Asahikawa, Hokkaido in the context of Hakodate, Hokkaido

The Ishikari River (石狩川, Ishikari-gawa), at 268 kilometres (167 mi) long, is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaido. The river drains an area of 14,330 square kilometres (5,530 sq mi), making it the second largest in Japan, with a total discharge of around 14.8 cubic kilometres (3.6 cu mi) per year.

It originates from Mount Ishikari in the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group and flows through Asahikawa and Sapporo. Major tributaries of the river include the Chūbetsu, Uryū, Sorachi and Toyohira rivers. Until 40,000 years ago, it flowed into the Pacific Ocean near Tomakomai. Lava from the volcanic Shikotsu mountains dammed the river and moved its mouth to the Ishikari Bay.

Hakodate (函館市, Hakodate-shi; Japanese pronunciation: [ha.ko.da.te, ha.ko.da.teꜜ.ɕi]) is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of January 31, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 239,813 with 138,807 households, and a population density of 354 inhabitants per square kilometre (920/sq mi). The total area is 677.86 square kilometres (261.72 sq mi). The city is the third largest in Hokkaido after Sapporo and Asahikawa.