According to the 2008 registry of residential addresses, 254,360 people lived in Higashi-ku. It is 57.13 km2 in area, and a number of rivers are located in the ward including the Toyohira River.
The ward has a mascot character, Tappy, which was designed to be an onion-themed fairy; it was named in 1993, and is a portmanteau of "Tamanegi" (meaning onion in Japanese) and "happy".[1] The onion is a vegetable raised in Higashi-ku, and therefore Tappy is associated with onions.[1]
Originally, at the place where Higashi-ku is, Naebo Village and Okadama Village were established by pioneers in 1870. Sapporo Village was established in 1871, and Kariki Village was established in 1873. In 1902, Naebo Village, Okadama Village, and Kariki Village were merged into Sapporo Village, which covered nearly the same extent as the current Higashi-ku.[2]
In 1955, Sapporo Village was merged into Sapporo City. In 1972, Sapporo was listed as one of the cities designated by government ordinance,[2] which enabled Higashi-ku to be established. In 1988, the Tōhō line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway was laid, and subway stations were placed in Higashi-ku.
