kyushu

Hashima Island (端島, or simply Hashima, as -shima is a Japanese suffix for island), commonly called Gunkanjima (軍艦島; meaning Battleship Island), is an abandoned island of Nagasaki, The island's most notable features are its abandoned concrete buildings, undisturbed except by nature, and the surrounding sea wall. While the island is a symbol of the rapid industrialization of Japan, it is also a reminder of Japanese war crimes as a site of forced labour prior to and during the Second World War.Coal was first discovered on the island around 1810,^[6] and the island was continuously inhabited from 1887 to 1974 as a seabed coal mining facility. Mitsubishi Goshi Kaisha bought the island in 1890 and began extracting coal from undersea mines, while seawalls and land reclamation (which tripled the size of the island^{[citation needed]}) were constructed. In 1916 the company built Japan's first large reinforced concrete building (a 7 floor miner's apartment block),^[7] to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers. Concrete was specifically used to protect against typhoon destruction. Over the next 55 years, more buildings were constructed, including apartment blocks, a school, kindergarten, hospital, town hall, and a community centre. For entertainment, a clubhouse, cinema, communal bath, swimming pool, rooftop gardens, shops, and a pachinko parlour were built for the miners and their families.Beginning in 1930s and until the end of the Second World War, conscripted Korean civilians and Chinese prisoners of war were forced to work under very harsh conditions and brutal treatment at the Mitsubishi facility as forced laborers under Japanese wartime mobilization policies.20世紀初期，三菱在廢除納屋制度以實現直接管理礦工的同時，還開始興建鋼筋混凝土公寓。1916年，日本首個鋼筋混凝土製的集體住宅「30號樓」於端島竣工。在這一年時，大阪朝日新聞已形容端島外觀「會和軍艦混淆」^[4]:40-42。長崎日日新聞也在1921年因端島外觀酷似建造中的日本海軍的土佐號軍艦而將其稱為「軍艦島」^{[4]:40-42[1]:625}。 可見自大正時期開始，端島已被俗稱為「軍艦島」。但這時端島上的鋼筋混凝土製的高層公寓仍然較少（僅30號樓和日薪社宅），大部分都是木造的平房或兩層小樓。

-???En una entrevista que se le realizó en 1983 un trabajador coreano (Suh Jung-woo　徐正雨) que sobrevivió a la dura vida de la mina recordaba que de niño había sido forzado a subir a un camión junto con otros coreanos para luego ser llevado a una oficina gubernamental en la que había varios miles de coreanos más de entre catorce y veinte años. Desde esa oficina un grupo de trescientos de ellos fueron trasladados en tren a Nagasaki y, desde allí, a Hashima.

「鹿児島」という名の由来は、野生の鹿の子（鹿児）が多く生息していたからとか、多くの水夫（かこ）が住んでいたから、火山を意味するカグという言葉から由来した等諸説ある。さらに、神話から来たという説もあり現在でもどれが正しいか確定していない。しかし、「カゴ」は崖という意味の古語であり、桜島の四方が崖になっていたので島名を鹿児島（麑嶋）と称する様になり、それが対岸の神社名（鹿児島神宮）として定着し、更には郡名に拡大したという説が有力である。都市としての始まりは、島津家第6代当主島津氏久が東福寺城（鹿児島市清水町）を居城にしたとき（1340年頃）とみられる。1549年（天文18年）、フランシスコ・ザビエルが現在の市域に当たる場所（祇園之洲町付近）に上陸し、日本初のキリスト教伝来の地となる。19世紀の中頃にはヨーロッパの機械文明を取り入れた研究が進み、第28代当主島津斉彬のもと集成館（現・尚古集成館）事業として反射炉や溶鉱炉が造られ、日本における近代工業化の発祥の地となり、近代日本の黎明期、明治維新において政治家、官僚、軍人等数多くの人物を輩出し、近代日本建設の礎となる。Kagoshima (鹿児島市 Kagoshima-shi, Japanese: [ka̠ɡ̃o̞ɕima̠]) is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the south western tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern world" for its bay location (Aira Caldera), hot climate, and emblematic stratovolcano, Sakurajima. The city was officially founded on April 1, 1889.
- note the cross in the emblem of the city and 島津家
- hk

• Shirley係去參加兩年一度嘅香港鹿兒島會議，夜晚出席當地政府舉辦嘅酒會，大會安排香港嘉賓着上特色衣飾，齊齊跳鹿兒島轄下奄美島嘅「八月舞」。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20180907/00176_087.html

kumamoto
- The Aso Grasslands are located in Aso region of Kumamoto Prefecture, which situates in the middle of the Kyushu Island in Japan. Aso region spreads around active volcanic craters and huge caldera. The Aso volcano has one of the world’s largest caldera stretching 18 km from east to west and 25 km from north to south. This caldera area is designated as Aso-Kuju National Park and is also a part of the Japanese Geoparks Networks. http://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/282483/

- 球磨村Kuma-mura Located in the southern portion of Kumamoto Prefecture, the Kuma River flows through the center. 90% of the village is covered by forests. One of Japan's largest limestone caves, Kyūsen-dō, is located in Kuma. There are two large mountains located near Kuma village. In addition, there are several mountains measuring under 700 meters whose tributaries feed into the Kuma river. Kuma village has a variety of symbols including the Japanese cedar tree, the mountain cherry blossoms, the kingfisher, and the sweet fish.The main industries of Kuma Village are forestry and agriculture. 在江戶時代為人吉藩的領地，1889實施町村制時，現在的球魔村轄區分屬：球磨郡渡村、一勝地村、神瀨村；1954年這三個村合併為現在的球磨村。

- Minamioguni (南小国町) 過去屬於「小國鄉」，小國鄉在1870年將原本的25個村合併為9個村，並在1889年進一步將其中六村合併為北小國村（現在的小國町），另外三村合併為南小國村，也就是現在的南小國町之前身。

Ōita Prefecture (大分県, Ōita-ken) is a prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi Province, Hi Province, Kumaso Province and Toyo Province. Toyo Province was later divided into two regions, upper and lower Toyo Province, called Bungo Province and Buzen Province.After the Meiji Restoration, districts from Bungo and Buzen provinces were combined to form Ōita Prefecture.^[3] These provinces were divided among many local daimyōs and thus a large castle town never formed in Ōita. From this time that whole area became known as "Toyo-no-kuni", which means "Land of Abundance".The origins of the name Ōita are documented in a report from the early 8th century called the Chronicles of Bungo (豊後国風土記, bungonokuni-fudoki) .^[4] According to the document, when Emperor Keikō visited the Kyushu region, stopping first in Toyo-no-kuni, he exclaimed that 'This is a vast land, indeed. It shall be known as Okita-Kuni!' Okita-Kuni, meaning "Land of the Great Fields", later came to be written as "Ōita". Present day interpretations based on Ōita's topography state that Oita's name comes from "Okita", meaning "many fields", rather than "vast" or "great" field, because of Ōita's complex terrain.In the Edo period (1603–1867) the town of Hita was the government seat for the entire domain of Kyushu, which was directly controlled by the national government or shōgun at that time. The region became well known for the money-lending industry based out of Hita. Merchants in Hita's Mameda and Kuma districts worked with the national government to create this money-lending industry known as Hita-kin.

tokyo

Nerima (練馬区 Nerima-ku) is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City. In the Edo period, the area was mostly farmland producing daikon radishes, gobo burdocks, and potatoes. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, many people from central Tokyo moved to the area.In October 1, 1932, Nerima town, and Kami-Nerima, Naka-Arai, Shakujii and Ōizumi Villages were incorporated in Old Tokyo City. Prior to the creation of the ward on August 1, 1947, the area had been part of Itabashi. In 1952, the Japan Self-Defense Forces established a base there. The first division of the eastern group of the Ground Self-Defense Force has its headquarters there. The United States Forces Japan already had a base, Grant Heights, which it returned to Japanese control in 1973. Grant Heights had been Narimasu airfield under the Imperial Japanese Army until the end of World War II. The runway is now the main street in front of the IMA department store in Hikarigaoka.Toei Animation has its headquarters in the Ohizumi Studio in Nerima.^[2] Anime International Company has its headquarters in the AIC Digital Building.^[3] In addition, Studio Comet,^[4] and Mushi Production have their headquarters in Nerima.
- timeline

• 1947年（昭和22年） - 板橋区から分区し、23番目の区として誕生
• 1949年（昭和24年） - 練馬区役所が現在地に移転
• 1951年（昭和26年） - 自衛隊練馬駐屯地ができる。
• 1953年（昭和28年） - 板橋区との境界を変更する^[10]。
• 1957年（昭和32年） - 一部を板橋区へ編入する^[11]。
• 1961年（昭和36年） - 白子川改修に伴い、大和町との境界を変更する^[12]。
• 1973年（昭和48年） - アメリカ軍からグラントハイツ（光が丘）が返還される。
• 1983年（昭和58年） - 非核都市練馬区宣言
• 1998年（平成10年） - 交通安全都市練馬区宣言
• 2001年（平成13年） - 健康都市練馬区宣言
• 2006年（平成18年） - 環境都市練馬区宣言

- 練馬区は、出版社の多い千代田区一ツ橋や神田神保町、文京区音羽などに程好く交通の便が良かったこと、必要な画材を取り扱っている店や街まで近かったこと、誘惑の多い繁華街から少し離れていることもあり落ちついて作業に集中できるなどの利点から、手塚治虫や石ノ森章太郎をはじめ、多くの漫画家が住居や仕事場を構えた。また、トキワ荘（所在地は豊島区）の最寄の駅、椎名町のある西武池袋線の沿線に住まうことも、後進の漫画家には一種の憧れがあったという。編集部が地方在住の新人漫画家を上京させる際に、上記の理由に加え家賃が比較的安い練馬区の物件を用意することが多かった。松本零士は上京にあたって、市外局番が「03」で、緑が多く静かな住環境を条件に住居を探した結果、大泉学園を選んだという。島田啓三、馬場のぼる、太田じろう、赤塚不二夫、古谷三敏、ちばてつや、ちばあきお、高森朝雄（梶原一騎）、藤子不二雄、萩尾望都、竹宮惠子（大泉サロンも参照）、吉沢やすみ、弘兼憲史、柴門ふみ、吾妻ひでお、高橋留美子、小林よしのりなど、多くの有名・無名の漫画家も永住、または一時的に居住したことがある。漫画作品の中には練馬区を思わせる設定や背景が描かれているものも数多くある。

- famous people

• Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士 Matsumoto Reiji, born Akira Matsumoto 松本晟)
• 沢尻 エリカ

- Nerima is the setting of Rumiko Takahashi's long running and popular manga and anime series Ranma ½. As one of the first series in either media to achieve widespread popularity in the English speaking world, Ranma introduced Nerima to western audiences, with several locations recognizable as backgrounds.

financial
- http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2016/11/22/a19-1122.pdf小池於本月11日宣佈設立「建設國際金融中心對策委員會」及「延攬海外金融企業委員會」，前者將於本周五召開首次會議。「建設國際金融中心對策委員會」由多名日本金融業領袖組成，包括日本交易所集團前主席齋藤惇及三井住友銀行行長國部毅等。

hokkaido

Hokkaido (北海道 , literally "Northern Sea Circuit")(Japanese: [hokkaꜜidoː] ), formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is the second largest island of Japan, and the largest and northernmost prefecture. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu. The two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. 
- naming of hokkaido

• 「北海道の名付け親」と言われているのが松浦武四郎という人物です。武四郎は、江戸時代の終わりから明治にかけて活躍した探検家で、6度に渡る蝦夷地(北海道)の探査を通じてアイヌの人々とも交流を深め、蝦夷地の詳細な記録を数多く残しました。また、アイヌの人々が蝦夷地で安心して暮らしていけるようにしたいという強い思いを持ち、行動した人でもあります。蝦夷地のことに詳しい第一人者として明治政府の一員となり、1869(明治2)年7月17日、明治政府に対し、蝦夷地に代わる新たな名称として「北海道」のもととなった「北加伊道」を含む6案を提案しました。https://hokkaido150.jp/matsuuratakeshiro/

- When establishing the Development Commission (開拓使 Kaitakushi), the Meiji Government decided to change the name of Ezochi. Matsuura Takeshirō submitted six proposals, including names such as Kaihokudō (海北道) and Hokkaidō (北加伊道), to the government. The government eventually decided to use the name Hokkaidō, but decided to write it as 北海道, as a compromise between 海北道 and because of the similarity with names such as Tōkaidō(東海道). According to Matsuura, the name was thought up because the Ainu called the region Kai. Historically, many peoples who had interactions with the ancestors of the Ainu called them and their islands^[dubious ] Kuyi, Kuye, Qoy, or some similar name, which may have some connection to the early modern form Kai. The Kai element also strongly resembles the On'yomi, or Sino-Japanese, reading of the characters 蝦夷 (on'yomi as [ka.i, カイ], kun'yomi as [e.mi.ɕi, えみし]) which have been used for over a thousand years in China and Japan as the standard orthographic form to be used when referring to Ainu and related peoples; it is possible that Matsuura's Kai was actually an alteration, influenced by the Sino-Japanese reading of 蝦夷 Ka-i, of the Nivkh exonym for the Ainu, namely Qoy or IPA: [kʰuɣi]. There is no known established Ainu language word for the island of Hokkaido. However, the Ainu people did have a name for all of their domain, which included Hokkaido along with the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, and parts of northern Honshu, which was Aynu Mosir (アィヌ・モシリ), a name taken by the modern Ainu to refer to their traditional homeland.^{[14][15][16][17][18]}"Ainu Mosir" literally translates as "The Land Where People (the Ainu) Live", and it was traditionally used to be contrasted with Kamuy Mosir, "The Land of the Kamuy (spirits)". In 1947, Hokkaido became a full-fledged prefecture, but the -ken suffix was never added to its name, so the -dō suffix came to be understood to mean "prefecture". "Hokkai-do-ken" (literally "North Sea Province Prefecture") is therefore, technically speaking, a redundant term, although it is occasionally used to differentiate the government from the island itself. The prefecture's government calls itself the "Hokkaido Government" rather than the "Hokkaido Prefectural Government".

Furano (富良野市, Furano-shi) is a city in the prefecture of Hokkaido, Japan, located in the southern reaches of Kamikawa Subprefecture, under whose jurisdiction it resides. Well known throughout Japan as a tourism destination, it is famous for its lavender fields, the television drama Kita no Kuni kara and the Furano Ski Resort, which held the Snowboarding World Cup in recent years.The city takes its name from the Ainu word "Fura-nui," which means "Stinky Flame" or "Foul-Smelling Place," in the language of the indigenous people of Hokkaido. This is most likely because the valley was associated with sulfuric fumaroles near Tokachi Peak. In 1897 the first homesteaders arrived from Mie Prefecture and settled in what is now the Ogiyama area of the city. The Village of Furano was established as a satellite settlement of the then-preeminent Utashinai Village. In 1899 the settlement was transferred from under the jurisdiction of Sorachi County to Kamikawa County, an official town hall was raised, and Furano Village, Sorachi County was officially established.

kawashira, Kamoenai, Furuu District, Hokkaido

- [nhk news] houses with steep thatched roofs People
- 松浦 武四郎（まつうら たけしろう、文化15年2月6日（1818年3月12日） - 明治21年（1888年）2月10日）は、江戸時代末期（幕末）から明治にかけての探検家、浮世絵師、著述家、好古家。名前の表記は竹四郎とも。諱は弘。雅号は北海道人（ほっかいどうじん）、多気志楼など多数。蝦夷地を探査し、北海道という名前を考案した。

• 文化15年（1818年）、伊勢国一志郡須川村（現在の三重県松阪市小野江町）にて郷士・松浦桂介ととく子の四男として生まれる。松浦家は、肥前国平戸の松浦氏の一族で中世に伊勢国へ移住してきたといわれている。別書では、代々百姓で、父・桂祐の次男として生まれたとしている。父親は庄屋を営んでおり、比較的恵まれた中、武四郎は後の探検家として役に立つ文化的な素養を身に付けたとされる^[4]。13歳から3年間、平松楽斎（漢学者・伊勢津藩士）のもとで学び、猪飼敬所、梁川星巌らと知己を得る。山本亡羊に本草学を学び、16歳から日本国内の諸国をめぐった。天保9年（1838年）に平戸で僧となり文桂と名乗るが、故郷を離れている間に親兄弟が亡くなり天涯孤独になったのを契機に、弘化元年（1844年）に還俗して蝦夷地探検に出発する。1846年には樺太詰となった松前藩医・西川春庵の下僕として同行し^[5]、その探査は北海道だけでは無く択捉島や樺太にまで及んだ。蝦夷では詩人の頼三樹三郎と旅することもあった^[5]。安政2年（1855年）に江戸幕府から蝦夷御用御雇に抜擢された。そして、再び蝦夷地を踏査し、「東西蝦夷山川地理取調図」を出版した。明治2年（1869年）には開拓判官となり、蝦夷地に「北海道」の名（当初は「北加伊道」）を命名した。更にアイヌ語の地名を参考にして国名・郡名を選定した。翌明治3年（1870年）に北海道の開拓の方針を巡って、従五位の官位を返上した^[6]。この間、北海道へは6度赴き、150冊の調査記録書を遺した。
• Only japanese wikipedia version

Niseko (ニセコ町 Niseko-chō) is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. To Japanese people, Niseko principally refers to a mountain range and a municipal area. However, overseas the name has come to refer to a wider area of ski resorts encompassing Hokkaido's Mount Yōtei, often referred to as the "Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido", and Annupuri ranges. The name Niseko derives from the Ainu language, and it means "a cliff jutting over a riverbank deep in the mountains".^{[citation needed]} The Niseko town's main industries are agriculture and tourism. The resort itself, Niseko United, is part of the Mountain Collective. Moreover, the town is renowned for its quality powder snow and world-class facilities, including traditional onsen and restaurants.ニセコはアイヌ語の「ニセイ・コ・アン・ペツ」（峡谷にある川）に由来する。この川とは地区の正面に聳えるニセコ連峰に源を発して南に流れ、尻別川に合流するニセコアンベツ川のことで、ニセコアンペツの水源である山はアイヌ語で山を意味するヌプリの語を付け「ニセコアンヌプリ」とされた。ニセコ町は1964年（昭和39年）までは「狩太町」（かりぶと）という名称であった。1901年（明治34年）に真狩村（まっかりむら）から分村して誕生した際に、それまで真狩村で最も栄えていた地区は「真狩太（まっかりぶと）」と呼ばれていた。これは真狩村の地名語源である川「マク・カリ・ペツ」（奥の方で曲がる川、現在の真狩別川）と尻別川の合流点が付近にあり、アイヌ語で「マク・カリ・プトゥ」と呼ばれていたことにちなむ（プトゥは合流点の意）。

- hk

• https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/3041483/niseko-hong-kong-developer-banks-luxury-hotels-bullet A Hong Kong-based luxury property developer is making the Hanazono village in Niseko its next launch pad to profitability as the Japanese ski resort town grows in popularity.Odin Properties sold eight of the 88 plots at the Odin Hills residential project in the popular Hokkaido ski resort at the opening sales in Hong Kong on December 6, according to co-founder Chris Fjelddahl. They were snapped up by buyers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines.The developer is banking on a slew of luxury developments in Niseko to attract buyers to its Japanese and European-styled mountain village project. They include the Park Hyatt hotel by Richard Li’s Pacific Century Premium Developments (PCPD) and the Ritz-Carlton Reserve by the YTL group from Malaysia, while a new bullet railway station in the vicinity could also add value to the surrounding properties.

• Hackworth, an Australian who ran resorts in his home country, was part of a group of investors who in 2004 acquired Hanazomo, one of four primary sections of Niseko. Three years later, Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li’s Pacific Century Group bought out Hackworth and his partners, but put him in charge of operations as the real estate conglomerate began to invest in improving the facilities. Today, there are new restaurants and lifts. A Park Hyatt hotel will open later this month.https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3046892/worst-winter-decades-japans-ski-resorts

占冠村（しむかっぷむら ^{Shimukappu mura */?}）是位於日本北海道上川綜合振興局最南端山區的一個村；轄區面積的94％為森林。村名源自阿伊努語的「si-mo-ka-pet」，意思是平靜河川（指鵡川）的上游。Tomamu in the eastern part of the village area is the site of the Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, one of Hokkaido's major ski resorts, located on the southern slopes of Mount Tomamu. The resort is dominated by four 40-storey (121 metre) high-rise towers built during the boom of the late 1980s. The exteriors of these buildings have recently been redecorated by Klein Dytham architecture (KDa) of Shibuya, Tokyo to make them harmonize better with their surroundings.Shimukappu and Tomamu have a student exchange/sister city program with Aspen, Colorado.

Shiretoko Peninsula (知床半島, Shiretoko-hantō) is located on the easternmost portion of the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, protruding into the Sea of Okhotsk. It is separated from Kunashir Island of Russia by the Nemuro Strait. The name Shiretoko is derived from the Ainuword sir etok, meaning "the end of the Earth"^[1] or "the place where the Earth protrudes". The towns of Rausu and Shari are found on the peninsula.

Shiribeshi Subprefecture (後志総合振興局, Shiribeshi-sōgō-shinkō-kyoku) is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. 

- Kutchan (倶知安町, Kutchan-chō) is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Kutchan's name comes from the language of the Hokkaido's native Ainu people. It attempts to mimic the pronunciation of the Ainu word ku-shan-i (which roughly translates as “the place where the channel flows”), but some claim that the name is derived from kucha-an-nai (“stream of a hunting lodge”).

- 積丹半島（しゃこたんはんとう）是唯一北海道西部後志支廳的一個半島，地名來自阿伊努語的「sak-kotan」（夏天的村落）。

- Yoichi (余市町, Yoichi-chō) 余市町には縄文時代の早期以降から各年代の遺跡やストーンサークルが発見されている。ヨイチのアイヌコタンは西蝦夷地は最大規模の人口であり、ヨイチアイヌは他の地方のアイヌの伝承にも大勢力としてたびたび登場する。近世から現代においても北海道内有数の交易場所、ニシンの千石場所として栄えた^[4]。ところが、ニシンは1954年（昭和29年）の漁を最後に余市湾への回遊が途絶えてしまい、「幻の魚」となってしまった^[19]。

• The cave paintings at Fugoppe Cave in Yoichi are the first known signs of prehistoric life on Hokkaido. Their origin remains a mystery.

local administration

- Hokkaido Prefecture had 14 branch offices called 支庁 (shichō) in Japanese, which is often translated in English as subprefectures. Normally, a subprefecture consists of a few to a dozen cities, towns, and/or villages. From April 2010, Hokkaido has 9 General Subprefectural Bureaus (総合振興局) and 5 Subprefectural Bureaus (振興局). For historical reasons, some older people in Hokkaido use the subprefecture name suffixed by -kannai in their address.