Hokkaido

Formerly known as Ezo, it is the second largest island of Japan, and the largest and northernmost prefecture. It is connected to Honshu via the Seikan Tunnel, an undersea railway, but most people travel to the island by air. It is also possible to travel to the island by ferry. While Hokkaido has a fairly well-developed railway network, many of its cities can only be accessed by road.

The variety of Japanese spoken in Hokkaido varies depending on the region, with speech in urban areas like Sapporo being close to Standard Japanese, and speech in coastal areas, particulary on the southern Oshima Peninsula, being more strongly influenced by the dialects of the Tōhoku region.

Hokkaido was originally settled by the Ainu, Nivkh, and Orok peoples since before recorded history. There was trade between the inhabitants of Hokkaido and the Japanese during the the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185), and from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) the inhabitants of Hokkaido came to be called Ezo.

During the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the Japanese created a settlement in the south of Hokkaido which led to disputes with the Ainu, and eventually a war (which the Japanese won). There were numerous subsequent revolts by the Ainu against feudal rule.

Following the Meiji Restoration (1868), Ezo was put under control of Hakodate Prefectural Government, a Development Commission was established, and a new name was introduced - from 1869, Ezo came to be known as Hokkaido. The primary purpose of the development commission was to secure Hokkaido before the Russians had a chance to take it.

In 1947, Hokkaido became a full-fledged prefecture as a result of the revised Local Autonomy Law, but the -ken suffix was never added to its name, so the -dō suffix came to be understood to mean "prefecture."

Today, about 10% of the total land area of Hokkaido is composed of National Parks, and there are still many undisturbed forests in Hokkaido. As Hokkaido contains 22% of Japan's forests, there is a sizable timber industry in the prefecture.

Hokkaido is Japan's coldest region, having relatively cool summers and icy/snowy winters. The average August temperature ranges from 17 to 22 °C, while the average January temperature ranges from −12 to −4 °C. The western side of the island tends to be a little warmer than the east, and the northern part sees significant snowfalls. Hokkaido is normally not affected by the humidity, nor the June–July rainy season, which the other major islands of Japan experience.

Agriculture plays an important role in Hokkaido's economy, and Hokkaido has nearly one fourth of Japan's total arable land. It ranks first in the nation in the production of a host of agricultural products, including wheat, soybeans, potatoes, sugar beet, onions, pumpkins, corn, raw milk, and beef. The prefecture is also first in the nation in production of marine products and aquaculture.

Tourism is another important industry in Hokkaido, especially during the cool summertime when visitors are attracted to Hokkaido'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.