Hokkaido Heritage Explained

is an initiative aimed at the valorization and transmission to the next generation of the tangible and intangible natural, cultural, historical, and industrial heritage of Hokkaidō, Japan. It is advanced by the, an NPO, and endorsed by the prefectural government, amongst other bodies. Seventy-four assets have been identified to date in four sessions, the first twenty-five on 22 October 2001, a further twenty-seven on 22 October 2004, fifteen more on 1 November 2018, and, most recently, an additional six (together with the split of "The Ubagami Daijingū Festival and Esashi Oiwake" into two separate assets) on 13 October 2022.[1] The scheme does not include a formal system for management or preservation but is intended to be a citizen-led movement with the concomitant benefits of promoting tourism, fostering pride and a sense of belonging in local communities, developing human capital and potential, and the revitalization of local economies.[2] [3] [4]

AssetMunicipalityCommentsImageCoordinatesSessionRef
North Breakwater Dome in Wakkanai Port

Wakkanai-kō kita-bōhatei dōmu
45.4203°N 141.6805°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
Circumferential Glacier Topography of Sōya Hills

Sōya kyūryō no shūhyōga chikei
45.4819°N 141.9187°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
The Teshio River

Teshio-gawa
At 256km (159miles), the second longest river on the island (after the Ishikari River) 44.8789°N 141.7383°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
The Herring Highway in Rumoi

Rumoi no nishin kaidō
Includes the, (pictured), and Life and Culture 44.1364°N 141.6552°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
Historical Buildings in Mashike

Mashike no rekishi-teki tatemono-gun
43.853°N 141.5264°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
Asahibashi Bridge

Asahi-bashi
Over the Ishikari River; completed in 1932 to replace the 1892 bridge of wood covered in earth 43.7788°N 142.36°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
Museum of Soils "Mansion of Soils"

Tsuchi no Hakubutsukan "Tsuchi no Yakata"
43.4627°N 142.4518°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
Uryū Marsh

Uryū-numa shitsugen
43.4627°N 142.4518°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
Hokkai Principal Irrigation Channel

Hokkai kansen-yō suiro
The longest exclusively agricultural irrigation channel in the country; runs from Akabira to Nanporo; constructed in four years from 1924; draws water from the 43.3041°N 141.8498°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
Colliery-related Facilities, and Life and Culture of Sorachi

Sorachi no tankō kanren shisetsu to seikatsu bunka
Ashibetsu, Bibai, Iwamizawa, Utashinai, Yūbari, etc 43.0684°N 141.9891°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_03.pdf
The Ishikari River

Ishikari-gawa
Ishikari, etc 43.2687°N 141.3717°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Bricks of Ebetsu

Ebetsu no renga
Construction in brick was encouraged by the Hokkaidō Development Commission, resulting in buildings such as the Former Hokkaidō Government Office in Sapporo; at one point there were seventeen brickworks in eight areas of the prefecture, but during the Taishō era they converged on Ebetsu, with its fine clays; three brickworks continue in the area today; there are some four hundred brick buildings in the city, including the and (pictured) 43.0963°N 141.5225°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Hokkaido University, the Sapporo Agricultural College Farm No.2

Hokkaidō Daigaku Sapporo Nō Gakkō dai-ni nōjō
Founded in 1877 by William S. Clark as a "model" farm 43.0821°N 141.3403°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
The European Architecture in the Era of the Hokkaidō Development Commission

Kaitakushi jidai no yōfū kenchiku
Includes the Sapporo Clock Tower, Hōheikan (pictured), Seikatei,,, etc 43.0626°N 141.3536°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
The Factories and Memorial Halls in Naebo, Sapporo

Sapporo Naebo chiku no kōjō kinenkan-gun
Includes the, Sapporo Beer Museum (pictured),,, etc 43.0714°N 141.3689°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Otaru Minato Harbour and Breakwater

Otaru minato to bōhatei
The north breakwater was designed by, inspired by the Port of Colombo, and makes use of sloping blocks; the south breakwater was constructed using caissons; cf. 43.1883°N 141.0312°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery

Nikka Uwisukii Yoichi jōryū-sho
Taketsuru Masataka opened his distillery here in 1934, malt whisky production starting two years later 43.1854°N 140.7892°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
The Shakotan Peninsula and Cape Kamui

Shakotan-hantō to Kamui-misaki
Shakotan etc Remains of the old herring industry, which prospered from the Meiji period to the Shōwa era include a, unloading place, fish ponds, tunnels, and roads 43.3335°N 140.3463°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Natural Spring Water in Kyōgoku

Kyōgoku no fukidashi yūsui
One of the largest springs in the country, replenished by snow thaw from Mount Yōtei that filters through minerals underground; selected in 1985 by the Environmental Agency as one of the 42.858°N 140.8689°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Skiing and the Niseko Mountains

Sukii to Niseko renpō
Skiing grew in popularity both locally and across the country at large in the 1960s 42.8616°N 140.6981°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Beech Forests at the Northern Boundary

Hokugen no buna bayashi
The Oshima Peninsula marks the northern limit of this temperate zone tree; in Nanae there is a beech forest planted by, son of painter Eduard and brother of Hakodate Consul Conrad 42.6597°N 140.3195°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Shōwashinzan International Snowball Fight Festival

Shōwa-shinzan Kokusai Yukigassen Taikai
Shōwa-shinzan or "new mountain of the Shōwa era" was formed by volcanic lava in the 1940s; this competitive snowballing or yuki-gassen began in 1989 42.5408°N 140.8576°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
Noboribetsu Onsen Jigoku-dani

Noboribetsu onsen Jigoku-dani
There are fifteen so-called thermal "hells" in the valley, which is surrounded by, with a surface temperature that reaches 50C, the smoking, and 42.4976°N 141.1487°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
The Remains of Jōmon Culture on the Coast of Uchiura Gulf

Uchiura-wan engan no Jōmon bunka iseki-gun
Date, Hakodate, etc Four million artefacts, including "Hollow Dogū", have been found at eighty-nine sites in Hakodate alone; see Ōfune Site42.4012°N 140.911°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_04.pdf
The Ubagami Daijingū Festival

Ubagami Daijingū togyo-sai
Herring-related matsuri, some 360 years old 41.8664°N 140.1251°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/esashi_ubagami.html
Esashi Oiwake

Esashi oiwake
41.8687°N 140.1266°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/esashi_oiwake.html
The Former Fort from the 15th Century in Kaminokuni

Kaminokuni no chūsei no tate
41.8015°N 140.1008°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Fukuyama (Matsumae) Castle and its Temple District

Fukuyama (Matsumae)-jō to teramachi
41.4299°N 140.1085°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Goryōkaku and the Relics of the Battle of Hakodate

Goryōkaku to Hakodate sensō no ikō
Hakodate etc Includes Goryōkaku, Shiryōkaku, Fukuyama Castle, the waters off Kamome Island where the Japanese frigate Kaiyō Maru sank, Washinoki, where the shogunate forces under Enomoto Takeaki landed, the battlefield of, the, where the new Meiji Government forces made landfall, the, where Hijikata Toshizō was killed, etc 41.7969°N 140.7568°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Mount Hakodate and the Remains of the Batteries

Hakodate-yama to hōdai ato
41.7566°N 140.7017°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Seibuchiku Area in Hakodate

Hakodate Seibu-chiku no machi-nami
41.7628°N 140.7122°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
The Tramways

Romen densha
Hakodate City Tram (pictured) first operated as a horse-drawn railway car in 1897 and was electrified in 1913; the Sapporo Streetcar began operations in 1918 41.7723°N 140.7279°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
The Cherry Trees on Nijikken Road in Shizunai

Shizunai Nijikken-dōro no sakura namiki
42.3968°N 142.4412°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Mōru Hot Springs

Mōru onsen
The name is derived from the German Moor, the springs rising through peat; includes 42.9322°N 143.2968°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Rawan Butterburs

Rawan-buki
Giant butterburs that grow to a height of 2m (07feet) to 3m (10feet) along the ; it is said they used to grow to a height of some 4m (13feet); cf. Koropokkuru (pictured) 43.3378°N 143.8454°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
The Former National Railroad and Concrete Arch Bridges of the Shihoro Line

kyū-Kokutetsu Shihoro-sen konkurīto āchi kyōryō-gun
Thirty-four bridges from the early Shōwa era are preserved, including (pictured) 43.4154°N 143.1889°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Kiritappu Wetland

Kiritappu shitsugen
43.0844°N 145.08°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
Lake Mashū

Mashū-ko
An endorheic crater lake in Akan National Park said to be one of world's clearest lakes 43.5835°N 144.5283°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
The Konsen Highland Windbreak

Konsen daichi no kōshi-jō bōfū-rin
A grid formed by bands of trees some wide that run a total of 43.1937°N 145.0363°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_05.pdf
The Notsuke Peninsula and the Utase Boats

Notsuke-hantō to utase-bune
43.6032°N 145.2923°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Wakka/Koshimizu primaeval flower garden

Wakka/Koshimizu gensei ka-en
44.1355°N 143.9608°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
The Pierson Memorial House

Piason Kinenkan
43.8065°N 143.8869°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
The Forest Railroad Steam Locomotive "Amamiya No.21"

Shinrin Tetsudō jōki kikansha "Amamiya 21-gō"
43.9319°N 143.3368°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Ancient Remains along the Okhotsk Coast

Ohōtsuku engan no kodai iseki-gun
Abashiri, Engaru, Kitami, Shari, etc 44.025°N 144.2681°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Ice Floes and Garinko

Ryūhyō to Garinko-gō
44.3336°N 143.373°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Villages of the Farmer-Soldiers and Military Barracks

Tondenhei mura to heioku
Akkeshi, Ebetsu, Nemuro, Sapporo, Shibetsu, etc 43.0763°N 141.3019°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Hokkaidō Horse Culture

Hokkaidō no uma bunka
Obihiro, etc 42.9211°N 143.1822°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Ainu Place Names

Ainu-go chimei
passim 42.6352°N 142.1614°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Ainu Patterns

Ainu monyō
passim The three fundamental Ainu designs are the,, and, that are then endlessly reimagined and recombined 42.6369°N 142.1569°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Ainu Oral Culture

Ainu kōshō bungei
passim See Yukar, Kutune Shirka, Imekanu, Chiri Yukie (pictured) 42.5613°N 141.3669°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
The Culture of Salmon

Sake no bunka
passim 43.66°N 145.1163°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Hokkaidō Ramen Noodles

Hokkaidō no rāmen
Asahikawa, Hakodate, Kushiro, Sapporo, etc 43.0555°N 141.3532°W I http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Genghis Khan

Jingisukan
passim Involves a distinctively-shaped cooking pan (pictured) 43.0555°N 141.3532°W II http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/jouhoushi/isane_06.pdf
Rishiri Island Fishing Industry Heritage Sites and Life and Culture

Rishiritō no gyogyō isan-gun to seikatsu bunka
45.113°N 141.2162°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/rishiri_gyogyouisan.html
Asahikawa Furniture

Asahikawa kagu
Includes the 43.8001°N 142.4156°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/asahikawa_kagu.html
Miura Ayako Literature Museum and Foreign Species Specimen Forest

Miura Ayako Kinen Bungakukan to Gaikoku Jushu Mihon-rin
43.7536°N 142.348°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/asahikawa_miuraayako.html
Mashike Mountain Trail and Gokibiru Mountain Trail

Mahike-sandō to Gokibiru-sandō
43.8352°N 141.4878°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/mashikeishikari_sandou.html
Hokkaidō Shūchikan Prisons

Hokkaidō no shūchikan
Five penitentiaries built between 1881 and 1893 to house political prisoners from the Satsuma Rebellion, and later for those convicted of serious crimes; see Abashiri Prison Museum (pictured) 43.996°N 144.2287°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/hokkaido_syuujikan.html
Otaru Railway Heritage

Otaru no tetsudō isan
43.2112°N 141.0007°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/otaru_tetudoisan.html
Achievements of Ōtomo Kametarō and Remains of Ōtomo-bori

Ōtomo Kametarō no jiseki to Ōtomo-bori ikō
43.0993°N 141.3455°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/sapporo_ootomokametaro.html
Pacific Music Festival

Pashifikku myūjikku fesutibaru
Founded by Leonard Bernstein in 1990 42.939°N 141.3401°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/sapporo_pmf.html
Sapporo Soft Stone

Sapporo nanseki
42.9691°N 141.3415°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/sapporo_nanseki.html
Three Government Temples of Ezo

Ezo Sankanji
,, 43.0321°N 144.8384°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/hokkaido_ezosankanji.html
Shikabe Geyser

Shikabe kanketsusen
42.0287°N 140.8305°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/shikabe_kanketusen.html
Mukawa Town Hobetsu Fossils of Sentient Beings of Old

Mukawa-chō Hobetsu no koseibutsu kaseki-gun
42.7661°N 142.1357°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/mukawa_koseibutukasekigun.html
Hokkaidō Basic Railroads

Hokkaidō no kan'i kidō
Tsurui, etc 43.2287°N 144.3257°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/hokkaido_kanikidou.html
Chishimazakura Cherry Trees

Chishima-zakura
passim 43.3285°N 145.5756°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/hokkaido_chishimasakura.html
Traces of the Exploration of Ezo by Matsuura Takeshirō

Matsuura Takeshirō ni yoru Ezo-chi tōsa no ashiato
passim 43.0532°N 141.4968°W III http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/hokkaido_matsuuratakeshiro.html
Shimokawa Circular Forest Culture

Shimokawa no junkan-gata shinrin bunka
44.3005°N 142.6431°W IV http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/shimokawa_shinrin.html
The Roots of Hokkaidō Rice, Akage-mai

Hokkaidō kome no rūtsu「akage-mai」
in 1873, successfully cultivated the akage-mai variety of cold-climate rice at Shimamatsu 42.9234°N 141.5374°W IV http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/kitahiroshima_akagemai.html
Imakane and Pirika Gold Mine Sites

Imakane・Pirika no kinzan iseki
42.4705°N 140.1908°W IV http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/imakane_pirikakinzan.html
Sendai Domain Shiraoi Moto-Jin'ya

Sendai-han Shiraoi moto-jin'ya
42.5641°N 141.3432°W IV http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/shiraoi_motojinya.html
Sea of Trees at Tokachi-Mitsumata

Tokachi Mitsumata no jukai
43.5167°N 143.15°W IV http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/shiraoi_motojinya.html
Shimo-no-ku Karuta

shimo-no-ku karuta
passim variant of uta-garuta IV http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/hokkaido_karuta.html

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: http://www.hokkaidoisan.org . ja:北海道遺産のご紹介 . Introduction to Hokkaidō Heritage . ja . Hokkaido Heritage Council . 1 August 2024.
  2. Web site: http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/about.html . ja:北海道遺産とは . Hokkaido Heritage . Japanese . Hokkaido Heritage Council . 24 September 2019.
  3. Web site: http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ss/ckk/isantop.htm . ja:次世代に遺したい北海道の宝物-北海道遺産 . Treasures of Hokkaido to be passed to the Next Generation . Japanese . . 24 September 2019.
  4. Book: The SAGE Handbook of Modern Japanese Studies . Babb, James D . . 2015 . 978-1848606630 . 94.