Higashi-ku is one of the 10 wards in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is directly translated as "east ward", and is neighboured to Kita-ku, Chūō-ku, Shiroishi-ku, Ebetsu, Tōbetsu.OverviewAccording 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". The onion is a vegetable raised in Higashi-ku, and therefore Tappy is associated with onions.HistoryOriginally, at the place where Higashi-ku is currently located, Naebo Village and Okadama Village were established by the 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.In 1955, Sapporo Village was merged into Sapporo City, and in 1972, Sapporo was listed as one of the cities designated by government ordinance, which enabled Higashi-ku to be established. In 1988, the Tōhō line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway was laid, and a number of subway stations were placed in various locations in Higashi-ku.