Hakodate-ku, and Otaru-ku were established as municipalities independent of shicho. Sapporo-shicho and Otaru-shicho were continued with remaining area, but Hakodate-shicho was dissolved. Previous Kameda-shicho was renamed Hokodate-shicho.
1903 Matsumae-shicho was merged with Hakodate-shicho. Shana-shicho was merged with Nemuro-shicho.
1910 Suttsu-shicho, Iwanai-shicho, and Otaru-shicho were merged to form Shiribeshi-shicho.
1914 Asahikawa-ku was established as a municipality independent of Kamikawa-shicho. Mashike-shicho was renamed as Rumoi-shicho.
1918 Muroran-ku was established as a municipality independent of Muroran-shicho.
1920 Kushiro-ku was established as a municipality independent of Kushiro-shicho.
1922 The six ku were restated as shi (cities). Sapporo-shicho was renamed Ishikari-shicho. Hakodate-shicho was renamed Oshima-shicho. Muroran-shicho was renamed Iburi-shicho.
1932 Urakawa-shicho was renamed Hidaka-shicho. Kasai-shicho was renamed Tokachi-shicho.
1947 Hokkaido Agency was abolished and Hokkaido Prefecture
Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island and the largest, northernmost of its 47 prefectures of Japan....
 was established. Hokkaido Prefecture took over shicho.
2009 The shicho will be reorganized into nine shinkokyoku (development bureaus).


Today, fourteen shicho effectively cover all of Hokkaido. Technically, the shicho cover only towns and villages, although some commissioned business is conducted for cities.

List of subprefectures

Those in brackets are subprefectural capitals. Numbers are those of the map shown here.
  • Abashiri
    Abashiri Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan. It has an area of 10,690.09 square kilometers and a population of 329,446 as of July 31, 2004. It was established in 1897....
     ( Abashiri
    Abashiri, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan located in Abashiri Subprefecture Subprefectures in Hokkaido, Hokkaido, Japan.Abashiri is best known as the site of the Abashiri Prison, a Meiji Era facility used for the incarceration of political prisoners....
    , No.11)
  • Hidaka
    Hidaka Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan. The west side of the Hidaka mountains occupies most of the area. Hidaka is sparsely populated and has many of Hokkaido's natural resources....
     ( Urakawa
    Urakawa, Hokkaido

    is a town located in Urakawa District, Hokkaido, Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 14,814 and a population density of 21.3 persons per square kilometer....
    , No.7)
  • Hiyama
    Hiyama Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan located on the Oshima Peninsula on the Sea of Japan side. It includes Okushiri Island. It was established in 1897....
     ( Esashi
    Esashi, Hokkaido (Hiyama)

    is a towns of Japan in Hiyama District, Hokkaido, Hiyama Subprefecture, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture.One of the oldest towns in Hokkaido, the name Esashi comes from the Ainu language word for konbu, a type of edible kelp well known in Japan....
    , No.5)
  • Iburi
    Iburi Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan....
     ( Muroran
    Muroran, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan and seaports of Japan located in Iburi subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Iburi Subprefecture.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 96,724 and a population density of 1,210 people per km?....
    , No.6)
  • Ishikari
    Ishikari Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan, located in the western part of the island. Its population in 2003 was 2,279,943.There are 6 cities, three towns, and one village under its jurisdiction....
     ( Sapporo
    Sapporo, Hokkaido

    is the fifth-largest cities of Japan in Japan by population. It is the cities of Japan of Hokkaido Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an City designated by government ordinance of Japan....
    , No.1)
  • Kamikawa
    Kamikawa Subprefecture

    is a subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. The name is derived from Kamikawa no hitobito no Shuraku , a translation of the Ainu language Peni Unguri Kotan....
     ( Asahikawa
    Asahikawa, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan located in Kamikawa Subprefecture Subprefectures in Hokkaido, Hokkaido, Japan. The city is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, next to Sapporo....
    , No.8)
  • Kushiro
    Kushiro Subprefecture

    is a subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan....
     ( Kushiro
    Kushiro, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous city in eastern Hokkaido....
    , No.13)
  • Nemuro
    Nemuro Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan. The Japanese claim the disputed Kuril Island conflict as part of this subprefecture.As of July 31, 2004, the subprefecture has an estimated population of 86,152 and a area of 8533.96 km?....
     ( Nemuro
    Nemuro, Hokkaido

    File:Hokkaido pref road No35 Nosappu Cape.jpg is a cities of Japan and seaports of Japan located in Nemuro Subprefecture, Hokkaido. It is the capital city of Nemuro Subprefecture....
    , No.14)
  • Oshima
    Oshima Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan. As of 2004 it had a population of 456,621 and an area of 3,715.38 km?.Hakodate Airport is located in the City of Hakodate, Hokkaido....
     ( Hakodate
    Hakodate, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.As of March 2008, the city has an estimated population of 287,691 and a population density of 442.24 persons per km?....
    , No.4)
  • Rumoi
    Rumoi Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan. As of 2004, it had a population of 63,406 and an area of 4,019.97km?....
     ( Rumoi
    Rumoi, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan located in Rumoi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Rumoi Subprefecture.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 26,017 and the population density of 87.5 persons per square kilometer....
    , No.9)
  • Shiribeshi
    Shiribeshi Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan. The subprefecture's capital is Kutchan, Hokkaido. As of July 31, 2004, the estimated population was 256,184 and the area was 4,305.65 km?....
     ( Kutchan
    Kutchan, Hokkaido

    is a towns of Japan located in Abuta District, Hokkaido, Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Kutchan lies slightly north of the volcano Mount Yotei, and is approximately 50 kilometers west of Sapporo....
    , No.3)
  • Sorachi
    Sorachi Subprefecture

    is a subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. As of 2004, its estimated population is 373,736 and its area is 6,558.26 km?....
     ( Iwamizawa
    Iwamizawa, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 91,915 and the population density of 191 persons per km?....
    , No.2)
  • Soya
    Soya Subprefecture

    is a Subprefectures in Hokkaido of Hokkaido, Japan. Its population is estimated to be 77,500 as of July 31, 2004 and its area is 4,050.84 km?. It is the northernmost subprefecture of Japan....
     ( Wakkanai
    Wakkanai, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan located in Soya Subprefecture, Hokkaido. It is the capital of Soya Subprefecture and the northernmost city in Japan. It contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Soya....
    , No.10)
  • Tokachi
    Tokachi Subprefecture

    is a subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan corresponding to the old provinces of Japan of Tokachi Province. As of 2004 its estimated population is 360,802 and its area is 10,830.99 km?....
     ( Obihiro
    Obihiro, Hokkaido

    is a cities of Japan located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.Obihiro is the only city in the Tokachi Subprefecture area. The next most populous municipality in Tokachi is the town of Otofuke, Hokkaido, with less than a third of Obihiro's population....
    , No.12)


Future reorganization

The prefectural government of Hokkaido plans to reorganize the current 14 subprefectures into 9 development bureaus. Five subprefectures, namely Hidaka, Hiyama, Ishikari, Nemuro, and Rumoi are subject to be cut down. The capital municipalities of these subprefectures oppose the plan. However, on June 28 2008, the prefectural council passed the ordinance of the reorganization. The change will take effect from April 2009.

List of development bureaus from 2009

The are equivalent to the current subprefectures, while the are the branch offices of them.
  • Doo General Development Bureau (???????), Iwamizawa, covering Ishikari and Sorachi areas
    • Ishikari Development Bureau, Sapporo, covering Ishikari area
  • Shiribeshi General Development Bureau (???????), Kutchan, covering Shiribeshi area
  • Nittan General Development Bureau (???????), Muroran, covering Iburi and Hidaka areas
    • Hidaka Development Bureau, Urakawa, covering Hidaka area
  • Donan General Development Bureau (???????), Hakodate, covering Oshima and Hiyama areas
    • Hiyama Development Bureau, Esashi, covering Hiyama area
  • Dohoku General Development Bureau (???????), Asahikawa, covering Kamikawa and Rumoi areas
    • Rumoi Development Bureau, Rumoi, covering Rumoi area
  • Soya General Development Bureau (???????), Wakkanai, covering Soya area
  • Okhotsk General Development Bureau (??????????), Abashiri, covering Abashiri area
  • Tokachi General Development Bureau (???????), Obihiro, covering Tokachi area
  • Doto General Development Bureau (???????), Kushiro, covering Kushiro and Nemuro areas
    • Nemuro Development Bureau, Nemuro, covering Nemuro area


External links

  • of the subprefectures
  • , from Pucchi Guide