Sapporo



Sapporo (札幌) is the capital and largest city of the northern island of Hokkaido. One of Japan's newest and most orderly cities, it has little in the way of traditional architecture. 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. Its name means “The great dry field” in Ainu language.

Understand
Sapporo's population has grown from seven in 1857 to nearly 2 million in 2021.

Welcome to SAPPORO is the city's official multilingual guide site.

Climate
Sapporo has four distinct seasons. Temperatures are generally cool and pleasant in a summer, making it a popular place to escape the heat that grips much of the rest of Japan. Summer days here start longer and earlier than the rest of Japan, with sunrise as early as 03:45, and sunset around 19:00. Winters are harsh by Japanese standards, though not as harsh as the likes of Harbin or Chicago. Sapporo is one of the snowiest cities in the world (about 6 meters snowfall each year, three times as much as in Montreal), and the city makes full use of this by hosting the world-renowned Sapporo Snow Festival in February every year. Sunrise in winter is at 07:00 and sunsets are as early as 16:00 in winter.

Get in
Sapporo is Hokkaido's main transport hub.

By plane
Sapporo ( for all airports) is served by two airports. Most international and inter-island flights to go the larger but further away New Chitose Airport, while most intra-island flights go to the smaller but closer Okadama Airport.

Japan Railways (JR) operates train services every 15 minutes or so from New Chitose to Sapporo Station (about 40 min by rapid train, ¥1150). JR operates an information desk at the airport from 08:30-19:00 daily where Japan Rail Pass vouchers can be exchanged.

Limousine Buses run frequently to several destinations in downtown Sapporo, with one-way fares starting at ¥1000.

Door-to-door shuttle van companies include Sky Express.



If traveling by plane, you may wish to consider one of the air passes for foreigners sold by Japan Airlines and ANA, including the Japan Explorer Pass and Experience Japan Fare, respectively.

By train


Getting to Sapporo by train from most other cities in Japan is time-consuming and expensive. Bullet trains began running through the underwater Seikan Tunnel to Hakodate in 2016, but construction of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo won't be completed until 2030 at the earliest. Until then, passengers coming in through the tunnel must change between the shinkansen and a Sapporo-bound Hokuto limited express at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station.

The entire trip from Tokyo takes 8 hours, but at a steep one-way cost of ¥27,760. Those not using a national rail pass may wish to consider the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass for ¥35,000 which covers unlimited travel on the shinkansen from Tokyo to Hakodate, express trains from Hakodate to Sapporo, as well as other JR East lines in the Tohoku region and around Tokyo. This pass can be used for 6 consecutive days.

If eight hours is too much to spend on trains, you may wish to split up your journey; stop to visit another city along the way, or simply find a station where you can find cheap accommodation. The latter is beneficial to Rail Pass holders. Potential options for layovers include Hakodate and Aomori.

Sapporo Station serves as the hub for long distance services to/from other parts of Hokkaido, with reserved seating available. These include:

North of Sapporo

 * Asahikawa on the Kamui, Lilac, Okhotsk or Soya (every 30 minutes morning and evening, every hour other times)
 * Abashiri on the Okhotsk (2 direct trips per day) or Taisetsu (2 daily trips; change in Asahikawa)
 * Wakkanai on the Soya (1 direct trip per day) or Sarobetsu (2 daily trips; change in Asahikawa)

East of Sapporo

 * Obihiro on the Super Tokachi or Super Ōzora (11 return trips per day)
 * Kushiro on the Super Ōzora (6 return trips per day)

South of Sapporo

 * Hakodate on the Hokuto or Super Hokuto (12 return trips per day)
 * Noboribetsu on the Hokuto, Super Hokuto or Suzuran (17 return trips per day)
 * Muroran on the Suzuran (5 return trips per day)

West of Sapporo
Rapid trains run to Otaru several times per hour with connecting trains operating to the ski resort town of Niseko. During peak periods, a daily round-trip service from Sapporo to Niseko operates.

By bus
Express buses connect to most points in Hokkaido. The main terminal is next to the Bus Center-Mae station of the subway Tōzai line.

By ferry
Although Sapporo is inland, there are two major ferry ports nearby: Otaru and Tomakomai. Both have scheduled car and passenger ferry service to points outside Hokkaido.

Get around
Most unusually for a Japanese city, Sapporo is logically organized thanks to its strict grid system. The main thoroughfare, the leafy Ō-Dōri (大通り, literally "Big Street"), runs east-west across the city and divides the city into North and South, while Sōsei-Gawa (創成川, literally "Creation River") divides the city into West and East, running under the main street Eki-Mae-Dōri (駅前通, literally "In Front of the Train Station Road"). The address of every block in the center is thus of the type "North X West Y" (prominently signposted at all intersections), making navigation a snap. However, most businesses provide maps to their location, building names or landmarks, because the address "North X West Y" or the like simply means that the place you are trying to find will be somewhere in the block, and blocks in the center of the city can be quite large!

Two public transportation smart cards are sold in the Sapporo area; JR Hokkaido's Kitaca and the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau's SAPICA. While the Kitaca can be used on the buses, subway and streetcars, the SAPICA cannot be used on JR trains, making the Kitaca the better choice for most visitors. If you are coming from elsewhere in Japan, the major smart cards from other regions such as Kanto's Suica and PASMO, and Kansai's ICOCA are fully interchangeable with Kitaca, meaning that you do not need to purchase an extra smart card.

By train
The JR above-ground trains are reasonably priced and a good option for traveling in Sapporo and surroundings. The trains arrive and depart at specific times. You'll most likely want to take a train to and from the airport.

By subway
Sapporo has three subway lines, all converging at Ōdōri Station at the center of the grid. The Namboku Line ("North-South") runs north-south, the Tōzai Line ("East-West") runs along Odori east-west. Only the Tōhō Line breaks the mold by running in a C-shaped curve from northeast to southeast. Single fares cost ¥200 and up, with a choice between subway-only tickets or transfer (subway, bus and streetcar) tickets. The simplest option is the With You stored value card (lowest denomination ¥1000). On weekends and public holidays, the Donichika-Kippu (ドニチカキップ) allows unlimited 1-day subway travel for ¥500. On weekdays, the One-Day Card allows the same, but costs ¥800. There is also a Bus and Subway Transfer One-Day Card, which allows unlimited 1-day travel on buses, subways, and streetcars (¥1000). Fares for children are about half those for adults.

By streetcar
A streetcar of relatively little utility to most visitors trundles around the southwestern side of Sapporo, connecting to the subway at Susukino. Its most important stops are probably the Chuo Library (Main Public Library in Sapporo) and the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway. It's most useful in winter, when walking the icy footpaths to get to the library or otherwise less-accessible south-western areas of the city becomes quite treacherous. Single-trip tickets are ¥170. They also sell a "Do-san-ko Pass" on weekends and holidays which allows you to ride all you want for a day for ¥300. Since this is less than the cost of 2 normal trips, it is usually advisable to buy this if you are going to make a round trip on an eligible day.

By car
You could try to drive in the city, but parking is problematic. Generally speaking, using the subways and buses is recommended. There are countless pay parking lots in Sapporo. One of the largest ones is about 100 m south of the Susukino South Toyoko Inn, and it's a short walk from the subway.

See





 * [[Image:Jozakei1.jpg|thumb|125px|Autumn at Houkaikyou Dam, Jozankei]]
 * [[Image:Jozakei1.jpg|thumb|125px|Autumn at Houkaikyou Dam, Jozankei]]

Do




Buy
For those living in Japan who have an omiyage (souvenir) obligation to fill in your Japanese office when you return from your Hokkaido holiday, the best omiyage to buy in Sapporo is the ubiquitous Shiroi Koibito (白い恋人, "White Lovers"). It is a chocolate slice sandwiched in two wafers of sweet biscuit, individually wrapped and available boxed in a range of different quantities &mdash; tasty enough, but rather bland, and few Westerners would associate the taste with Japan. The original flavour is white chocolate sandwiched in plain sweet biscuit, but there is also a dark chocolate version. It's available in every souvenir store in the city (try the Sapporo JR area or Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade when shopping for souvenirs), and also most souvenir stores around the island.

Being a wintery kind of place for a good part of each year, Sapporo also has many stores selling all manner of snow goods. At the beginning and end of each season, many good deals on the previous year's gear can be found, often at discounts of up to 60% off, sometimes more! Also, there are several sports recycle stores in the city and suburbs where good deals on barely-used gear can be found, thanks to the Japanese fondness for having new gear every season. Ask Tourist Information to help you locate second-hand sports and snow-gear stores. One such second-hand chain is Hard Off, which can be found all across Japan. Generally, the more remote the Hard Off is, the more likely you are to find a treasure!

Eat
Sapporo is famous for hairy crab (毛蟹 kegani), an expensive treat available at any seafood restaurant, and miso ramen (味噌ラーメン), a more affordable local variation of the ubiquitous noodle dish with miso paste added to the stock. The ramen in particular will warm you up nicely on a chilly winter day. Sapporo soup curry (just what it sounds like) is also increasingly famous.

As elsewhere in Hokkaido, you can also enjoy dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, chocolate and ice cream), seafood (especially as sushi), fruits (honeydew melon, strawberries) and meat (sausages, ham, bacon and beef).

Kuwanomi (桑の実) is a popular mulberry. It is red or black in color and sweet. Preserved kuwanomi can be made into jam, which is a traditional food. In elementary schools, students make kuwanomi jam every year.


 * Ramen Alley Sapporo Japan.jpg

Drink
The drink of choice when in Sapporo is obviously Sapporo Beer, and a good option for this is the Beer Museum (see See). Susukino (すすきの), to the south of the center, is one of Japan's largest nightlife (and red-light) districts, which was created to keep labourers in Hokkaido. It has a somewhat unsavory reputation due to heavy yakuza involvement in the business, but is safe for travelers not looking for trouble. Get there on the subway Namboku line, Susukino station.



Connect
There are quite a few internet cafes in the city, ask at the International Plaza (in Sapporo JR or near the Clock Tower) for current information and directions.

Traveler SIM cards can be bought in BIC Camera stores, e.g. in the ground floor of Esta Mall in the east wing of Sapporo JR Station. The cheapest choice is a 30-day/1GB data-only SIM card for ¥2460. Bring your passport when purchasing the card!



Consulates

 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Otaru, approximately 60 minutes by car (shorter by expressway). A very pleasant small town located on the coast, and famous (within Japan) for its attractive canal which is very European in design. Also famous for its seafood, music box museum (with associated tourist shop) and glass works. Also famous for being the setting of the movie Love Letter.
 * Niseko, arguably Japan's top destination for powder skiing and snowboarding, is two hours away by bus.
 * The hot springs and mossy canyons of Shikotsu-Toya National Park are within easy striking distance of Sapporo.
 * Asahikawa's Asahiyama Zoo is the most famous and most visited zoo in Japan, despite it being 2 hours away by train. Its most famous exhibits are the penguins which walk around the park twice a day, and the seals that you can see swim vertically through a large transparent pipe. It also features polar bears, wolves, Japanese deer, big cats, different kinds of monkeys and more. It's most impressive in winter when it's covered in snow (have you ever seen a giraffe walking in snow?) but a few of the exhibits are also closed during this season.
 * Ebetsu
 * Yubari
 * Hidaka
 * Noboribetsu
 * Toyako
 * Kutchan