European Hokkaido

Hokkaido historically was an undeveloped and underpopulated part of the Japanese Islands. In the late 1800s Hokkaido only had a population of 50000 which is really small for an island of that size. Hokkaido's population only began to grow to more considerable numbers after the introduction of American farming techniques.

Considering Hokkaido's lack of development and lack of people could a European power have colonized the island during the 18th or 19th century, or even earlier?
 
It's tricky, Japan has had influence in the southern part of Hokkaido since the 14th century I believe. Japan definitely doesn't want to lose it.

The only European country that really has a likely chance of seizing it is Russia, maybe in an alternate conflict between Russia and Japan. Russian Hokkaido would be much more sparsely populated than it is OTL. It would probably end up looking like a slightly warmer and more populous Sakhalin.

I can't see any other European nation going to all the effort to colonise a far-away island, already claimed by a relatively powerful nation.
 
It's tricky, Japan has had influence in the southern part of Hokkaido since the 14th century I believe. Japan definitely doesn't want to lose it.

The only European country that really has a likely chance of seizing it is Russia, maybe in an alternate conflict between Russia and Japan. Russian Hokkaido would be much more sparsely populated than it is OTL. It would probably end up looking like a slightly warmer and more populous Sakhalin.

I can't see any other European nation going to all the effort to colonise a far-away island, already claimed by a relatively powerful nation.

What about a more successful Dutch empire that held onto Formosa?
 
IIRC many TLs have seen Russian Hokkaido. And it seems most plausible option. For other European powers it is quiet remote place so not very intresting colonialism target.
 
European countries have colonized remote, useless territories before, it's nothing new.

Also, maybe have Japan never become powerful, so that European countries never treat it as a fellow great power but as just the same as everywhere else in asia and africa.
 
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