How a mysterious frontier island peopled by “barbarians” became one of the four main islands of Japan – and how the original inhabitants suffered as a result.
Watch our latest video – an audio-visual adaptation by author Noah Oskow of his original essay on the history of Hokkaido and how it came to be part of Japan!
Planning a trip to Japan? Get an authentic, interpreted experience from Unseen Japan Tours and see a side of the country others miss!

"Noah [at Unseen Japan] put together an itinerary that didn’t lock us in and we could travel at our own pace. In Tokyo, he guided us personally on a walking tour. Overall, he made our Japan trip an experience not to forget." - Kate and Simon S., Australia


We hate paywalls. Our content remains both free and fiercely independent. If you love the values we stand for and want to help us expand our coverage of Japan, consider a recurring or one-time donation to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund today.
Subscribe on YouTube
If you liked this video, please subscribe to us on YouTube! We publish discussions about Japanese news and culture every week taken from our livestream. And at least once a month, we publish a long-form rendition of one of our popular essays. If you want to listen to Unseen Japan rather than just read us, our YouTube channel is for you!