Toyohara, called Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by Russian is the capital city of Karafuto (Sakhalin). This city is very important industrial city which now attracts many foreign countries to invest on this city. This city is located in the Susunai vally and on Susuya River (Susuya is an Ainu word meaning purple willow). The town was founded by the Japanese settlers around the Susuya river in the late 1800s. However, after the humiliating Sakhaln-Kuril island exchange treaty, immigration from Japan to Toyohara stopped. However, by our heroic Japanese soldiers fighting at Russo-Japanese War (1905), the town was liberated from the Russians. The Russians called this town Vladmirovka at this time. At 1945, Again the Russians or the Soviets stole the town from the Japanese by cruel invasion after the Japanese surrendered. Today, this town is the headquarter of the Sakhalin Oblast (Sakhalin Region) which has many industrial factories such as diesal locomotive, automotives, steel, fish, vodka etc. Most of the people live in the compact apartment provided by the former Soviet government. Their living of standards is very low because of the Soviet collapse. There are 5 junior technical colleges and vocational schools. There are also many museums, theatres, and puppet shows. Also in the town, there are many humiliating war monuments (purpose for propaganda).

This is the picture of the A.P.Chekov museum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Toyohara).

This is the picture of Sakhalin Historical Museum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Toyohara) which was formerly Karafuto Office Museum.