日本的地區

REGIONS OF JAPAN

日本群島大多由多山的島嶼組成，從東北向西南綿延伸展約2,800公里。國土總面積（377,950平方公里，2010年）稍大於芬蘭或義大利，與美國蒙大拿州或中國雲南省的面積大致相同，四個主要的島嶼為北海道、本州、四國和九州。截至2013年9月，日本的總人口為1億2727萬人。（總務省統計局）。

The Japanese archipelago consists of mostly mountainous islands that stretch from northeast to southwest about 2,800 km long. In total land area (377,950 sq km,2010), it is a bit larger than Finland or Italy and roughly the same size as the American state of Montana. The four major islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. As of September 2013, the total population of Japan is 127.27 million.

北海道地區

Hokkaido Region

該地區由北海道島—日本四大島嶼中位置最北也是第二大島嶼—及其周邊島嶼組成。該島的南部隔津輕海峽與本州相望（二島可通過海底鐵路相連）。氣候同日本其他地區的氣候相差較大，夏天一般較為涼爽，而冬天卻非常寒冷。北海道境內山脈縱橫交錯，美麗的自然風光聞名遐邇。這裡有原始森林、活火山以及寬闊的湖泊。位於北海道東部的釧路濕地是日本丹頂鶴等候鳥棲息的天堂。位於北海道東北部地區的知床半島於2005 年被列入世界自然遺產。

This region is formed by Hokkaido Island—the northernmost and the second largest of Japan’s four main islands—and several surrounding islands. This island is separated from Honshu to the south by the Tsugaru Strait (although the two islands are connected by train service via an undersea tunnel). The climate is very different from the rest of Japan. It is generally cooler in the summer and very cold in the winter. Hokkaido is criss-crossed by mountain ranges and is famous for its natural scenery, including virgin forests, active volcanoes, and large lakes. Kushiro Marsh, in the east of Hokkaido, is famous as a paradise for migrating birds such as the Japanese red-crested crane. Part of the Shiretoko Peninsula in northeast Hokkaido was designated a World Heritage site in 2005.

第一批在北海道定居的日本人是16世紀開始同當地的阿伊努人進行貿易的商人，直到19世紀末明治政府才開始全面開發北海道。

Hokkaido was first settled in the sixteenth century by Japanese who began to trade with the indigenous Ainu people there, but it was in the late nineteenth century that the island’s full-scale development was launched by the Meiji administration.

漁業和林業是北海道農業的重要組成部分，也是該島工業生產的基礎，這些工業包括食品加工、木材加工、紙漿生產和造紙。

Fishing and forestry are important parts of Hokkaido’s agriculture and underlie much of the island’s industrial activity, including food processing, woodworking, pulp, and paper industries.
首府札幌因每年二月初舉辦的冰雪節而聞名，冰雪節上展出的大型雪雕成為該市一道壯觀的風景線。而位於北海道南部的大城市函館則以其美麗迷人的夜色而著稱。在日本的行政劃分中，北海道被單獨劃定為“道”，雖然它與日本的都府縣同屬一個級別。

The capital city, Sapporo, is famous for the Snow Festival held in early February, with many large sculptures made of snow and ice on display, forming spectacular scenes. Hakodate, a large city in the south of Hokkaido, is noted for its beautiful night views. Within Japan’s system of prefectures, Hokkaido alone is categorized as a “circuit,” though it is the equivalent of a prefecture.