Former provinces of Hokkaido


In 1869, the island of Hokkaido, Japan was divided into 11 provinces and 86 districts. The majority of Japan's former provinces were converted into prefectures by the Meiji government between 1870 and 1876.
The Hokkaido provinces were dissolved in 1882, and replaced with Hakodate Prefecture, Sapporo Prefecture and Nemuro Prefecture. In 1886, the three prefectures were replaced with Hokkaidō-chō.

List of provinces

The former provinces of Hokkaido are listed below with their districts.

Oshima Province

was the area of Sakhalin south of the border established by the 1875 Treaty of Saint Petersburg between Japan and Russia. After the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth, Karafuto was administered from Toyohara in Karafuto Prefecture.