ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the development of economic activity in Hokkaido and occasionally pays attention to the behaviour of its local government, for example, it does not touch on the development of public sector finance in detail. The origin of Hokkaido's post-Meiji development policies can be found in the Bureau of Colonial Affairs established in 1869. The Civil Transportation Section (CTS) sent a representative to Hokkaido at the beginning of 1948 when serious problems in transporting timber from the railway stations to coal mines were discovered. The future of Hokkaido's economy was widely discussed towards the end of the Occupation when the First Comprehensive Hokkaido Development Plan was formulated. After the opposition of various ministries led to significant revisions and the elimination of some of the proposed powers of the Agency, the Japanese Cabinet approved the Hokkaido Development Bill, and it was submitted to General Headquarters (GHQ) in February 1950.
