Friday, December 31, 2004


A little history of Hokkaido... Posted by Hello
Hokkaido is the second largest and most northern of the four main islands that make up Japan. Historically, Hokkaido was not really considered a part of Japan, it was the home of the Ainu, the aboriginal people of Japan. The Ainu were pushed into Hokkido long ago by the immigrants from mainland Asia who are now considered the Japanese. Until the Meiji Period (1868) the Ainu were the main population of Hokkaido, while the few Japanese who lived there clung to the southern coast. This changed after the Meiji Period as Japan wanted to expand it's northern border. Now Hokkaido is the main producer of milk and cheese in Japan, as well Japan's wood and coal. Hokkaido is also a key fishing and agricultural center. It is a very rugged land with many mountains and volcanos, and is prone to large earthquakes.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

'cheese'