SAPPORO, the official capital of the island of Yezo, Japan, situated in 43º 4' N. and 141º 21' E. Pop. 39,000. It was chosen in 1870, and owed its prosperity at the outset chiefly to the public institutions established by the Japanese government in connexion with the colonization bureau, which had for its object the development of the resources of Yezo. It is now a garrison town and has an agricultural college, a museum, saw-mills, flour-mills, breweries, and hemp and flax factories.