Hokkaido's history dates back approximately 20,000 years before the Jomon period. Separated from Honshu by the Tsugaru Straits, Hokkaido developed its own unique culture from the Paleolithic to the Jomon, and then to the Sub-jomon, Abrahamic, and Okhotsk cultures. From the Jomon period onward, archaeological sites indicate that an exchange with Honshu across the Tsugaru Straits was already taking place.
From around the 13th century to the Edo period (1603-1867), the unique culture of the Ainu people continued. In the southern region of Hokkaido, the Matsumae clan flourished during the Edo period, supporting the clan's finances through trade, and in 1859 the port of Hakodate was opened as an international trading port along with Yokohama and Nagasaki. After the opening of the port, foreign cultures entered the area and the beautiful cityscape seen today in Hakodate and the western part of the city was formed.
In 1869, the Meiji government changed the name of Hokkaido from “Ezochi” to “Hokkaido,” and the “Kaitakushi”, Hokkaido Development Office, was established, with “Tonden-hei”, farmer-soldiers, working to develop Hokkaido. Less than 150 years after the development of Hokkaido began, settlers from all over Honshu brought with them their local cultures and hometown dialects, giving birth to the lifestyle culture of Hokkaido, which is said to be rational, and the Hokkaido dialect.
