Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands.The four largest
islands together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. They
are : Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū & Shikoku.
Japan is separated from the east coast of Asia by the Sea of
Japan. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for
example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto
capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Recently, we have the chance to take a short trip and visited Hokkaido. Will take this opportunity to find out more about the island.
Hokkaidō - 北海道, literally "North Sea Circuit", is Japan's second largest island, northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands. The largest city on Hokkaidō is its capital, Sapporo. It has a population of 1.8 million, is the administrative and economic center of Hokkaido. It is the largest city north of Tokyo, and about a third of all Hokkaidō residents live there. Sapporo became a household name in 1972 when it held the Winter Olympic Games.
Hokkaido's weather is harsh in winter with lots of snowfall, below zero temperatures and frozen seas, while in summer, it does not get as hot and humid as in the other parts of the country.
With its unspoiled nature, Hokkaido attracts many outdoor lovers, including skiers and snowboarders in the colder seasons and hikers, cyclists and campers from June to September.
Home to Japan's aboriginal Ainu race, Hokkaido continues to represent the untamed wilderness with many great national parks.
Asahikawa, the coldest city in Japan & Noboribetsu Onsen is Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort.
Japanese sometimes feel that Hokkaidō is not really Japan, although it belongs to it. Even food is different. Here, people eat lamb (a popular dish is called "Genghis Khan"), which most other Japanese never do.
Hokkaidō has however become indispensable to the Japanese economy and even culture. Most of Japan's milk and dairy products come from Hokkaido. Japan's first beer brewery (Sapporo) is also from Hokkaido, and is still one of the country's most popular.
We also visited Lake Toya (Toyako) which is part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. In addition to the lake itself, the Toyako region features hot springs and an active volcano, Mount Usu, which last erupted in the year 2000. The area also offers many fishing, hiking, and camping opportunities.
