was a short-lived
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
in
Hokkaidō
is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel.
The ...
.
[ Satow, Ernest. (1882). "The Geography of Japan" in ] It corresponded to
Shiribeshi Subprefecture
is a Subprefectures of Hokkaido, subprefecture of Hokkaido, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The subprefecture's capital is Kutchan, Hokkaido, Kutchan. As of July 31, 2004, the estimated population was 256,184 and the area was 4,305.65 km2. ...
minus
Abuta District plus the northern part of
Hiyama Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan located on the Oshima Peninsula on the Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian ...
.
History
After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaido;
[ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)]
"Hokkaido,"
''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 343. and regional administrative subdivisions were identified, including Shiribeshi Province.
In 1882, the
Hokkaido region was separated into three prefectures — , , and . In 1886, the three prefectures were abolished, and Hokkaido was put under the .
[Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau]
"History of Development in Hokkaido,"
; retrieved 2013-3-22. 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
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and (b) between Japan and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Timeline
*659—the area named "Shiribeshi" first appears in Japanese historical records. The
Nihon Shoki
The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...
records that
Abe no Hirafu
was a Japanese military commander, strategist, and politician of the Asuka period.
Some sources say he lived from c.575-664
Biography
Events in his life are accounted in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, both written several decades after his dea ...
(fl. 7th century) was dispatched by the imperial government in Kyoto to subdue the aboriginal inhabitants of the area, referred to as ''
emishi
The were a group of people who lived in parts of northern Honshū in present-day Japan, especially in the Tōhoku region.
The first mention of the Emishi in literature that can be corroborated with outside sources dates to the 5th century AD, ...
''.
*1869—use of the Hokkaido name started
*August 15, 1869—Shiribeshi Province established with 17 districts
*1872—Census finds 19,098 inhabitants of Shiribeshi Province
* 1882—prefectures established
* 1886—Hokkaido Agency established
* 1947—Hokkaido Prefecture established
Districts
*
Kudō (久遠郡)
*
Okushiri (奥尻郡)
*Futoru (太櫓郡) Dissolved April 1, 1955 when Futoru Village merged with Tōsetana Town from Setana District to form
Kitahiyama Town
*
Setana (瀬棚郡)
*
Shimamake (島牧郡)
*
Suttsu (寿都郡)
*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)
*
Isoya (磯屋郡, later respelled 磯谷郡)
*
Iwanai (岩内郡)
*
Furuu (古宇郡)
*
Shakotan (積丹郡)
*Bikuni (美国郡) Dissolved September 30, 1956 when Bikuni Town was incorporated into
Shakotan Town, Shakotan District.
*
Furubira (古平郡)
*
Yoichi (余市郡)
*Oshoro (忍路郡) Dissolved April 1, 1958 when Shioya? Village was incorporated into
Otaru
is a Cities of Japan, city and Seaports of Japan, port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical ...
City
*Takashima (高島郡) Dissolved September 1, 1940 when Takashima Town was incorporated into Otaru
*Otaru (小樽郡) Dissolved September 1, 1940 when Asato? Village was incorporated into Otaru
Notes
References
*
Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou.
The pres ...
.
OCLC 58053128*
Papinot, Edmond. (1910). ''Historical and Geographic Dictionary of Japan.'' Tokyo: Librarie Sansaisha
OCLC 77691250
{{Japan Old Province
Former provinces of Japan