Sapporo

Sapporo the capital and largest city of the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan. One of Japan's newest and nicest cities, Sapporo's population has grown from 7 in 1857 to nearly two million today. Being a new city, especially by Japanese standards, means it has little in the way of traditional architecture and the like of cities such as Kyoto. But what it lacks in "Japanese-ness" it makes up for with its lovely open, tree-filled boulevards to enjoy in summer and excellent snow (and facilities to cope with said snow) in the long winter.

The main area of Sapporo City spreads from the newly redeveloped Sapporo station south to Nakajima Park (Nakajima Koen). The vast majority of shops, restaurants and the famous Susukino entertainment area can be found within this area. There are four major department stores Daimaru, Stella Place, Paseo and Seibu located on top of and around Sapporo station. Other major department stores include Robinsons, Mitsukoshi, Parco and Marui.

Sapporo is known as the birthplace of Miso Ramen, a rāmen noodle using miso, and Sapporo Ramen is also widely known. The Kouraku Ramen Meitengai, an alley lined with many ramen restaurants, was established in 1951 in Susukino district, and after its demolition due to plans for the Sapporo Olympics, the Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho was established in the same place. It currently attracts many tourists throughout the year. From the year 1966, a food company named Sanyo Foods began to sell instant ramens under the brand name "Sapporo Ichiban". In 2001, Sapporo Ramen was listed as one of the Hokkaido Heritage along with other ramens in Hokkaido such as Asahikawa Ramen and Hakodate Ramen. On October 1, 2004, The Sapporo Ramen Republic, a theme park focused on rāmens, was opened at the 10th floor of the Sapporo ESTA, a commercial complex located in front of the Sapporo Station. Soup Curry, a liquid curry with vegetables and rice, is also one of the specialties in Sapporo, and currently plenty of soup curry restaurants are located in the cities and towns in Hokkaido. Sapporo Sweets, a confectionery using many ingredients from Hokkaido, is also popular, and the Sapporo Sweets Competition is held annually. A lamb barbecue style dish called jingisukan (named for Ghengis Khan) is another popular local specialty. Sapporo is also famed for fresh seafood, salmon, sea urchin and crab in particular.

There are three main subway lines in Sapporo. The Nanboku line runs North to South and is color coded green. The Tozai line runs East to West and is color coded orange and the Toho line runs somewhat parallel to the Nanboku line and then into the north-eastern suburbs and is color coded blue. There is also a street car or tram running through the south-western area of Sapporo and can be a great way to get a glimpse of some of the outer areas of the city.

PLACES WE SHOULD VISIT.... Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido and as such offers a number of attractions.
Odori Park // Marks the center of Sapporo and is a beautiful park to visit in the summer and is the area of the world famous Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri) held in February. From this area south, running the length of the street to Susukino entertainment area, there is an underground shopping complex called Pole town. Running directly under Odori Park there is another shopping complex called Aurora Town. These areas are especially useful during winter as you can walk peacefully, well protected from the severe winter weather.

Sapporo Beer Garden // At the same location as the Beer Museum is the Beer Garden, an incredibly popular Genghis Khan (mutton barbeque) restaurant. Even though the dining rooms span three large buildings, come early and expect to wait. The restaurant offers 100 minute all you can eat and all you can drink plans, as well as à la carte food and drink if you'd prefer. WARNING: you should not plan to wear your best clothes, as the atmosphere is incredibly heavy with the scents of cooking meat (plastic coats are provided - seriously)

Susukino Nightlife District // Just south of of Tanukikoji and marked on the corner by the Robinson's Department Store and the massive Nikka Whiskey sign is the Susukino entertainment district. This area stretches for about six blocks north to south and east to west. There are almost 5000 restaurants, bars, cafes, night clubs and hostess bars in this area. It is one of the most famous entertainment areas in Japan and the largest of its kind north of Tokyo. The bars and clubs can range from the cheap to the extremely expensive. This area is crowded most days until the morning hours but particularly so on Friday and Saturday nights. If you wish to find a restaurant on these days try to book ahead or be prepared to wait. If you’re out for a few drinks then consider using one of the “Nomihodai” or all you can drink plans. In Hokkaido these plans are offered at most restaurants and often bars too. For the price of two or three drinks you can consume all you like for a set period of time. Times are generally offered for 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes. Prices vary from about ¥1000 to ¥3500+ depending on the course chosen and the bar. Many bars and restaurants in this area will be open until very late in the morning or sometimes even 24 hours. Some restaurants may not open their doors until about midnight. Many establishments are closed on Sundays.

Ramen Yokochō (ラーメン横丁) // Also known as Ramen Gai (Ramen Alley). This alley is chock full of ramen shops of all varieties. Get butter corn ramen, crab ramen, and even scallop ramen. Just east of Susukino Station. While many tourists visit the alley, Japanese people come as well - and the experience is very enjoyable. The local specialty is “Miso Ramen”. This narrow alley is wall to wall ramen shops and a great place to try this delicious food. Remember to slurp your noodles as this is considered a compliment to the chef in Japan.

Clock Tower (Tokedai) // Built in 1878 as a drill hall for the Sapporo Agricultural College, it is a two story American style wooden structure housing a clock. Although now dwarfed by the surrounding buildings it is never the less constantly surrounded by Japanese tourists all year round and is the symbol of Sapporo. Renovated in 1998 to house a small museum of local history, it is reported that the Boston made 19th century clock had been so well maintained that not only needed no restoration work but also that the clock has never been late in tolling the hour.

The Sapporo TV Tower // It is the tallest tower in northern Japan and stands 147.2 meters tall. The tower offers an observation deck at the top which can be accessed by elevators and in the summer months even by stairs. The view from the top of the tower is an excellent way to get a general orientation of the city and its surrounding areas. Great views of the snow festival and lighting displays are also to been seen.

Ishiya Chocolate Factory // A 15-20 minute subway ride away from Odori park, the chocolate factory has an incredibly corny, but fun, tour building up to a view of the actual chocolate making floor, and ending with a random toy museum. Also there are two restaurants, a souvenir store, and an hourly robot show complete with annoying music. Famous for its white chocolate, which is sold under the brand "White Lovers" (白い恋人 shiroi koibito), and is only available in Hokkaido

Daimaru Department Store // Conjointly developed along with Stella Place, Daimaru is the newest shopping edition to Sapporo. Built squarely on top of the station area it is a huge department store housing specialty shops and the Dimaru shopping center on 6 levels. It also contains many great restaurants and a huge book store. Shops range from make-up and beauty counters, high end brand name stores (Luis Viton, Bvlgari, Prada etc.) to shoe stores and casual wear.

Stealla Place & JR Tower // Stella Place along with Dimaru Department Store was completed in 2003 and is one of the latest editions to the Sapporo shopping scene. The nine story shopping center consists of two main areas Stella Place Center and Stella Place East. Inside you will find 161 specialty stores and 22 restaurants of varying styles. There is also a cinema on the 7th and 8th floors comprising 12 screens for all the latest movie action. JR Tower is attached to Stella Place and is 38 stories high. Located inside there are varying offices, a medical center, hotel and even a hot spa resort. There is also a wonderful observation deck on the 38th floor which gives a spectacular view of Sapporo. On the observation deck there is a cafe, souvenir shop and a bathroom with a fantastic view. (Sorry boys only!

Apia (Shopping Arcade) // Apia is an underground shopping arcade area with more than 115 stores of differing varieties. The area is divided into “streets” each with a different name to help you with your directions. There is Joyful Walk, Fashion Walk and Harvest Avenue. Stores range from fashion boutiques, accessory shops, souvenir shops to restaurants and cafes. There is also a supermarket and on top of Apia is BIC Camera and Electronics Store. There are also some free seating areas for you to take a break.

Ario Shopping Mall // One of the latest additions to the Sapporo shopping scene is the three story Ario Shopping Center . Built in the grounds of the Sapporo Beer Garden and opened in November 2005, the center houses 113 specialty shops, the Itoyokado Department Store and a public spa and leisure center. Restaurants range from fast food to Japanese style sushi and noodles. There are plenty shops for all the family and also a good import shop which stocks various foreign products from around the globe.

Sapporo Factory // Also constructed in 1876 as part of the Sapporo Beer Breweries enterprise, these large red brick warehouses and factory areas were renovated in 1993 to form the massive shopping and entertainment complex known as Sapporo Factory. There are **** numbers of specialty stores and restaurants. This shopping complex also houses Japans largest indoor park in the massive atrium area of the shopping center. In this area small concerts and various exhibitions and shows are often held. There is also the Universal Cinema 11 movie theater complex which houses an Imax screen and the Nissan Motor Gallery, with some of the latest models of cars on display from the Nissan Motor Company.

Nakajima Koen (Nakajima Park) // Nakajima park is huge park south of the Susukino area and is the oldest park in Hokkaido. The park is a wonderful place to rest in the summer and is beautiful in the autumn with the changing colors of the trees. The park has a large pond in the middle where row boats can be rented. The weekends usually see the park full with families enjoying the summer and also there are often flea markets on Sundays (Note: the Japanese say ‘Free Market’ but this is just a mistake with pronunciation and the markets are not free.)

Asahiyama Park // Constructed as part of the Sapporo centennial projects, this park is located on the top of Asahiyama hill. The park has a good view of Sapporo, Ishikari Plain and the Sea of Japan on good days. The park has some nice open spaces for picnics with family and friends. There are also a few small hiking trails around the park offering a pleasant walk for the more physically active.

Botanical Gardens (Hokkaido Shokubutsuen) // Run by the Hokkaido University, covering approximately 15 hectares and housing over 5000 varieties of plants, this is a great venue for nature lovers and those wishing to pass some time in a pleasant atmosphere. The Fauna museum in the garden is Japans oldest and was built in 1882. It houses a large number of stuffed animals that can be found in the Hokkaido region. There is also a small Ainu Museum located near the main gate housing tools, household utensils, ceremonial objects and clothing.

Chizaki Rose Garden // The rose garden boasts more than 200 varieties of roses and is immaculately kept and maintained. The best viewing season for the roses is June to August. There is also a commanding view of Sapporo from the top and the aptly names “Café Rose” serves relatively cheap food and also the house special - rose ice cream. Said to be made from the roses in the garden itself this ice cream is quite unique and delicious. Unfortunately if you come by bus to the hill the bus stop is located at the bottom of the hill. The walk up is quite steep and not for the physically challenged. Fortunately there are usually taxis available to take you up the rest of the way.

Hassoan Tea House // Named a National Cultural Asset, this building was built during the early days of the Edo Period by the famous Enshu Kobori, an artist and grand master of gardening. This building is housed in a walled Japanese garden close to the north end of the park and is only observable from the outside.

Hokkaido Museum of Literature // Located about halfway along the park near the eastern entrance, this museum introduces Hokkaido’s literary history and some of the more famous writers that have come from this region. There are various historical materials to be viewed.

Maruyama Zoo // It was established in 1951, on May 5th (Children's Day) as the 1st zoo in Hokkaido. It houses about 200 species, about 1,000 animals. Located at the foot of Mt.Maruyama, blessed with beauty of nature. This area is quite close to the city center of Sapporo.Besides animals popular among children such as tigers, giraffes, hippos etc., you also find "Tropical-animal-house" where you can observe them close by, and "Bear-house" with 6 different kinds bears like Polar bears or Malay bears. In "Reptile house", you can learn the living-style of many rare kinds of them. The biggest appealing point of Maruyama Zoo is to enjoy "Good relationship with Animals". Here are many chances for you to experience exciting time with animals. For instance, in the "Kid's Zoo", you can try feeding squirrel monkies or touching guinea pigs, rabbits or other small attractive ones. In "Kangaroo house" you can enjoy "body contact" with wallabies or kangaroos. In front of the outdoor-stage, you can also watch kites fly just close by, or you can experience the traditional art of manipulating birds of prey, (takasho) falconer by yourselves.

Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium // Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium was used for ski jumping during the Winter Olympic Games in 1972. Ski jumping is possible in all seasons and nighttime competitions are also popular. From the observation platform at the hilltop, you can enjoy teatime while overlooking the vast Ishikari Plain and downtown areas.