<Japanese Page>
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| Northern part Rebun island,Rishiri island and Wakkanai |
| Center part Dohoh |
| East part Dohtoh |
| Shiretoko Peninsula |
| South part |
| Syakotan Peninsula |
This name is also use call for the prefecture with little strange way.Commonly prefectures in Japan are called with "ken" such like a "Kanagawa ken". Although there are four exceptions exsited. One of the which you will be able to feel at the time you ask where is the capital of Japan.Tokyo ken isn't existed. These exceptions depends in the history.
Governance of this island has been started a hundred more years ago with instituted a ministry of the central goverment. Roughly speaking,After that "doh" is used to point local governor of this land. The strange point I want say is distinctive part for prefecture name is already in own name.
Doh can be sectioned four areas for sightseeing pourpose with suffixes indicate location. The word "hoku" means north,"Dohhoku" points nothern part of this island. In that way,we call "Dohnan" for sourthern area. Biggest city Sapporo is in where, and many tourist choice this city for the entrace of Hokkaido. "Dohtoh" is east part of Hokkaido. Many young Japanese attracted this area caused by the their images of wilderness. I haven't hear suffixing "sei" which means west.Instead of this,"Dohoh" is used showing this area spread from center to west of the land.
