Names of things used in daily life in Hokkaido. But, they may not be understood throughout the country...! In this article, we will introduce some unexpected names for things that are only understood in Hokkaido.

Savio

Hokkaido-area residents call an adhesive bandage "sabio" without any doubt. Many people must have been told to put "Savio" on an injury. Savio is the name of an adhesive bandage product launched by Nichiban in 1963, which was once discontinued in 2002, but was revived in 2020 for the Hokkaido area only! The day may soon come when Savio will again be a regular item in Hokkaido medicine cabinets.

2. Suzuran Tape

Hokkaido residents call the colored vinyl tape used to bind newspapers "Suzuran Tape. This was originally a product name, but it is said that the factory that manufactured this product at the time was located in Sapporo, and the name was given in honor of the city flower "lily of the valley". The bonbons used at school for athletic events were often made with this lily tape.

Garbage Stations

Garbage stations are collection points where household garbage is stored until garbage trucks come to collect it. It does not mean a station! In Hokkaido, there is a box in which garbage is stored to protect it from birds and animals, and that box is the "garbage station. This one is called not only in Hokkaido, but also in some areas in Honshu.

Mama-san Dumpster

Mama-san dumpsters are very useful in winter. Officially, this product is called a "snow dump. In the past, many men went to work during the off-season in winter, and shoveling snow became the job of women who were away from home. This product got its name so that even women (mothers) with little strength could easily shovel snow like a dump truck. In recent years, there have been many types of dump trucks, such as the "Papa-san Dump Truck," which can carry more snow, and those with long handles that can carry snow easily.

5. Ring pull

In Hokkaido, the ring part of a can of juice or canned food is called a "ring pull. In other parts of the world, this is called a pull-top or pull-tab. Today's cans are mostly of the "stay-on tab type" where the ring does not separate from the can when it is raised, but a long time ago, the lid was of the type where the ring was pulled up and removed from the can as it was, and the ring was called a "ring pull," which is thought to be a vestige of that name. This may come as a surprise to many Hokkai-do residents.

6. Dereki

Hokkaido people have called the "poker" used to light the wood for the wood stove and to open and close the lid "dereki. Nowadays, kerosene stoves are the mainstream, so you may not see so many of them. There are various theories as to the origin of the name, including the Dutch word "dreg" (to pull) and the English word "derrik" (a type of derrick crane).

These too are all "Hokkaido dialect"!

The "blue signboard" often seen on national roads is also abbreviated to "0000" in Hokkaido!

In Hokkaido, we often notice that the names of things we usually call without thinking are dialects when we go to other areas. When you unexpectedly find out in conversation with people from other regions that the way they call things is different, you may get a glimpse of each other's regional characteristics, which can be very exciting.

*Image is for reference only.