In 1869, the island of
Hokkaido ,
Japan was divided into 11
provinces and 86
districts . The majority of Japan's former provinces were converted into prefectures by the Meiji government between 1870 and 1876.
[1]
The Hokkaido provinces were dissolved in 1882, and replaced with Hakodate Prefecture, Sapporo Prefecture and Nemuro Prefecture. In 1886, the three prefectures were replaced with Hokkaidō-chō (北海道庁).
List of provinces
The former provinces of Hokkaido are listed below with their districts.
Oshima Province
Location of Oshima Province c. 1869.
Oshima Province (渡島国 , Oshima-no kuni ) :
[2] Presently the southern part of modern-day
Oshima and
Hiyama Subprefectures. Districts included:
Shiribeshi Province
Location of Shiribeshi Province c. 1869.
Shiribeshi Province (後志国 , Shiribeshi-no kuni ) :
[2] Modern-day
Shiribeshi Subprefecture (minus
Abuta ) plus northern
Hiyama . Districts included:
Kudō (久遠郡)
Okushiri (奥尻郡)
Futoru (太櫓郡) – dissolved on April 1, 1955 when Futoru Village merged with Tōsetana Town (from Setana District) to create
Kitahiyama Town
Setana (瀬棚郡)
Shimamake (島牧郡)
Suttsu (寿都郡)
Utasutsu (歌棄郡) – dissolved on January 15, 1955 when Utasutsu Village was incorporated into
Suttsu Town (in Suttsu District); Neppu Village was merged with Suttsu District's Kuromatsunai Village and part of Tarukishi Village to create Sanwa Village (now
Kuromatsunai Town)
Isoya (磯屋郡, later respelled 磯谷郡)
Iwanai (岩内郡)
Furuu (古宇郡)
Shakotan (積丹郡)
Bikuni (美国郡) – dissolved September 30, 1956 when Bikuni Town was incorporated into
Shakotan Town, Shakotan District.
Furubira (古平郡)
Yoichi (余市郡)
Oshiyoro (忍路郡) – dissolved on April 1, 1958 when Shioya? Village was incorporated into
Otaru City
Takashima (高島郡) – dissolved on September 1, 1940 when Takashima Town was incorporated into Otaru
Otaru (小樽郡) – dissolved on September 1, 1940 when Asato? Village was incorporated into Otaru
Iburi Province
Location of Iburi Province c. 1869.
Iburi Province (胆振国 , Iburi-no kuni ) :
[2] Modern-day
Iburi Subprefecture ,
Yamakoshi District of
Oshima ,
Abuta District of
Shiribeshi , the cities of
Chitose and
Eniwa of
Ishikari , and
Shimukappu Village of
Kamikawa . Districts included:
Ishikari Province
Location of Ishikari Province c. 1869.
Ishikari Province (石狩国 , Ishikari-no kuni ) :
[2] Modern-day
Ishikari Subprefecture minus
Chitose and
Eniwa , all of
Sorachi Subprefecture , and the southern half of
Kamikawa Subprefecture (including
Horokanai and excluding
Shimukappu ). Districts included:
Teshio Province
Location of Teshio Province c. 1869.
Teshio Province (天塩国 , Teshio-no kuni ) :
[2] Presently all of modern-day
Rumoi Subprefecture and the northern half of
Kamikawa Subprefecture . Districts included:
Kitami Province
Location of Kitami Province c. 1869. Green highlighted area is Abashiri District from Kushiro Province c. 1881.
Kitami Province (北見国 , Kitami no kuni ) :
[2] Modern-day
Sōya Subprefecture and
Abashiri Subprefecture minus part of
Abashiri District . Districts included:
Hidaka Province
Location of Hidaka Province c. 1869.
Hidaka Province (日高国 , Hideka-no kuni ) :
[2] Modern-day
Hidaka Subprefecture . Districts included:
Tokachi Province
Location of Tokachi Province c. 1869.
Tokachi Province (十勝国 , Tokachi-no kuni ) :
[2] Modern-day
Tokachi Subprefecture . Districts included:
Hiroo (広尾郡)
Tōbui (当縁郡) – dissolved on April 1, 1906 when 3 villages merged into Moyori Village (now
Hiroo Town) in Hiroo District and two villages merged with Ōtsu Village in Tokachi District
Kamikawa (上川郡)
Nakagawa (中川郡)
Katō (河東郡)
Kasai (河西郡)
Tokachi (十勝郡)
Kushiro Province
Location of Kushiro Province c. 1869.
Kushiro Province (釧路国 , Kushiro-no kuni ) :
[2] Modern-day
Kushiro Subprefecture and part of
Abashiri Subprefecture . Districts included:
Nemuro Province
Location of Nemuro Province c. 1869.
Nemuro Province (根室国 , Nemuro-no kuni ) :
[2] Presently the mainland portion of modern-day
Nemuro Subprefecture plus
Habomai Rocks and
Shikotan Island. Districts included:
Chishima Province
Location of Chishima Province c. 1869.
Chishima Province (千島国 , Chismima-no kuni ) :
[2] Originally the islands of
Kunashiri and
Etorofu , later included
Shikotan and the
Kuril Islands . Districts included:
Kunashiri (国後郡) – occupied and administered by
Russia (see
Kuril Islands dispute )
Etorofu (択捉郡) – occupied and administered by Russia
Furebetsu (振別郡) – dissolved on April, 1923 when its villages merged with several villages in Shana and Etorofu Districts to create the village of Rubetsu (in Etorofu)
Shana (紗那郡) – occupied and administered by Russia
Shibetoro (蘂取郡) – occupied and administered by Russia
Shikotan (色丹郡) – split off from Hanasaki District in 1885; currently occupied and administered by Russia
Uruppu (得撫郡) – acquired in
Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1875) ; ceded in
San Francisco Treaty
Shimushiru (新知郡) – acquired in Treaty of Saint Petersburg; ceded in San Francisco Treaty
Shumushu (占守郡) – acquired in Treaty of Saint Petersburg; ceded in San Francisco Treaty
Karafuto
Location of Karafuto c. 1869.
Karafuto Region was the area of
Sakhalin south of the border established by the 1875
Treaty of Saint Petersburg between Japan and Russia.
[3] After the 1905
Treaty of Portsmouth , Karafuto was administered from
Toyohara in
Karafuto Prefecture .
Notes
^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in
Japan Encyclopedia, p. 780 , p. 780, at
Google Books ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k Satow, Ernest. (1882). "The Geography of Japan" in
Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, Vols. 1–2 , p. 33, at
Google Books
^ Nussbaum, "Karafuto-Chishima Kōkan Jōyaku" at
p. 482 , p. 482, at
Google Books
References