YEZO, ya'zo, EZO, or HOKKAIDO, hok-ki'do, Japan, the northernmost of the four main islands of the empire, separated from Hondo on the south by Tsugaru Strait, from Sakhalin on the north La Perouse Strait, while Yezo Strait divides it from Kunashiri, the southernmost of the Kurile Islands; area, in cluding dependent islands, 30,143 square miles. Tbc capital is Sapporo; Hakodate, tfororan. and Otaru are other large towns and opea ports. Yezo is curiously like a skate-fish in shape. The centre of the island is but little known, though it has been crossed twice or thrice by Japanese and European explorers. It is traversed by chains of mountains, the principal summits being Tokachi-dake. 8,200 feet ; Shribetsi-yama, 7,874 feet; Ishikari-dake, 7,710 feet; Sapporo-dake, 6.500 feet: and Komaga-dake. 3,830 feet. Much of the island is volcanic, especially in the east. The chief rivers are the Ishikari and Tesshio, flowing into the Sea of Japan; and the Tokachi, flowing into the Pacific Ocean The chief bays are Volcano Bay, in the south; Ishikari Bay, in the west ; Shari and %Valfish hays, in the north east. Yezo has a rigorous climate, bring for six months of the year under snow and ice, two fret in solidi to eight feet in the nor:h. The original inhabitant, of Yezo were probably pit fly...Hers, of whom distinct traces have been found at Sapp4,ro, Nt mutt., and elsewhere.
After these came Ainos or Ainus. whose prin cipal settlement is at Piratori, 50 miles east of Mororan. The bear festival in September to the great event of their year. The Ainos num ber 15,000, a population either stationary or de creasing; they are harmless, lazy and drunken. and live mostly near the mouths of the The southern corner of the island was wrested from them in the 16th century, and Matsumae. now Fukuyama, in the extreme southwest. be came in the next century the headquarters of Japanese rule. From 1600 to 1868 the south western portion of the island was in possession of a Daimio named Matsumai, and the Shogun was in possession of Hakodate. At the restora tion in 1868 the supporters of the Tokugawa government made a last stand here, and were finally defeated at Hakodate. In 1871 the Jap anese began active colonization, fearing aggres sion on the part of Russia, and a new depart ment — the Colonization Department — was es tablished to further these projects and much development work was done under the seer vision of foreigners. This department. how
ever, was abolished in 1881 and the country divided into prefectures, though its inhabitants do not as yet enjoy any electoral privileges. The fauna and flora of Yezo differ materially from those of the main island, the bear being a differ ent species, resembling the grizzly. There are no monkeys; a species of grouse is found. The deer, once very plentiful, are now comparativeh scarce. The Yezo pony, originally from Nambu on the main island, is hardy, and foreign blood has been introduced, promising good results. The forests furnish valuable timber. Coal, petro leum and gold are found and worked to some extent. The official name Hokkaido, 'Circuit of the Northern Sea,' was bestowed in 1870, when it was brought under a special colonization de partment. An agricultural mission from the United States assisted in founding model farms, laying out roads and building bridges. The capital wasfrom Matsumai to Sapporo, which was with a railroad to Otarnzuu, its port, and to Poronai, the great coal district inland. An agricultural college, breweries. can ning factories, beet-root sugar factories, etc_, were established. The coal mines are worked by convict labor. A system of military settle ments in late years was put into force. partly with the view of furnishing a militia warns: possible invasion from Russia, which at that time was supposed to covet the fine harbors of Yezo. The sheltered harbor of Mororan. or Volcano Bay, is now a naval harbor, to 'shirk a railway from Poronai mines has been Scull The principal products of Yezo are coal, sea weed, sulphur, fish, the catches of salmon on the river Ishikari being sometimes enormous Kerosene, beer, glass, and other articles are manufactured, and internal communication Is facilitated by a system of railways, either con structed or projected, joining all the coast and interior towns. Pop. (• the Kurile Islands), 1,459,424 See JAPAN