Consulate General of the United States, Sapporo

Consulate-General of the United States in Sapporo is a consulate-general of the United States located in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It was established on April 28, 1952.

History
Although the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo was established after World War II, the history of U.S. consular offices in Hokkaido dates back to the late Edo period.

Prehistory (1854–1865)
On March 31, 1854, following the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa, relations between Japan and the United States were established. This led to the immediate opening of Shimoda, and the opening of Hakodate (now Hakodate) a year later, as well as the permission for Americans to reside in Shimoda and Hakodate. On April 28, 1857, American diplomat Elisha Rice arrived in Hakodate as a trade officer. On August 23, 1857, Rice started his residence in Hakodate with the endorsement of Hotta Masamitsu.

U.S. Consulate in Hakodate (1865–1876)
On January 18, 1865, Rice, the trade officer, was appointed as the first consul in Hakodate, establishing the U.S. Consulate in Hakodate. Consul Rice held his position until November 2, 1870. Following him, two consuls and two vice-consuls served. The last consul, Merriman Colbert Harris, served from November 6, 1875, to October 5, 1876. In 1876, the U.S. Consulate in Hakodate was closed. The building used as the consulate no longer exists, but a signpost marking the "Former U.S. Consulate Site" stands in Yayoi-cho 4-chome in Hakodate City.

U.S. Consular Agency in Hakodate (1876 – 1883/1904 – 1918)
In 1876, the U.S. Consular Agency in Hakodate was established in place of the consulate. On January 3, 1877, the former consul, Merriman Harris, took office as the first consular agent and served until February 12, 1879. The agency was temporarily closed in 1883 but reopened in 1904. On May 2, 1904, Edward Julian King became the consular agent and held the position until September 30, 1918. On November 15 of the same year, the U.S. Department of State officially closed the consular agency in Hakodate. Until the end of World War II, there was no U.S. consular presence in all of Hokkaido, including Hakodate.

Sapporo Branch, Office of the U.S. Political Adviser (1950–1952)
After World War II, the United States established the Sapporo Branch, Office of the U.S. Political Adviser. This office served as the predecessor of the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo and played a significant role in supporting the establishment of the local government system in Hokkaido.

U.S. Consulate in Sapporo (1952–1986)
On April 28, 1952 (Shōwa 27), with the enforcement of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan regained its independence. Accompanying this, the political adviser's office in Sapporo was closed, and the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo (Consulate of the United States in Sapporo, U.S. Consulate Sapporo) was inaugurated. This was the first establishment of a U.S. consular office in Hokkaido in 34 years and the very first U.S. consulate in Sapporo in history. David Lawrence Osborne was appointed as the inaugural consul, in what was essentially a promotion. In 1955 (Shōwa 30), the consulate relocated to North 1, West 13, Chuo-ku, Sapporo. Then, in 1978 (Shōwa 53), it moved to its current building near Maruyama Park.

U.S. Consulate-General in Sapporo (1986–present)
On November 21, 1986 (Shōwa 61), the consulate was elevated to become the U.S. Consulate-General in Sapporo.

Consuls general
Since the establishment of the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo in 1952, several consuls general have served. Below is a list of the consuls general: