Hokkaido is the largest prefecture in Japan: it covers the whole island of the same name and, due to some interesting historical events, has some regional peculiarities that make this place extremely different from the Kanto prefecture, which is the most prominently featured one in the mass media (it's the one where Tokyo is). The majority of the anime and manga take place in the popular cities — Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto — or in some unnamed towns. But there are some works that decided to put the characters in Hokkaido and show the beauty and uniqueness of the region (and the dialect that the characters use). We have a list of these.
An absolutely bizarre historical adventure that focuses not only on Hokkaido itself but also on its native people, the Ainu, who lived here before Japan decided to claim this island. The geography of Golden Kamuy is vast: there are even themed road trips across the entire island dedicated to the places where the important events of the manga happen. Not everything that is depicted in the manga is historically accurate, though, but some of the cultural aspects of life at the beginning of the 20th century in the North are quite vivid and right. And the manga itself is just wild.
Onto the pure comedy that has been hilariously mixed up with shounen tropes in an unexpected way: Silver Spoon is a story about Yuugo who escapes the stress that his family brings him by enrolling in the agriculture school far from them — in an Ooezo Agricultural High School located in Hokkaido. But he gets a different type of stress, because he's surrounded by people who grew up on farms and know how to deal with various vegetation and understand animal specifics. Expect a lot of greenery and fun in this one.
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (anime movie)
This work by Makoto Shinkai is not as popular as some of his other titles, probably because it focuses on some heavy topics. It's his debut film, one that talks about an alternate history where Japan ends up divided between the US and the USSR after WWII. Hokkaido is under USSR's control, and that's where the events of the story take place. It's a mix of mystery, drama, and sci-fi, and those who are familiar with Shinkai's works know that the landscapes in this one are breathtaking.
Young Tsubasa moves to Hokkaido with her father, and she spends her days in school quietly until she witnesses a UFO crash. Being a curious little girl, she runs to help the alien, but is met not only by him, but also by his enemy. The alien then fuses together with Tsubasa, they win against the enemy, and shortly after the alien starts posing as Tsubasa's twin sister, copying her appearance. Their mission together — to destroy the enemy's eggs scattered all over Hokkaido, so you'd see a lot of nice Northern scenery.
Working!! (manga, anime)
A pretty wholesome and light-hearted story with a little romantic subtext that takes place in a family restaurant in Hokkaido. Mostly it's a workplace slice-of-life, where you get close to all the members of the kitchen, one is more eccentric than the other. The story is character-driven, but these characters quite often roam around the city and the island, and they speak in the Hokkaido dialect, so you can witness it in all its glory.
The romance that changed the game, Kimi ni Todoke takes place in a city in Northern Hokkaido. The author of the manga, Shiina Karuho, lived in Northern Hokkaido and used some scenes from her hometown of Haboro as a basis for the manga. That includes the river and the design for the school where the main characters spend their years, and the place where they celebrate New Year. Also characters talk about the Northern Hokkaido baseball tournament and Sawako, the main heroine, attends Hokkaido University in Sapporo later in the story.
Erased (manga, anime)
A darker twist on a supernatural story, in this one Satoru, the main character (and also a manga artist), can travel a few minutes back in time before the tragedy strikes, and he uses this power to save lives. But one day he ends up traveling back not mere minutes, but 18 years. All the events happen in the city of Tomakomai — it's very green and surrounded by water which makes it quite picturesque. One of the important places that is featured in the story is the Tomakomai Science Center.
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Cute (manga, anime)
Hokkaido is cold, the winters here are full of snow and freezing temperatures, yet the first person Tsubasa sees when he moves to Kitami is Dosanko, who prances in winter in a regular gyaru outfit, with a short skirt, bare legs and all that. She, of course, makes an impression with her resistance to cold in favor of fashion and makes Tsubasa believe that Hokkaido girls are amazing. And throughout the story, this belief only gets more and more solid as he meets more girls.
Wave, Listen to Me! (manga, anime)
A series of completely unplanned events usually leads either to disaster or to hilarity. In Minare's case, it's both: she went through a bad breakup, drunkenly vented to a stranger, and the next morning she heard her story on the radio, because the stranger ended up being a director of one of Sapporo's radio stations. She storms the station, confronts the director live on air, and her smooth dialogue lands her a job as the co-host of this radio station's late night show, where they discuss things that happen in Sapporo. It's a fun show filled with some of Sapporo's unique shenanigans.
She, the Ultimate Weapon (manga, anime)
When you mix sci-fi with romance and drama, you get very interesting results. One day there's an air attack on Sapporo, and Chise, who lives in a small military town in Hokkaido, ends up being transformed into a cybernetic weapon against her will, one that is so powerful it can destroy cities. This story focuses mostly on existential problems, like what it means to be a human, and on romance, but the landscape of Hokkaido, vast and wild, is featured quite prominently.
Just a little change of scenery.
Hokkaido is the largest prefecture in Japan: it covers the whole island of the same name and, due to some interesting historical events, has some regional peculiarities that make this place extremely different from the Kanto prefecture, which is the most prominently featured one in the mass media (it's the one where Tokyo is). The majority of the anime and manga take place in the popular cities — Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto — or in some unnamed towns. But there are some works that decided to put the characters in Hokkaido and show the beauty and uniqueness of the region (and the dialect that the characters use). We have a list of these.
An absolutely bizarre historical adventure that focuses not only on Hokkaido itself but also on its native people, the Ainu, who lived here before Japan decided to claim this island. The geography of Golden Kamuy is vast: there are even themed road trips across the entire island dedicated to the places where the important events of the manga happen. Not everything that is depicted in the manga is historically accurate, though, but some of the cultural aspects of life at the beginning of the 20th century in the North are quite vivid and right. And the manga itself is just wild.
Onto the pure comedy that has been hilariously mixed up with shounen tropes in an unexpected way: Silver Spoon is a story about Yuugo who escapes the stress that his family brings him by enrolling in the agriculture school far from them — in an Ooezo Agricultural High School located in Hokkaido. But he gets a different type of stress, because he's surrounded by people who grew up on farms and know how to deal with various vegetation and understand animal specifics. Expect a lot of greenery and fun in this one.
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (anime movie)
This work by Makoto Shinkai is not as popular as some of his other titles, probably because it focuses on some heavy topics. It's his debut film, one that talks about an alternate history where Japan ends up divided between the US and the USSR after WWII. Hokkaido is under USSR's control, and that's where the events of the story take place. It's a mix of mystery, drama, and sci-fi, and those who are familiar with Shinkai's works know that the landscapes in this one are breathtaking.
Young Tsubasa moves to Hokkaido with her father, and she spends her days in school quietly until she witnesses a UFO crash. Being a curious little girl, she runs to help the alien, but is met not only by him, but also by his enemy. The alien then fuses together with Tsubasa, they win against the enemy, and shortly after the alien starts posing as Tsubasa's twin sister, copying her appearance. Their mission together — to destroy the enemy's eggs scattered all over Hokkaido, so you'd see a lot of nice Northern scenery.
Working!! (manga, anime)
A pretty wholesome and light-hearted story with a little romantic subtext that takes place in a family restaurant in Hokkaido. Mostly it's a workplace slice-of-life, where you get close to all the members of the kitchen, one is more eccentric than the other. The story is character-driven, but these characters quite often roam around the city and the island, and they speak in the Hokkaido dialect, so you can witness it in all its glory.
The romance that changed the game, Kimi ni Todoke takes place in a city in Northern Hokkaido. The author of the manga, Shiina Karuho, lived in Northern Hokkaido and used some scenes from her hometown of Haboro as a basis for the manga. That includes the river and the design for the school where the main characters spend their years, and the place where they celebrate New Year. Also characters talk about the Northern Hokkaido baseball tournament and Sawako, the main heroine, attends Hokkaido University in Sapporo later in the story.
Erased (manga, anime)
A darker twist on a supernatural story, in this one Satoru, the main character (and also a manga artist), can travel a few minutes back in time before the tragedy strikes, and he uses this power to save lives. But one day he ends up traveling back not mere minutes, but 18 years. All the events happen in the city of Tomakomai — it's very green and surrounded by water which makes it quite picturesque. One of the important places that is featured in the story is the Tomakomai Science Center.
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Cute (manga, anime)
Hokkaido is cold, the winters here are full of snow and freezing temperatures, yet the first person Tsubasa sees when he moves to Kitami is Dosanko, who prances in winter in a regular gyaru outfit, with a short skirt, bare legs and all that. She, of course, makes an impression with her resistance to cold in favor of fashion and makes Tsubasa believe that Hokkaido girls are amazing. And throughout the story, this belief only gets more and more solid as he meets more girls.
Wave, Listen to Me! (manga, anime)
A series of completely unplanned events usually leads either to disaster or to hilarity. In Minare's case, it's both: she went through a bad breakup, drunkenly vented to a stranger, and the next morning she heard her story on the radio, because the stranger ended up being a director of one of Sapporo's radio stations. She storms the station, confronts the director live on air, and her smooth dialogue lands her a job as the co-host of this radio station's late night show, where they discuss things that happen in Sapporo. It's a fun show filled with some of Sapporo's unique shenanigans.
She, the Ultimate Weapon (manga, anime)
When you mix sci-fi with romance and drama, you get very interesting results. One day there's an air attack on Sapporo, and Chise, who lives in a small military town in Hokkaido, ends up being transformed into a cybernetic weapon against her will, one that is so powerful it can destroy cities. This story focuses mostly on existential problems, like what it means to be a human, and on romance, but the landscape of Hokkaido, vast and wild, is featured quite prominently.
