Japan's northernmost main island, a sparsely populated land of volcanoes, deep snow, and indigenous Ainu culture.
Geography
Hokkaido is separated from Honshu by the Tsugaru Strait and connected by the Seikan rail tunnel since 1988. The Daisetsuzan volcanic range crosses the center, peaking at Mount Asahi-dake at 2291 m.
Climate
Hokkaido has Japan’s coldest and snowiest winters, with cities such as Sapporo and Asahikawa receiving over five meters of snowfall annually. The Sapporo Snow Festival each February draws roughly two million visitors.
History
The Ainu people inhabited Hokkaido for centuries before Japanese settlers from Honshu began arriving in large numbers after the 1869 Meiji-era colonization. The island was formerly called Ezo.
Find more islands by letter
Hokkaido starts with H and ends with O. Browse other islands along the same letter.
Islands that contain a letter from "Hokkaido":