The Meiji government originally classified Hokkaido as a "Settlement Envoyship" (開拓使, kaitakushi), and later divided the island into three prefectures (Sapporo, Hakodate, and Nemuro).
Meiji-regeringen klassificerede oprindeligt Hokkaido som en koloni (開拓使 kaitakushi), og delte senere øen ind i tre præfekturer (Sapporo, Hakodate, og Nemuro).