After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaido;[1] and regional administrative subdivisions were identified, including Iburi Province.[2]
In 1882, the Hokkaido region was separated into three prefectures — Hakodate Prefecture (函館県), Sapporo Prefecture (札幌県), and Nemuro Prefecture (根室県). In 1886, the three prefectures were abolished, and Hokkaido was put under the Hokkaido Agency (北海道庁).[3] At the same time, Iburi Province continued to exist for some purposes. For example, Iburi is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 (a) between Japan and the United States and (b) between Japan and the United Kingdom.[4]