Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost and second-largest island, is known for its vast landscapes and breathtaking natural scenery.
Many people from Japan and around the world visit Hokkaido every year, and some even dream of living there.
But what does the movement of people actually look like across this vast island?
Explore Hokkaido’s population flow through the interactive map below and discover how people move between its municipalities.
Explore Population Flow in Hokkaido
On this page, you can explore population movement throughout Hokkaido using an interactive map.
Compare changes over time by switching between 2019 (before COVID-19), 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic), and 2025 (latest available data).
Click on any municipality to discover where people moved into the area from and where they moved out to.
Population Overview
What the Map Reveals
One thing that stood out while exploring the map was that there appears to be much more movement within Hokkaido than I had expected.
Although Hokkaido recorded a net population outflow overall, the data also shows that people continue to move both into and out of many municipalities across the island.
Rather than a simple story of population decline, the map reveals a much more dynamic pattern of population movement.
Your own country or region may also have similar patterns that often go unnoticed.
What kinds of population movement can you discover in Hokkaido?
Take your time exploring the map and see what interesting patterns you can find.
About the Data
This page visualizes population movement in Hokkaido using official data published in the Basic Resident Registration Population Migration Report by the Statistics Bureau of Japan, available through the government’s e-Stat portal.
The interactive map allows you to compare and explore population movement between municipalities throughout Hokkaido.
Source
Statistics Bureau of Japan
Basic Resident Registration Population Migration Report (Government Statistics Portal: e-Stat)