Karafuto Prefecture

Karafuto (樺太, literal meaning: "Fat Birch", Ainu: Karaputo, Karaftu, or Kraftu), (German: Sachalin or Karafuto) (French: Tarrakai(ancient French), Karafouto, or Sakhaline), (Spanish: Karafuto, Sakalin, or Sajalin) (English: Karafuto, Sakhalin, or Sajalin) (Russian: Sakhalin or Saghalien), (Manchu: Saghalien), (ancient Korean: Fu-Sang(?)), (Chinese: Ku-Ye-Dao), formerly known as Kita Ezo, is the Japanese name for the southern part of the island of Sakhalin or the entire island of Sakhalin.

By some accounts, Karafuto became a prefecture of Japan in 1907, with its capital at Toyohara. However, the name of the governmental office was not to, dō, fu, or ken (都道府県, the names for present-day prefectures) but rather chō (庁), so the name prefecture may be inaccurate. In 1945, with the defeat of Japan in World War II, the Japanese administration in Karafuto ceased to function, and in 1951, at the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan renounced its rights to Karafuto. Since that time, the southern part of Sakhalin has been a part of Russia (which was in 1952 and for four more decades part of the Soviet Union). It is still in question whether Japan does claim Karafuto as part of Japan or not. Regardless of it, it has been part of Japan and some Japanese political parties are still officially claiming it as part of Japan. In Japanese maps, Karafuto is considered to be No Man's Land.

History

Karafuto has been a long time home for Ainus. Karafuto in the Ainu language (Kamuy Kara Puto Ya Moshir) literally means mouth of water because it is near the Amur River. Historically, Ainus, Uilta, and Gilyaks lived on the island.

Oldest Chinese geography book Sengai-kyo states that the boundary between Japan and China is at the Amur river. However, there were no permanent "Japanese settlers" in Karafuto at this time.

It was only until the early 1600s when Matsumae Clan of Japan started to colonize the island as part of Japan. The Japanese called Karafuto as Kita-Ezo because it was above Ezo (Hokkaido) during this time. In 1966, Matsumae clan made the world's first map of Karafuto. The name of the map is known as "Seiho Okuni Ezu". Matsumae established a town of Kushunkotan (present day Korsakov), Shiranui and Mauka (present day Kholmsk) to establish a trade post with the Ainus on 1679.

It has been attacked by the Russians numerous times ever since the Russians have acquired the Manchu territories East of Ussuri River. Russia began to pressure Japan to relinquish Karafuto and Chishima islands. Negotiations began in 1855, and in 1875, Japan relinquished Karafuto and confirmed the territory of Chishima Kuril Islands. The entire Japanese population in Karafuto were repatriated to Japan including Ainus who chose to migrate to Japan. Most of the Russians in Chishima Kuril Islands left but the Ainus stayed to be administered under Japan.

In 1905, Japan acquired Southern Karafuto back as the result of Russo-Japanese War and all the Ainus and Japanese moved back to Karafuto.

In 1920, Japan and the Soviet Union signed a treaty to accept each other's territory as valid. The Soviet Union dropped its claim on Karafuto as Japan dropped its claim on Soviet Sakhalin.

By 1945, the population of Karafuto jumped to 450,000 mostly Japanese and Korean people. There were few Ethnic Russian and Poles who were living peacefully with the Japanese.

In 1945, Japan was defeated in World War II and the Soviet Union invaded Karafuto, Chishima, Manchuria, and North Korea by breaking the Neutrality Pact. Thousands of Japanese civilians were killed in Karafuto. Recorded deaths are in the town of Maoka (population 9,000), 2000 Japanese civilians were killed known as Maoka Massacre. At Toyohara, over 1000 and at the Soya Strait, 3000 lives were perished as the Soviet submarines sunk the Japanese refugee ships. The death toll during this invasion is still very vague but it is estimated to be between 21,000 to 100,000. Almost the entire aboriginal populations (Ainu, Uilta, and Nivkh) have fled Karafuto. The one who left in Karafuto were captured and executed (charged as traitors). Japan was forced to give up Karafuto unconditionally by the Potsdam Declaration. The entire Japanese population were deported from Karafuto and all their properties were seized by the Soviet government. The Soviet Union officially annexed Karafuto a year later.

Conference of San Francisco should have settled the definitive frontier between two countries. However, the Conference was boycotted by the Russian delegation. They refused to sign the final document, because it didn't say clearly that south Sakhalin and Kurils should become Russian territories. So the frontier between two countries remains undefined until now.

Currently, the Japanese government run by Liberal Democratic Party does not have an official claim on Karafuto. However, Socialist Parties and other Parties have claimed its territories to be Japanese. Its status is still vague since Japan officially does not recognize Russian occupation of Karafuto. Japan insists of bringing this issue to the international court but Russia so far has refused.

Geography

The prefecture of Karafuto incorporated several smaller islands, including Kaihyo Island,Hinode Bana Rock in Aniwa Gulf Totomi-Shiri or Kaiba Island, and Kiken Island.

Mountains

Karafuto is a very mountanous area. Its highest mountain is Mount Shikuka 敷香岳(1,375 km) Then comes as follows

• Mount Horoto 幌登岳 (1,259m)
• Mount Esutoru 恵須取岳 (1,135m)
• Mount Fushimi 釜伏岳 (1,087m)
• Mount Suzuya 鈴谷岳 (1,045m)
• Mount Shikuka (1,375m)
• Mount Hurito (1,035m)
• Mount Niitoi (1,034m)
• Mount Nodasamu (1,029m)
• Mount Kitasoya (1,009m)
• Mount Kamabushe (1,087m)
• Mount Ishara
• Mount Tihara
• Mount Kawakami
• Mount Toyohara
• Mount Rutaka
• Mount Rukutama
• Mount Namponodahama
• Mount Kondo
• Mount Ushinai
• Mount Ushoro
• Mount Naka or Koshubetsu
• Mount Sakae or Naibushi
• Mount Tonnai
• Mount Koton or Naramitoshi
• Mount Airo
• Mount Noda
• Mount Maoka
• Mount Taranai
• Mount Maefushi
• Mount Minaminayoshi
• Mount Kitanayoshi
• Mount Kusunai
• Mount Anbetsu
• Mount Ennai
• Mount Tei
• Mount Nayoshihara
• Nevelskoi Mountain, Tym, Poronai or Horonai(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Mount Alexandrovsk or Ako(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Mount Nogliki or Noguriki(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Mount Pogibi or Pogushi(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Mount Ohka or Oha(in Russian Sakhalin)

Lakes

• Lake Taraika 多来加湖
• Lake Tomunai 富内湖
• Lake Raichishi 来知志湖
• Lake Tobuchi 遠渕湖
• Lake Waai 和愛湖
• Lake Jimeni 地邊讃湖
• Lake Enhoro 遠幌湖
• Lake Ondo 恩洞湖
• Lake Shiretori 白鳥湖
• Lake Omudo 雄武洞沼
• Lake Toro 塔路沼
• Lake Tonnai
• Lake Tobushi
• Lake Naka
• Lake Shibesan
• Lake Tohoro
• Lake Oomoto
• Lake Omutonuma
• Lake Toronuma
• Lake Ushinai
• Lake Nagahama

Rivers

• Horonai River
• Naibushi River or Sakae River
• Rutaka River
• Rukutama River
• Suzuya River
• Maifushi River
• Raichisi River
• Shinnai River
• Kitanayoshi River
• Taranai River
• Namponodahama River
• Maoka River
• Ushinai River
• Ushoro River
• Nekoro River
• Noda River
• Kusunai River
• Anbetsu River
• Esotoru River
• Toru River
• Taraika River
• Nairo River
• Tym River, Poronai River, or Horonai River(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Pogibi River or Pogushi River(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Nogliki River or Noguriki River(in Russian Sakhalin)

Bays and Gulfs

• Higashi-Fushimi Aniwa Bay or Aniva Bay
• Aniwa Gulf or Aniva Gulf
• Sinchiro,Burotan, Taraika Bay, Patience Bay, or Terpeniye Bay
• Patience Gulf, Terpeniye Gulf, Burotan Gulf, or Taraika Gulf
• Staing Bay, Tsilmetiew Bay, Tsilmetiev Bay, or Ushoro Bay
• Oha Bay, or Ohka Bay(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Nogliki Bay, or Noguriki Bay(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Alexandrovsk bay or Ako Bay(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Mamiya Bay {?) or Moskalvo Bay(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Kita Ezo Bay(?) or Sakhalin Bay & Sakhalin Gulf)(in Russia Sakhalin)

Capes and Peninsulas

• Yuzo Cape or Naka-Shiretoko Cape
• Airo-Shiretoko Cape
• Nishi-Notoro, Shiretoi Cape or Kondo-Shiretoko Cape
• Tokombo or Naihoro-Shiretoko Cape
• Minaminayoshi-Shiretoko Cape
• Kita-Shiretoko Cape
• Ushoro Cape
• Soni Cape
• Maoka Cape
• Ko-Nodasamu Cape
• Marii Cape,Renzo Cape or Mamiya-Shiretoko Cape(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Elizabeth Cape or Ezoyukihama-Shiretoko Cape(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Yuzo Peninsule or Naka-Airo Peninsula
• Nishi-Notoro Peninsula, Shiretoi Peninsule or Kondo Peninsula
• Kita-Shiretoko Peninsula
• Elizabeth Peninsula or Ezoyukihama Peninsula(in Russian Sakhalin)

Plains

• Susui or Suzuya South Karafuto area Plain
• Maefushi North Karafuto area Plain
• Tym-Horonai Plain(in Russian Sakhalin)
• Sakhalin North Plain(in Russian Sakhalin)

Isthmuses

• Kushun Nai or Kushun Nai-Manue Central Istmus
• or Poyasok Central istmus

Straits

• La Perouse or Soya Strait
• Mamiya or Nevelskoi Strait(in Russian Sakhalin)

Important ports

• Karafuto
• Maoka or Kholmsk
• Ootomari or Korzakov

• Sakhalin
• Alexandrovsk or Ako
• Moskalvo
• Ohka or Oha

See also: List of cities in Karafuto

Climate

Owing to the influence of the raw, foggy Sea of Okhotsk, the climate is very cold. At Dui the average yearly temperature is only 0.5° C (January -15.9°; July 16.1°), 1.7° at Kushunkotan and 3.1° at Aniwa (January, -12.5°; July, 15.7°). At Mamiya near Dui the annual range is from 27° in July to -39° in January, while at Rutaka in the interior the minimum is -45° C. The rainfall averages 570 mm. Thick clouds for the most part shut out the sun; while the cold current from the Sea of Okhotsk, aided by north-east winds, brings immense ice-floes to the east coast in summer.

During the winter, the Sea of Okhotsk turns to ice, rendering the northern coast impassable to marine traffic, and halting the lucrative fisheries there until the thaw.

Major Cities

Karafuto's largest city was Toyohara. Other major cities included Esutoru in the North Central and Maoka in the south central region. In the North, there was a city called Ako (Alexandovsk in north Sakhalin) penal colony by the Russians.

Karafuto, like Hokkaido, was divided into sub-prefectures:

• Toyohara Sub Prefecture

cities -Toyohara(豊原) -Ochiai(落合) -Rutaka (留多加)

• Maoka Sub Prefecture

cities -Honto (本斗) -Naihoro (内幌) -Maoka (真岡) -Noda (野田)

• Esutoru Sub Prefecture

cities -Chinnai (珍内) -Esutoru (恵須取) -Toro (塔路) -Nayoshi (名好)

• Shikuka Sub Prefecture

cities -Shirutoru (知取) -Shikuka (敷香)

Economy

See also

http://www.karafuto.com/