History of Hokkaido

[harvey]

Does anyone know when Hokkaido officially became an independent prefecture? I know it has a history of settlement by Japanese since the 1870's or so, but I thought I read somewhere it didn't become it's own prefecture until after WWII.. Thanks.

[Kent Brockman]

It has been independent for many years now and has not been physically connected to the mainland since the early 50's.
There are many trees and forests, often adjacent to one another.
There are many waterways and rivers that follow their own paths. These paths are very VERY wet.
The people are of Asiatic stock and communicate using some sort of backwards-sounding conspiracetic Russian code.

Hokkaido is a richly abundant frontier.
Is it the final frontier?
I don't know.
I'm no entomolygist.
Another one of my many faults.

[Anonymous]

wish all history was as entertaining as KB's, but alas...

hokkaido became an official administrative unit of the meiji gov't in 1885. however, this wasn't the first time a foreign gov't from honshu declared its rule over ainu lands--edo did the same 30 years earlier. that was more in word than deed, however, as the shogunate was faltering even then. the name of the northern island was changed from ezo to hokkaido a year after the meiji restoration (1868)--which also moved the capital to sapporo from hakodate. the ainu lost control to the japanese much earlier though, after losing several battles over the centuries--the last biggie in 1789. subsequent to this any hope of maintaining their territory was lost, and their oppression/suppression of their culture and language began in full. the ainu outnumbered the japanese as late as 1800, but that would soon change. the japanese started settling the southwestern plain as early as the 16th century, though massive relocations didn't begin until the meiji gov't took over.

[harvey]

thanks for the info!