The dialect or dialects of Hokkaido (北海道方言, Hokkaidō-hōgen), commonly called Hokkaidō-ben (北海道弁), originate in relatively recent settlement from mainland Japan. The greater part of Hokkaidō was settled from a mix of areas, especially the Tōhoku and Hokuriku regions, from the Meiji period onwards, so that various Japanese dialects became mixed together on Hokkaidō. The relationship of Hokkaidō dialect to the rest of Japanese—and whether there even is a coherent Hokkaidō dialect—are the subject of debate. Shibata (2003) mentions three theories: