Monument of Takeshiro Matsuura

He is the very man who named the land '' Hokkaido". An explorer and a pioneer in development of Hokkaido, Takeshiro Matsuura repeatedly explored Hokkaido and published a variety of documents including maps, travel guide books, Ainu culture guides which were no doubt valuablel to the successors. His monument stands on the shore of Lake Akan, where it is said that he realized the primal, spiritual appeal of Lake Akan, bringing it to the attention of the world.