MAKO– Author –
-
Why Is Muroran Yakitori Made with Pork? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s Unusual Skewers
Why Is Muroran Yakitori Made with Pork?The Short Answer Muroran yakitori is made mainly with pork instead of chicken because pork was cheaper and easier to obtain in Muroran when this local food culture developed in the early 20th centur... -
Why Is It Called Funka Bay? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s “Volcano Bay”
Why Is It Called Funka Bay?The Short Answer Funka Bay is called “Volcano Bay” because British naval officer William Robert Broughton visited the area in 1796 and saw several volcanoes surrounding the bay. He called it “Volcano Bay,” and ... -
Why Is Hokkaido Famous for Sanma? The Story Behind Japan’s Autumn Fish
Why Is Hokkaido Famous for Sanma?The Short Answer Hokkaido is famous for sanma, or Pacific saury, because the fish begin their autumn southward migration through waters east of Hokkaido after feeding in northern seas. Nemuro became espec... -
Why Was Kita no Yatai Created in Obihiro? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s Food-Stall Revival
Why Was Kita no Yatai Created in Obihiro?The Short Answer Kita no Yatai was created to bring people and energy back to downtown Obihiro. A group of local citizens spent about two and a half years studying food stalls and urban revitaliza... -
Why Is Naitai Highland Ranch So Huge? The Story Behind Japan’s Largest Public Ranch
Why Is Naitai Highland Ranch So Huge?The Short Answer Naitai Highland Ranch covers about 1,700 hectares, making it Japan’s largest public ranch. But all that land was not created for sightseeing—it is a working ranch built to raise young... -
Why Are Lake Akan’s Marimo So Round? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s Mysterious Green Spheres
Why Are Lake Akan’s Marimo So Round?The Short Answer Lake Akan’s famous marimo become round because wind and waves gently move them across shallow parts of the lakebed, allowing the green algae to grow in many directions. But waves alone... -
Why Are Clione Called the Angels of Drift Ice? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s Tiny Sea Angels
Why Are Clione Called the Angels of Drift Ice?The Short Answer Clione are called the “angels of drift ice” because their transparent bodies and two wing-like swimming parts make them look like tiny angels floating through the cold sea. A... -
Why Is Kitami Famous for Mint? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s Peppermint City
Why Is Kitami Famous for Mint?The Short Answer Kitami is famous for mint because the crop became one of the region’s most important industries in the early 20th century. At its peak around 1939, Kitami mint accounted for about 70% of the... -
Why Was Upopoy Created? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s National Ainu Cultural Center
Why Was Upopoy Created?The Short Answer Upopoy was created as Japan’s national center for learning about, preserving, revitalizing, and developing Ainu culture. It opened in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, in 2020. Its purpose is not only to protect ... -
Why Is Tokachi Famous for Agriculture? The Story Behind Hokkaido’s Farming Heartland
Why Is Tokachi Famous for Agriculture?The Short Answer Tokachi is famous for agriculture because its vast plains, long hours of sunshine, cool climate, and large-scale farming make it one of Hokkaido’s most important food-producing regio...
