After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaido;[2] and regional administrative subdivisions were identified, including Shiribeshi Province.[1]
In 1882, the Hokkaido region was separated into three prefectures — Hakodate Prefecture (函館県), Sapporo Prefecture (札幌県), and Nemuro Prefecture (根室県). In 1886, the three prefectures were abolished, and Hokkaido was put under the Hokkaido Agency (北海道庁).[3] At the same time, the Shiribeshi Province continued to exist for some purposes. For example, Shiribeshi is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 (a) between Japan and the United States and (b) between Japan and the United Kingdom.[4]
Timeline
659—the area named "Shiribeshi" first appears in Japanese historical records. The Nihon Shoki records that Abe no Hirafu (fl. 7th century) was dispatched by the imperial government in Kyoto to subdue the aboriginal inhabitants of the area, referred to as emishi.[5]
1869—use of the Hokkaido name started[2]
August 15, 1869—Shiribeshi Province established with 17 districts
1872—Census finds 19,098 inhabitants of Shiribeshi Province
Utasutsu (歌棄郡) Dissolve January 15, 1955 when Utasutsu Village was incorporated into Suttsu Town, Suttsu District, Neppu Village merged with Suttsu District's Kuromatsunai Village and part of Tarukishi Village to form Sanwa Village (now Kuromatsunai Town)
^ a b c dHokkaido Regional Development Bureau, "History of Development in Hokkaido," Archived 2013-01-05 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2013-3-22.
^US Department of State. (1906). A digest of international law as embodied in diplomatic discussions, treaties and other international agreements (John Bassett Moore, ed.), Vol. 5, p. 759.
^ニセコ積丹小樽海岸国定公園 [Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park] (in Japanese). Sapporo, Hokkaido: Hokkaido Government. 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
