Sapporo is the seat of the Hokkaido Government and the center of administration of Hokkaido. The city has a population of over 1.9 million and is the largest city in the northern half of Japan. Sapporo is comparatively a new city. When Shima Yoshitake, the first commissioner for the development of Hokkaido, arrived at the site of present-day Sapporo by the Toyohira River in 1869, it was covered by a dense forest where many bears, foxes, deer, and wolves lived. It was at Sapporo in 1875 that the militia system was instituted to develop and guard the whole island of Hokkaido. The city was established with a frontier spirit as the base for Hokkaido’s development. The name Sapporo is said to be derived from the Ainu words “Sato poro petsu” which mean “a large dry river”.