Hokkaidō Heritage
Hokkaidō Heritage 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 Hokkaidō Heritage Council, an NPO, and endorsed by the prefectural government, amongst other bodies. Sixty-seven assets have been identified to date in three sessions, the first twenty-five on 22 October 2001, a further twenty-seven on 22 October 2004, and more recently, fifteen on 1 November 2018. 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.
| Asset | Municipality | Comments | Image | Coordinates | Session | Ref |
| North Breakwater Dome in Wakkanai Port Wakkanai-kō kita-bōhatei dōmu | Wakkanai | built in connection with the former Chihaku ferry that connected Wakkanai with Ōdomari, now Korsakov, in what was then Karafuto Prefecture, South Sakhalin | I | |||
| Circumferential Glacier Topography of Sōya Hills Sōya kyūryō no shūhyōga chikei | Wakkanai | formed around 20,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Period; site of Sōya Misaki Wind Farm | II | |||
| The Teshio River Teshio-gawa | Bifuka, Horonobe, Kenbuchi, Nakagawa, Nayoro, Otoineppu, Shibetsu, Shimokawa, Teshio, Toyotomi, Wakkanai, Wassamu | at, the second longest river on the island | II | |||
| The Herring Highway in Rumoi Rumoi no nishin kaidō | Rumoi, Obira, Tomamae | includes the Former Saga Fishing Ground, | I | |||
| Historical Buildings in Mashike Mashike no rekishi-teki tatemono-gun | Mashike | includes the Former Honma Family Residence, Kunimare Brewery ', and the historical buildings and Mashike Elementary Schoolhouse near Mashike Station | I | |||
| Asahibashi Bridge Asahi-bashi | Asahikawa | over the Ishikari River; completed in 1932 to replace the 1892 bridge of wood covered in earth | II | |||
| Museum of Soils "Mansion of Soils" Tsuchi no Hakubutsukan "Tsuchi no Yakata" | Kamifurano | tells the story of the agricultural development of the island from the time of the Hokkaidō Development Commission, also of the 1926 eruption of Mount Tokachi | II | |||
| Uryū Marsh Uryū-numa shitsugen | Uryū | in Shokanbetsu-Teuri-Yagishiri Quasi-National Park; a Ramsar Site | II | |||
| Hokkai Principal Irrigation Channel Hokkai kansen-yō suiro | Akabira, Bibai, Iwamizawa, Mikasa, Naie, Nanporo, Sunagawa | the longest exclusively agricultural irrigation channel in the country; runs from Akabira to Nanporo; constructed in four years from 1924; draws water from the Sorachi River | II | |||
| Colliery-related Facilities, and Life and Culture of Sorachi Sorachi no tankō kanren shisetsu to seikatsu bunka | Ashibetsu, Bibai, Iwamizawa, Utashinai, Yūbari, etc | at the industry's peak in the 1960s there were some 110 mines in Sorachi, with an annual output of ; all had closed by the 1990s; see Ishikari coalfield, Hokutan Horonai coal mine, Yūbari Coal Mine Museum | I | |||
| The Ishikari River Ishikari-gawa | Ishikari, etc | the longest on the island and third longest in the country, the river flows from the Daisetsuzan Mountains into the Sea of Japan | I | |||
| Bricks of Ebetsu Ebetsu no renga | Ebetsu | 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 Former Hida Factory and Ebetsu Glass Crafts Museum ' | II | |||
| Hokkaido University, the Sapporo Agricultural College Farm No.2 Hokkaidō Daigaku Sapporo Nō Gakkō dai-ni nōjō | Sapporo | founded in 1877 by William S. Clark as a "model" farm | I | |||
| The European Architecture in the Era of the Hokkaidō Development Commission Kaitakushi jidai no yōfū kenchiku | Sapporo | includes Sapporo Clock Tower, the Hōheikan ', the Seikatei, Former Nagayama Residence, Bureau of Industry Office Building, etc | II | |||
| The Factories and Memorial Halls in Naebo, Sapporo Sapporo Naebo chiku no kōjō kinenkan-gun | Sapporo | includes the Hokkaidō Railway Technology Museum, Sapporo Beer Museum ', Snow Brand Milk Products Archives, Fukuyama Brewery, etc | II | |||
| Otaru Minato Harbour and Breakwater Otaru minato to bōhatei | Otaru | the north breakwater was designed by Hiroi Isami, inspired by the Port of Colombo, and makes use of sloping blocks; the south breakwater was constructed using caissons; cf. Otaru Canal | I | |||
| Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery Nikka Uwisukii Yoichi jōryū-sho | Yoichi | Taketsuru Masataka opened his distillery here in 1934, malt whisky production starting two years later | II | |||
| 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 banya, unloading place, fish ponds, tunnels, and roads | II | |||
| Natural Spring Water in Kyōgoku Kyōgoku no fukidashi yūsui | Kyōgoku | 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 100 Select Waters | I | |||
| Skiing and the Niseko Mountains Sukii to Niseko renpō | Kutchan, Niseko | skiing grew in popularity both locally and across the country at large in the 1960s | II | |||
| Beech Forests at the Northern Boundary Hokugen no buna bayashi | Kuromatsunai | the Oshima Peninsula marks the northern limit of this temperate zone tree; in Nanae there is a beech forest planted by Reinhold Gaertner, son of painter Eduard and brother of Hakodate Consul Conrad | II | |||
| Shōwashinzan International Snowball Fight Festival Shōwa-shinzan Kokusai Yukigassen Taikai | Sōbetsu | 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 | I | |||
| Noboribetsu Onsen Jigoku-dani Noboribetsu onsen Jigoku-dani | Noboribetsu | there are fifteen so-called thermal "hells" in the valley, which is surrounded by Ōyu Pond, with a surface temperature that reaches, the smoking Mount Hiyori, and Noboribetsu Primaeval Forest | II | |||
| The Remains of Jōmon Culture on the Coast of Uchiura Gulf Uchiura-wan engan no Jōmon bunka iseki-gun | Date, Hakodate, etc | see Ōfune Site, Kitakogane Shell Mound, Jōmon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaidō, Northern Tōhoku, and other regions; four million artefacts, including "Hollow Dogū", have been found at eighty-nine sites in Hakodate alone; cf. Zoku-Jōmon period | I | |||
| The Ubagami Daijingū Festival and Esashi Oiwake Ubagami Daijingū togyo-sai to Esashi oiwake | Esashi | I | ||||
| The Former Fort from the 15th Century in Kaminokuni Kaminokuni no chūsei no tate | Kaminokuni | Katsuyama-date; cf. Shinori-date, Yafurai-date | I | |||
| Fukuyama Castle and its Temple District Fukuyama -jō to teramachi | Matsumae | I | ||||
| Goryōkaku and the Relics of the Battle of Hakodate Goryōkaku to Hakodate sensō no ikō | Hakodate etc | includes Goryōkaku, Shiryōkaku, Fukuyama Castle, and the waters off Kamome Island where the Japanese frigate Kaiyō Maru sank | II | |||
| Mount Hakodate and the Remains of the Batteries Hakodate-yama to hōdai ato | Hakodate | I | ||||
| Seibuchiku Area in Hakodate Hakodate Seibu-chiku no machi-nami | Hakodate | includes the Former Public Hall of Hakodate Ward and Hakodate Orthodox Church | II | |||
| The Tramways Romen densha | Hakodate, Sapporo | Hakodate City Tram and Sapporo Streetcar | I | |||
| The Cherry Trees on Nijikken Road in Shizunai Shizunai Nijikken-dōro no sakura namiki | Shinhidaka | II | ||||
| Mōru Hot Springs Mōru onsen | Otofuke | includes Tokachigawa Onsen | II | |||
| Rawan Butterburs Rawan-buki | Ashoro | giant butterburs that grow to a height of to along the Rawan River; it is said they used to grow to a height of some ; cf. Koropokkuru | I | |||
| The Former National Railroad and Concrete Arch Bridges of the Shihoro Line kyū-Kokutetsu Shihoro-sen konkurīto āchi kyōryō-gun | Kamishihoro | thirty-four bridges are preserved including Taushubetsu Bridge | I | |||
| Kiritappu Wetland Kiritappu shitsugen | Hamanaka | a Ramsar Site | I | |||
| Lake Mashū Mashū-ko | Teshikaga | in Akan National Park | I | |||
| The Konsen Highland Windbreak Konsen daichi no kōshi-jō bōfū-rin | Betsukai, Nakashibetsu, Shibecha, Shibetsu | I | ||||
| The Notsuke Peninsula and the Utase Boats Notsuke-hantō to utase-bune | Betsukai, Shibetsu | II | ||||
| Wakka/Koshimizu primaeval flower garden Wakka/Koshimizu gensei ka-en | Kitami, Koshimizu | I | ||||
| The Pierson Memorial House Piason Kinenkan | Kitami | I | ||||
| The Forest Railroad Steam Locomotive "Amamiya No.21" Shinrin Tetsudō jōki kikansha "Amamiya 21-gō" | Engaru | see Hokkaido Maruseppu Recreation Forest Park Railway | II | |||
| Ancient Remains along the Okhotsk Coast Ohōtsuku engan no kodai iseki-gun | Abashiri, Kitami, etc | deposits from the Jōmon and Zoku-Jōmon periods, as well as the Okhotsk culture and Ainu; includes the Moyoro Shell Mound and Tokoro Site | II | |||
| Ice Floes and Garinko Ryūhyō to Garinko-gō | Monbetsu | Drift Ice in the Sea of Okhotsk is one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan | II | |||
| Villages of the Farmer-Soldiers and Military Barracks Tondenhei mura to heioku | Akkeshi, Ebetsu, Nemuro, Sapporo, Shibetsu, etc | see Tondenhei | II | |||
| Hokkaidō Horse Culture Hokkaidō no uma bunka | Obihiro, etc | see Ban'ei | II | |||
| Ainu Place Names Ainu-go chimei | passim | I | ||||
| Ainu Patterns Ainu monyō | passim | I | ||||
| Ainu Oral Culture Ainu kōshō bungei | passim | see Yukar | II | |||
| The Culture of Salmon Sake no bunka | passim | see Japan Heritage "story" #084, Shibetsu Salmon Science Museum | II | |||
| Hokkaidō Ramen Noodles Hokkaidō no rāmen | Asahikawa, Hakodate, Kushiro, Sapporo, etc | see Muroran curry ramen | I | |||
| Genghis Khan Jingisukan | passim | II | ||||
| Rishiri Island Fishing Industry Heritage Sites and Life and Culture Rishiritō no gyogyō isan-gun to seikatsu bunka | Rishiri, Rishirifuji | III | ||||
| Asahikawa Furniture Asahikawa kagu | Asahikawa | includes the | III | |||
| Miura Ayako Literature Museum and Foreign Species Specimen Forest Miura Ayako Kinen Bungakukan to Gaikoku Jushu Mihon-rin | Asahikawa | III | ||||
| Mashike Mountain Trail and Gokibiru Mountain Trail Mahike-sandō to Gokibiru-sandō | Ishikari, Mashike | III | ||||
| Hokkaidō Shūchikan Prisons Hokkaidō no shūchikan | Abashiri, Mikasa, Obihiro, Shibecha, Tsukigata | 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 | III | |||
| Otaru Railway Heritage Otaru no tetsudō isan | Otaru | see Otaru Station, Otaru City General Museum, Former Temiya Line | III | |||
| Achievements of Ōtomo Kametarō and Remains of Ōtomo-bori Ōtomo Kametarō no jiseki to Ōtomo-bori ikō | Sapporo | III | ||||
| Pacific Music Festival Pashifikku myūjikku fesutibaru | Sapporo | founded by Leonard Bernstein in 1990 | III | |||
| Sapporo Soft Stone Sapporo nanseki | Sapporo | III | ||||
| Three Government Temples of Ezo Ezo Sankanji | Akkeshi, Date, Samani | Kokutai-ji, Zenkō-ji, Tōju-in | III | |||
| Shikabe Geyser Shikabe kanketsusen | Shikabe | III | ||||
| Mukawa Town Hobetsu Fossils of Sentient Beings of Old Mukawa-chō Hobetsu no koseibutsu kaseki-gun | Mukawa | III | ||||
| Hokkaidō Basic Railroads Hokkaidō no kan'i kidō | Tsurui, etc | III | ||||
| Chishimazakura Cherry Trees Chishima-zakura | passim | III | ||||
| Traces of the Exploration of Ezo by Matsuura Takeshirō Matsuura Takeshirō ni yoru Ezo-chi tōsa no ashiato | passim | III |