7 recommended sightseeing spots in Sapporo that can be enjoyed even on rainy days.
What if it rains? Such worries are always a part of an outing. Sapporo is famous for its great nature and outdoor activities, but there are many attractive sightseeing spots that can be enjoyed to the fullest even on a rainy day. We have carefully selected seven recommended spots in Sapporo that are easily accessible by Direction, including a museum worth seeing and a shopping district that is fun just to walk around.
1Sanpiaza Aquarium
The beauty is like a painting. An underwater world that fills your field of vision.
This urban aquarium is located near Shin-Sapporo Station. Despite its compact size, the aquarium has a diverse array of tanks, inhabited by fish from the waters around Hokkaido as well as rare fish from around the world. Located near the station and a large shopping center, the aquarium can be accessed without getting wet in the rain, which is a nice feature.
On the first floor, the huge "Migration Tank," which recreates fish living in the Kuroshio Sea, is especially recommended. The coexistence of large fish, such as sharks and rays, and small, colorful fish is fascinating and makes you want to watch them forever.
Popular sea creatures are gathered here. You can even see their fur from a distance.
When you go up to the second floor, a large tank of fish familiar to visitors in Hokkaido, such as salmon and cherry salmon, catches your attention. As you walk down the aisle, you will see a large collection of popular animals such as penguins, largha seals, and otters. Through the glass, visitors can get a close-up look at the expressions on the animals' faces and the way they swim.
Before leaving the museum, be sure to stop by the merchandise store, which is filled with a variety of cute sea creature goods. There is also an aquarium where you can take commemorative photos.
- Sunpiazza Aquarium
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5-7-5, Atsubetsu Chuo 2-jo 5-chome, Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
3 min. walk from JR Shin-Sapporo Station
April-September 10:00-18:30, October-March 10:00-18:00
720 yen for those 65 and older, 1,000 yen for adults, 400 yen for junior high school students from 3 years old to junior high school students (all for individuals)
011-890-2455
Use the shopping center's paid Parking
2Hokkaido Museum
The nature, history and culture of Hokkaido on a dynamic scale.
Hokkaido Museum, opened in 2015, is surrounded by lush forests and has an impressive reddish-brown brick exterior. Known as "Morino Charenga" for its beautiful exterior, the general exhibition introduces the nature, history, and culture of Hokkaido under five themes based on the concepts of "Hokkaido in Northeast Asia" and "Relationships between Nature and People.
Among them, the "Mammoth Elephant and Naumann Elephant Skeletal Specimens" displayed in the "Prologue: Encounter of North and South" section are so huge and powerful that visitors can hardly look up at them, and they are particularly popular among visitors.
Traditional houses of the Ainu tribe that make you want to look closely at every detail.
In the Ainu Culture theme, the history and culture of the Ainu people are condensed, and their traditional houses are restored and displayed. If you take a closer look at the tools inside the house, you will discover many things. Outside the house, beautiful embroidered kimonos and ornaments such as necklaces are also worth seeing.
Many people visit both the Hokkaido Museum and the neighboring Hokkaido Kaitakushi no Mura (Village of Hokkaido Settlement), following the success of a manga about an Ainu girl.
- Hokkaido Museum
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- 53-2 Onoporo, Atsubetsu-cho, Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
Take a bus from JR Shin-Sapporo Stn. and get off at "Hokkaido Museum".- May-September: 9:30-17:00, October-April: 9:30-16:30
Mondays (or the immediately following weekday if the Monday falls on a national holiday), December 29-January 3, and other occasional holidays.- 011-898-0466 (general information)
- Free of charge
3Shiroi Koibito Park
Learn about chocolate and sweets in a fun and tasty way!
With beautiful English-style buildings, a rose garden, and the training grounds of the professional soccer team Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, Shiroi Koibito Park is a huge, confectionary theme park that is too big to visit in just one day.
If you are spending a rainy day, we recommend taking the time to learn about chocolate. In the paid area, visitors can take their time to observe the production of famous confections such as "Shiroi Koibito" being made. Be sure to stop by the "Study Base Cacao Pod," where you can learn about chocolate in a fun way while tasting cacao nibs and chocolate using a projection mapping table.
After the tour, relax in the cafe. Experience making your own sweets!
Since you have come to a confectionary theme park, you will definitely want to taste the sweets. How about spending a relaxing time at one of the several cafes and restaurants in the museum to find your favorite one? One of the cafes, Chocolate Lounge Oxford, offers an elegant and special atmosphere with a beautiful courtyard view through the windows.
In addition to the paid Experience courses, the grounds also offer a variety of free areas, including a courtyard full of tricks and a store area selling bread and pastries.
- Shiroi Koibito Park
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- 2-11-36, Miyanosawa 2-jo, Nishi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- 7 min. walk from Miyanosawa Subway Station.
- Take a bus from JR Sapporo Station, get off at Nishimachi-Kita 20-chome, and walk about 7 minutes.
- 10:00-17:00 (subject to change, please check the website)
- Please check the website for details.
- Admission: Adults 800 yen, Junior high school students from 4 years old to 400 yen, Children under 3 years old free
- 011-666-1481
- Charged
4Sapporo Olympic Museum
Experience the simulator and feel like an Olympic athlete!
Sapporo is covered with snow for several months of the year, and the Sapporo Olympic Museum is located on the grounds of the Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium, which was one of the venues for the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics. The simulators that allow visitors to experience various competitions are very popular here.
Ski Jumping Okurayama" displays actual scores and distances, so couples and friends can have fun competing against each other. Other Experience booths, such as the speedy "bobsledding," will also be available.
Be impressed by the history of the Olympics and the achievements of the athletes.
The museum is divided into two floors, with exhibits on the first and second floors. In addition to materials related to the Sapporo Winter Olympics, there is a panoramic theater with a huge circular screen and a corner introducing the history of the Olympics up to the present day. Even those who do not have a deep knowledge of the Olympics can easily become familiar with the meaning of the Olympic mark, the beginning of the torch relay, and so on.
A section showing how medal designs and athletic equipment have changed over time is also worth seeing.
- Sapporo Olympic Museum
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- 1274 Miyanomori, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (in Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium) MAP
- Approx. 30 min. from JR Sapporo Station by car
- Take a bus from Maruyama Koen Subway Station and get off at Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium.
- May-October: 9:00-18:00 (last admission at 17:30), November-April: 9:30-17:00 (last admission at 16:30)
- The museum may be closed once a month for maintenance.
- Adults 600 yen, seniors 65 and over 450 yen, junior high school students and under free
- 011-641-8585 (general information)
- Free of charge
5JR Tower
The observation deck offers a panoramic view of the city of Sapporo.
JR Tower is a major shopping area directly connected to Sapporo Station, and is also a busy regular outing spot for local residents. The JR Tower is also a popular destination for local residents. Each building is connected to the other by a connecting passageway, allowing visitors to spend a pleasant evening indoors alone.
If you are visiting for sightseeing, don't forget to check out the JR Tower Observation Deck T38, which offers a panoramic view of Sapporo. We also recommend taking a break at "T'CAFE", an observation cafe where you can see far into the distance even on rainy days, and admire the cityscape and scenery.
Enjoy artworks in between shopping
The JR Tower, which consists of several commercial properties, is scattered with impressive artwork throughout. Every little corner you encounter is full of unique works of art. Some of them are so unique that you may wonder, "How in the world are they made? This will make your stroll through the Property even more enjoyable.
Direction is very convenient for both overnight and day-trip visitors, as the area is served by subways, JR lines, and buses. You can enjoy shopping light by making use of the abundant coin lockers.
6Sapporo Beer Museum
The reasonable price is great. After the tour, compare popular beers
One of the pleasures of travel is the gourmet food that can only be enjoyed in the local area. Many people come to Hokkaido to enjoy not only seafood and sweets, but also local beer. The Sapporo Beer Museum is a historic brick building designated as a Hokkaido Heritage Site. It is a sightseeing spot where visitors can experience the history of Sapporo Beer.
The beer tasting (for a fee) includes three kinds of beer, including Sapporo Classic, a draft beer available only in Hokkaido, and the "Comparison Set" is very popular.
The best Genghis Khan in a retro atmosphere!
In addition to the museum, there are five Restaurants where you can enjoy Hokkaido's famous Genghis Khan with fresh draft beer from Sapporo Beer. Visitors can choose from a huge beer hall with a sense of openness and a hall where they can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with a view of greenery, depending on their needs.
The Garden Shop and Museum Shop offer a lineup of original goods as well as "Hokkaido Limited Edition Sapporo Classic" and "Kaitakushi Beer. They make great gifts and souvenirs for those who love alcoholic beverages.
- Sapporo Beer Museum
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- 1-1, Kita 7-jo Higashi 9-chome, Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- Approximately 8 minutes walk from JR Naebo Station
- Take a bus from JR Sapporo Station and get off at Sapporo Beer Garden.
- 11:00-18:00 (last admission by 17:30)
- Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday), year-end and New Year holidays, and occasional closing days
- Paid Premium Tour Adults 500 yen, Junior high school students to under 20 300 yen, Free for elementary school students and under
- 011-748-1876
- Free for up to 6 hours when using Sapporo Beer Museum and Sapporo Beer Garden
7Raccoon Street Shopping Street
From long-established stores to cutting-edge gourmet food. The shopping street continues to evolve.
The seven-block-long "Raccoon Shoji Shopping Street" is mostly covered by arcades, making it comfortable even on rainy days. There is a mix of old and new stores of various genres, including restaurants, apparel stores, sundries, and souvenirs.
The shopping street is so convenient that you can do almost anything on Raccoon Shoji alone: see a popular movie at the cinema, soak up the afterglow at a nearby cafe, pick up some souvenirs, relax in the public bathhouse, and so on. If you use it wisely to get to your destination, you can avoid the rain and even enjoy your time on the road.
Newly opened hot spots, including an aquarium scheduled to open in 2023!
Raccoon Alley, with its constant turnover of restaurants, has seen the construction of mixed-use stores and large-scale Property in recent years; in 2022, Raccoon COMICHI, a restaurant district featuring popular Hokkaido restaurants, will open. An urban aquarium and other facilities are scheduled to appear in redevelopment buildings in the future.
The "Raccoon Dog Shrine" in Raccoon Dog COMICHI is a popular spot where many visitors take commemorative photos. The Raccoon Jizo is said to bring different blessings depending on where you touch it.
- Raccoon Alley Shopping Street
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- 1-7 Nishi, Minami 2-3 jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- 5 min. walk from Odori Subway Station
- 011-241-5125（Sapporo Raccoon Alley Shopping Street Promotion Association)
