Sapporo Restaurant

Sapporo is the biggest city in Northern Japan and famous for seafood. It is located at about the same latitude as Portland (42 deg North) and has a similar climate. At 140 deg East longitude, Sapporo is about half way around the planet from Portland (68 deg West londitude). Since Maine has also a variety of seafood, Yoshi would like to provide peop... le with the same quality as that of Sapporo, Japan. The early history of Sapporo forms an integral part of the history of Hokkaido, once known as Ezo. Located on the lshikari Plain, the homeland of the island's indigenous Ainu people, "Sapporo" means literally "large dry land," or "important river flowing through a plain" in the Ainu language. Evidence shows the possibility of Japanese settlers in Ezo from as early as the 7th century. However, it wasn't until 900 years later in the 16th century, that trade was established with the Ainu and even later until a main trading post was set up near Ishikari River by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1821, not far from the site of present-day Sapporo. In order to strengthen its northern coastal defences, in 1855 the Shogunate declared the whole of Hokkaido to be under its administration, establishing government offices in Hakodate on the southern coast of the island. It was during the Tokugawa period that the Sapporo region was first inhabited by Japanese. In 1857 two families, totalling seven people, were registered as residents. In 1866 Kametaro Otomo was sent to Sapporo by the regional government to build a canal to serve as the main route for irrigation and transportation of construction materials. This canal, now known as the Sosei River, runs through the heart of the city. It was along this waterway that 28 families travelled into the region, gradually creating a farming community and eventually the village of Sapporo. In 1868, a new government headed by the Meiji Emperor assumed direct control of Japan. This transfer of power from the Shogunate to the Emperor became known as the Meiji Restoration. The new government was ...Read More