Message from the Pioneers [Rainbow Creative Department]

It is said that this vast area was once covered in Japanese pampas grass. In autumn, it would shine golden, and the gentle breeze would captivate the hearts and eyes of all who visited.

However, today the ground is covered in concrete, lined with buildings, and has become a city where many people come and go. Has it been forgotten that pampas grass once grew here in abundance?

Hokkaido is a land where large-scale development began during the Meiji era. People cleared the wasteland and built the foundations for their lives. In that process, the pampas grass was cut down and disappeared. Even so, in an era when they could not even prepare adequate farming tools, the will to pass on the memory of the golden, shining pampas grass and the pioneering efforts to future generations remained.

The name of this place is "Susukino." Today, it is widely known as one of Japan's leading entertainment districts, but its name still conveys "what was truly there" as left behind by the pioneers about 150 years ago. The memory of their hardships in clearing the land and the beautiful pampas grass that once grew here still breathes in this place today, through the light of the shining neon.

I am participating in the project by the Rainbow Creative Department.
Please note that there are various theories regarding the origin of the name "Susukino."