 Transportation on the island was still underdeveloped, so the prefecture was split into several "sub-prefectures" (支庁 "shichō"), namely , , and , that could fulfill administrative duties of the prefectural government and keep tight control over the developing island.In 1886, the three prefectures were demoted, and Hokkaido was put under the .These sub-prefectures still exist today, although they have much less power than they possessed before and during World War II; they now exist primarily to handle paperwork and other bureaucratic functions.