Hokkaido is the big island at the north of Japan. Of Japan’s main islands it is the second largest; Honshu, the crowded middle island, is larger. Hokkaido is the cold part of the country: long winters, a lot of snow, wide open land, and fewer people than the south.

Hokkaido is北海道是the big island at the north of Japan日本北方的一個大島。Of Japan's main islands在日本的主要島嶼中it is the second largest它是第二大的；Honshu, the crowded middle island本州，那個人口稠密的中間島嶼，is larger比較大。Hokkaido is the cold part of the country北海道是這個國家寒冷的地區：long winters冬天很長、a lot of snow雪很多、wide open land土地開闊、and fewer people than the south而且人口比南部少。

In English we write Hokkaido with a capital H because it is a place name.

In English we write Hokkaido with a capital H英文寫Hokkaido時字首H要大寫because it is a place name因為這是一個地名。

The Japanese name, 北海道, is not a poetic nickname; it began as an old government label meaning something like “the North Sea circuit,” the official region covering that northern land. When English speakers say Hokkaido they almost always mean this island, or the prefecture that covers it.

The Japanese name, 北海道日文名字北海道，is not a poetic nickname並不是一個詩意的暱稱；it began as an old government label它原本是一個舊時政府用的稱呼，meaning something like “the North Sea circuit,”意思大概是『北方海域的行政區』，the official region covering that northern land也就是涵蓋那塊北方土地的官方行政區。When English speakers say Hokkaido當英文使用者說Hokkaido時they almost always mean this island他們幾乎都是指這座島，or the prefecture that covers it或是涵蓋這座島的那個都道府縣。

Taiwanese students often already know the place from travel — snow, seafood, milk — so the English word is mainly the same name in another script.

Taiwanese students often already know the place from travel台灣學生常常已經因為旅遊而認識這個地方了— snow, seafood, milk雪、海鮮、牛奶—so the English word is mainly the same name in another script所以這個英文字主要只是同一個名字換一種文字寫法。