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Higashi-ku, Sapporo

Higashi
東区
Ward
Higashi Ward
Location of Higashi-ku in Sapporo
Location of Higashi-ku in Sapporo
Country Japan
Prefecture Hokkaidō
City Sapporo
Established April 1, 1972
Area
 • Total 56.97 km2 (22.00 sq mi)
Population (2014)
 • Total 258,416
  Estimation as of December 31, 2014
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Postal 065-8612
Address 7-1 Kita Juichijyo Higashi, Higashi-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Website Higashi Ward Office

Higashi-ku, Sapporo (東区、札幌?) is one of the 10 wards in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is directly translated as "east ward", and is neighboured to Kita-ku, Chūō-ku, Shiroishi-ku, Ebetsu, Tōbetsu.

According to the 2008 registry of residential addresses, 254,360 people lived in Higashi-ku. It is 57.13 km² in area, and a number of rivers are located in the ward including the Toyohira River.

The ward has a mascot character, Tappy, which was designed to be an onion-themed fairy; it was named in 1993, and is a portmanteau of "Tamanegi" (meaning onion in Japanese) and "happy". The onion is a vegetable raised in Higashi-ku, and therefore Tappy is associated with onions.

Originally, at the place where Higashi-ku is currently located, Naebo Village and Okadama Village were established by the pioneers in 1870. Sapporo Village was established in 1871, and Kariki Village was established in 1873. In 1902, Naebo Village, Okadama Village, and Kariki Village were merged into Sapporo Village, which covered nearly the same extent as the current Higashi-ku.

In 1955, Sapporo Village was merged into Sapporo City, and in 1972, Sapporo was listed as one of the cities designated by government ordinance, which enabled Higashi-ku to be established. In 1988, the Tōhō line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway was laid, and a number of subway stations were placed in various locations in Higashi-ku.


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