Hokkaido

Something about Hokkaido
With your hosts Christopher, Chris, Justin, Roger, and Matt
Seasonal Temperatures and Nature of Hokkaido
With Christopher
Seasonal Temperatures in Hokkaido
Climate/Tenki explained by Topher
Nature in Hokkaido
Daisetsuzan
Rishirito and Rebunto
Agriculture and Foods
With Chris
History of Agriculture in Hokkaidou
Agriculture started around 1869 with the New Development Commission made from the newly established Meiji Government.
They imported plants from European countries and America that shared a similar climate to Hokkaido’s climate, this laid down the foundation of agriculture in Hokkaido.
Fishing
They have over 3,000 km of sea to fish in, that consist of 285 fishing ports handled by locals from fishing villages.
There is a plan to develop a 200 nautical mile zone for cultivating sea foods such as Pollach and Soy Rock Fish and develop reefs for laying Spear Squid and Octopus eggs. Reefs also help in the collection of fish.
Soil Condition
1.2 million Hectares of available land is low productivity. 37% volcanic ash, 27% heavy clay, 8% Peat soil.
Ash is infertile, Clay is dense, and Peat soil is too wet and lack breathability, but Techniques to deal with these problems are getting better and have seen a 20% increase in the last 20 years.
Percentage of Food Produced for Japan from Hokkaido
Rice 8.5%, Radishes 10.2%, Beef 14.4%, Soybeans 21.5%, Carrots 28%, Pumpkins 40%, Corn 40.8%, Buckwheat 42%, Milk 42%, Onions 49.8%, Mutton 57.7%, Wheat 70.2%, Potatoes 71.4%, Azuki beans 85.1%, Kidney beans 93.5%, Sugar beets 100%

Ainu: People of the Past and Current Situation
With Roger
Ainu People
Indeginous to Hokkaido
Derived from "Anyu" meaning "Human"
Dialects consist of Emishi, Ezo or Yezo
150,000 people, but some are unaccounted for. Since some are not aware of it because their parents want to hid it due to racism.
Consider to be "Noble Savages" - Hunter & Gathers
Ainu history
May have been the 1st to settle in N. America, largely based on skeletal and cultural evidence among tribes in the west. N. America had many settlers, the Ainu being one of them.
Trade was established in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The Han changed trade conditions to favor the Japanese.
During the Muromachi period, the Japanese moved into their territory and disputes arose, disputes turned into a battle. Takeda Nobuhiro killed the Ainu leader and established a Japanese victory. Nobuhiro’s descendants then ruled over the southern part of Ezoichi ( Modern day Hokkaido) until the end of the Edo period.
The Ainu of Today
Ainu = Country as hell, they fish and make carvings.
Still struggling for recognition and acceptance by Japanese Society.
Equivalent to North Americans in America
Famous Sightseeing Places/Points of Interests
With Justin
Hakodate
Where the Seikan Tunnel connects Hokkaido with the main land of Honshu.
Good place to go to for Shio Ramen.
The place to be during August when the Hokkaido Port Festival where people do the Ika-odori (squid dance).
Seikan Tunnel
It’s the longest undersea tunnel in the world.
Connecting Aomori to Hakodate with 33.49 miles of tunnel
34 workers lost their lives during its construction
Cost 538.4 billion yen (3.6 billion dollars)
Opened on March 13th 1988
Sapporo
5th Largest city population based, 3rd largest city geography based in Japan
Sapporo Tokeidai ( Clock Tower)
Odori Park (which is located on Main Street in Sapporo) is famous for the Snow festival that is held here and is a good place to view the T.V. tower.
Furano
Nicknamed "Belly Button Town", because its located in the center of Hokkaido.
Famous for its wine and skiing industry, but most famous for its fields of lavender and beautiful scenery
Local Festivals
With Matt
Sapporo Snow Festival
Started in the 1950’s, when local High school students built 6 snow statues in Odori Park.
In 1955, the Self Defense Force joined in and built the very 1st large-scale snow sculpture, which is what now makes the festival so famous world-wide.
Over 2 million people come to Sapporo to see this festival every year.
Takes place in Sapporo during, usually the first full week, February
This year it was held from the 5th to the 11th.
Yuki Matsuri Sites
There are 3 main sites for the festival, each specializes in a different style of displays for the festival.
Odori Site
The Main site for the festival
There are various snow and ice sculptures
Many of the sculptures have an international theme
There are also snow stages located here featuring various sources of entertainment
Location Odori Park
Sato Land Site
Sato Land site is geared more for families.
Equiped with Snow slides, Snow mazes, the snow experience corner, and regional delicacies.
Location: Sapporo Sato-Land Farm Park
Susukino Site
Deals just with Ice Sculptures
Held at Ekimae-dori (Station Avenune)
There is an event that features Ice Sculptures that contain real-live crabs, squids, and salmon.
Other events consist of an Ice Sculpture Contest and a Special Photo Opportunity to see the Queen of Ice.
Sapporo Yosakoi Soran Festival
The festival is managed by ten full time staff and supported by a committee of 120 students, 4,000 volunteers, 1,500 police officers and an additional 1,500 security guards for a grand total of over 7,000 people trying to make this festival the Best Festival in the East!!!
Yosakoi Soran, how it started
August of 1991, a student attending the University of Hokkaido, saw a Yosakoi Festival in Kochi. Upon returning to Hokkaido, the student was so inspired, that along with the help of 100 other students started the 1st Yosakoi Soran Festival in Sapporo, with 10 teams and 1,000 dancers and 200,000 spectators.
Yosakoi Soran Today
During the 14th Annual Festival in 2005, over 43,000 dancer in 334 teams with 2,141,000 spectators, raked in $230,709,000 USD for local businesses
The Yosakoi Soran Festival is a mix of the Yosakoi Festival of Kochi, with Hokkaido’s unique traditional Soran Bushi fishing folksong.
If you can’t make it to Sapporo there are many smaller but equally energetic Yosakoi Soran Festivals held throughout Hokkaido. Most notably in Ohkost, Hidaka, Sorachi, Tokachi, Chitose, Kamikawa and Nemuro.
Sites
http://www.geo.ucalgary.ca/~hayashi/
http://emishi-ezo.net/images/engraving.jpg
http://www.jnto.go.jp/tourism/img/org/3-2.jpg
http://www.snowfes.com/englishplace
http://www.yosanet.com/yosakoi/foreign/en/index.html
http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/regions/q2.html
http://www.conventionsapporo.jp/event/event.html
http://japan-guide.com/list/e1101.html
http://www.jnto.go.jp/tourism/en/01.html
http://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/event/