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"Bear" is #5! Top 5 Google Search Terms Paired with "Hokkaido" in 2021 Revealed
On December 9, Google LLC announced its "2021 Google Search Ranking by Prefecture." What were the top 5 trending search terms paired with "Hokkaido"? The results were a bit surprising, so let's dive in!
Kicking things off with a very Hokkaido-esque keyword. "Bear" comes in at number 5.
Brown bears have long inhabited the mountain forests of various regions in Hokkaido, but recently, sightings in urban areas have increased. In June 2021, a brown bear appeared in Higashi Ward, Sapporo. The news that a resident was attacked and sustained minor injuries became a major topic, with TV news channels broadcasting footage of the bear in a residential area.
At number 4 is "Accident," a term that didn't appear in the rankings for other prefectures.
Hokkaido has many wide roads with good visibility, but speeding or ignoring traffic rules can quickly lead to major accidents. As winter approaches, road surfaces will become slippery. Everyone, please be extra careful when driving in Hokkaido.
This might come as a surprise to some. "Ko Shibasaki" ranked 3rd.
Since 2021, actress Ko Shibasaki has been sharing her life in Hokkaido on her YouTube channel, "Les Trois Graces Ch." Ms. Shibasaki, whose parents are originally from Hokkaido, now splits her time between Hokkaido and Tokyo. She also made headlines when she revealed her Hokkaido home on a TV program.
Ranking at number 2 is "Hokkaido Bank Curling."
The qualifying match to determine Japan's women's curling team for the Beijing Winter Olympics was held in September 2021. The battle between Loco Solare, the PyeongChang Olympics bronze medalists who sparked the "So da ne~" (That's right, eh?) boom, and Hokkaido Bank Fortius (at the time), led by skip Sayaka Yoshimura, became a hot topic. The contest went down to the final game of a seven-game series, a nail-biting, back-and-forth match where the outcome was uncertain until the very last stone.
And number 1 was "New Style of Travel"! This refers to the domestic travel discount program that resumed in October 2021, now known as "Domin-wari" (Hokkaido Residents' Discount). At the same time, an awareness campaign was conducted to encourage both businesses and travelers to take thorough infection prevention measures.
What did you think? It's an interesting way to look back on the year.
We hope next year will be a better one for everyone!
2021 Google Search Rankings
#5 "Bear"
Kicking things off with a very Hokkaido-esque keyword. "Bear" comes in at number 5.
Brown bears have long inhabited the mountain forests of various regions in Hokkaido, but recently, sightings in urban areas have increased. In June 2021, a brown bear appeared in Higashi Ward, Sapporo. The news that a resident was attacked and sustained minor injuries became a major topic, with TV news channels broadcasting footage of the bear in a residential area.
#4 "Accident"
At number 4 is "Accident," a term that didn't appear in the rankings for other prefectures.
Hokkaido has many wide roads with good visibility, but speeding or ignoring traffic rules can quickly lead to major accidents. As winter approaches, road surfaces will become slippery. Everyone, please be extra careful when driving in Hokkaido.
#3 "Ko Shibasaki"
This might come as a surprise to some. "Ko Shibasaki" ranked 3rd.
Since 2021, actress Ko Shibasaki has been sharing her life in Hokkaido on her YouTube channel, "Les Trois Graces Ch." Ms. Shibasaki, whose parents are originally from Hokkaido, now splits her time between Hokkaido and Tokyo. She also made headlines when she revealed her Hokkaido home on a TV program.
#2 "Hokkaido Bank Curling"
Ranking at number 2 is "Hokkaido Bank Curling."
The qualifying match to determine Japan's women's curling team for the Beijing Winter Olympics was held in September 2021. The battle between Loco Solare, the PyeongChang Olympics bronze medalists who sparked the "So da ne~" (That's right, eh?) boom, and Hokkaido Bank Fortius (at the time), led by skip Sayaka Yoshimura, became a hot topic. The contest went down to the final game of a seven-game series, a nail-biting, back-and-forth match where the outcome was uncertain until the very last stone.
#1 "New Style of Travel"
And number 1 was "New Style of Travel"! This refers to the domestic travel discount program that resumed in October 2021, now known as "Domin-wari" (Hokkaido Residents' Discount). At the same time, an awareness campaign was conducted to encourage both businesses and travelers to take thorough infection prevention measures.
What did you think? It's an interesting way to look back on the year.
We hope next year will be a better one for everyone!
2021 Google Search Rankings
