You can't miss these places. Six recommended sightseeing spots in Sapporo
Hokkaido offers a vast expanse of nature and delicious gourmet food to enjoy to the fullest. Sapporo, the central part of the island, alone is dotted with places beloved by tourists and locals alike. We have carefully selected six classic and recommended spots where you can experience Hokkaido's unique scenery and cuisine. Please refer to them as reference for sightseeing in Sapporo.
1Sapporo Clock Tower
The Clock Tower is the symbol of Sapporo.
Officially named "Former Sapporo Agricultural College Demonstration Hall," the Sapporo Clock Tower was built in 1878 as a Property of the Sapporo Agricultural College, the predecessor of Hokkaido University. From the Meiji era to the Showa era (1926-1989), citizens actually used the Property as a place for study, academics, and other cultural activities. Today, both the first and second floors of the museum are open for tours, and there is a rich array of various materials and exhibits related to the clock tower.
The bell of the clock tower rings every hour. If you visit at the right time, you will be able to hear the clear sound echoing through the city.
Dr. Clark welcomes you to the second-floor hall.
The retro-style hall on the second floor is still used as a gathering place for citizens, where concerts and live performances are held in the evenings. The famous statue of Dr. Clark is also a great place for taking pictures.
Located near Sapporo Station and Odori Avenue in the heart of Sapporo, it is also an easy stopover during shopping and dining. The impression of the temple changes dramatically depending on the time of day and season, so it is recommended to compare the refreshing daytime view surrounded by trees and the atmospheric nighttime view illuminated by lights.
- Sapporo Clock Tower
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Kita 1-jo Nishi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
10 minutes walk from JR Sapporo Station
8:45-17:10 (Admission until 17:00)
January 1 - January 3
Adults 200 yen (Free for high school students and younger)
011-231-0838 (Sapporo Clock Tower)
None
2Hokkaido University
A place of relaxation for local residents. Take a walk around the campus filled with greenery.
Despite its location in the heart of Sapporo, Hokkaido University boasts a sprawling campus that is 38 times the size of the Tokyo Dome. The campus is so thickly lined with trees that it is hard to believe that it is in the center of Sapporo, and not only students but also the general public can freely look around parts of the campus.
In addition to the breathtaking "rows of ginkgo trees" and "rows of poplar trees," the area is dotted with beautiful places such as the Sakushukotoni River, where local children and students cool off in the summer, and other places that make you want to take a picture of them. However, this is an Educational and Research Property. Please observe the campus rules and help ensure a tranquil environment.
The quaint building is lined with exhibits that will tickle your curiosity.
The most eye-catching feature of the spacious campus is the stately "Hokkaido University Museum," housed in the main building of the former Faculty of Science of Hokkaido Imperial University, which was built in 1929. The museum has become a treasure house of knowledge where visitors can experience a wide range of exhibits from various perspectives.
After visiting the museum or taking a walk around the campus, visitors can take a break at the cafes and stores scattered around the campus and enjoy picking out souvenirs. The museum and campus are both very large, so it is recommended that you allow plenty of time for your visit.
- Hokkaido University
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- Kita 8-jo Nishi 5-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- Approximately 7 min. walk from JR Sapporo Station
- 011-716-2111
- No parking (use nearby toll parking)
3Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium
The powerful view of the ski jumpers is astonishing!
Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium is known as the site of the 1972 Winter Olympics held in Sapporo, and you can take a two-seater lift up to the top of the mountain where many athletes have ski-jumped and feel the fresh breeze. You can feel like an athlete as you look down on the cityscape below.
The observatory has a "Cafe Celeste" attached to it, so you can relax with soft ice cream and a drink while enjoying the beautiful and dynamic scenery spread out before you.
Museum store with tasteful souvenirs
Nearby is the Sapporo Olympic Museum, which offers many Experience-type exhibits, and the Nouvelle Pousse Okurayama Restaurant, which serves French cuisine that makes the most of the culinary culture of Hokkaido and other regions of Japan, offering a variety of ways to enjoy your visit depending on the occasion.
The museum store is a must-see when visiting the museum. The shop is a space with white as its precious color, and is lined with modern sundries. If you are looking for unusual souvenirs, check out the original goods featuring the Olympics.
- Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium
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- 1274 Miyanomori, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 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.- Lift: 8:30 - 21:00 in summer, 9:00 - 17:00 in winter
Ticket sales are available until 30 minutes before the lift opens (check the website). - During maintenance inspections, jump competitions, and official practice days (check website)
- Lift fee: Junior high school students and older: 1,000 yen, elementary school students and younger: 500 yen
- 011-641-8585（Okurayama General Information Center)
- Free of charge
4Hokkaido Kaitakunomura
Retro buildings that have been used in TV dramas
It takes about 20 minutes by bus from JR Shin-Sapporo Station. The "Hokkaido Kaitakunomura" is an open-air museum that reconstructed and reproduced historically valuable buildings built in various parts of Hokkaido from the Meiji period to the early Showa period.
There are 52 buildings on the vast site, and they are displayed in four areas: the urban area, including the town hall, residences, and stores, as well as the fishing village, farming village, and mountain village areas.
In addition to allowing visitors to experience Hokkaido's history of coexistence with nature, the site has also been the setting for TV dramas and animations, making it a very popular place for visitors to relive those works.
Fun for adults and children alike. Stroll through the village on a horse-drawn carriage train
Especially popular are the experiences of horse-drawn sleigh rides and horse-drawn wagon trains, which were people's means of transportation in the past. In summer (every day until the end of November), visitors can enjoy the view from the windows of the horse-drawn carriage train, which is a reproduction of a train that used to run in Sapporo City. During the winter season (from December when there is snow on the ground to March on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and weekdays during the Sapporo Snow Festival (timetable to be determined)), visitors can enjoy a 10-minute horse-drawn sleigh ride in a snowy landscape with a completely different atmosphere from that of the summer season (for a fee).
- Hokkaido Kaitakunomura
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- 50-1 Onoporo, Atsubetsu-cho, Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- Take a bus from JR Shin-Sapporo Stn. and get off at Kaitakunomura.
- May-September: 9:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
October-April: 9:00-16:30 (admission until 16:00) - Mondays (or the following day if the Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday), December 29 - January 3
Open on Mondays during the Sapporo Snow Festival - Adults 800 yen, Junior high school and high school students 600 yen, Free for junior high school students and younger
- 011-898-2692
- Free of charge
5Sapporo Moiwayama Ropeway
The breathtaking view of the city from the center of Sapporo
Moiwa, located almost in the center of Sapporo, offers an outstanding 360-degree view of the city and the mountains in the distance. Moiwa. Visitors can enjoy a comfortable walk in the air from the foot of the mountain to the summit via a ropeway and cable car, and there are also five hiking trails nearby that allow those who are physically fit to walk up and down the mountain to the summit.
The Moiwa Primeval Forest, designated as a national natural treasure, stretches across the area, offering beautiful scenery of vivid greenery in summer and silvery white trees in winter.
Enjoy an elegant moment surrounded by the sparkling night view
At night, visitors can enjoy the night view of Sapporo City below, which has been recognized as one of the three newest nightscape cities in Japan, and enjoy a romantic atmosphere that is different from that of the daytime. It is also known as one of the best date spots in the city, and the "Happy Bell" at the observatory at the top of the mountain is perfect for taking commemorative photos. Especially in winter, there is less water vapor in the air, making the view clearer and more beautiful.
Enjoying a glass of wine recommended by the sommelier at the casual restaurant "The Jewels" at the top of the mountain, you will be surrounded by the sparkling night view like a jewel box.
- Sapporo Moiwa Ropeway
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- 5-3-7 Fushimi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- Approx. 20 min. from JR Sapporo Station by car
- Take a bus from JR Sapporo Station and get off at "Moiwayama Ropeway".
- Summer (April-November): Moiway ropeway 10:30-22:00 *last mini-ropeway up 21:30 Mini-ropeway 10:30-21:50 *last mini-ropeway up 21:40
Winter (Dec. to Mar.): Mt. Moiwa ropeway 11:00-22:00 *last mini-railcar ride 21:30, mini-railcar ride 11:10-21:50 *last cable car ride 21:40 - Adults 2,100 yen (1,890 yen for groups of 15 or more), children 1,050 yen (950 yen for groups of 15 or more)/all prices include round-trip fare for the Moiway ropeway and mini cable car.
- 011-561-8177
- Free of charge
6Sapporo Central Wholesale Market
Selecting souvenirs at the market where marine products are gathered
Hokkaido is famous for its seafood. The Sapporo Central Wholesale Market, located near the center of Sapporo, is filled with fresh seafood such as scallops, king crab, and salmon roe. About 60 stores and restaurants offer a variety of great services, such as shipping your purchases as they are, and some stores even provide free transportation for shoppers and diners to their accommodations.
If shipped, the seafood gourmet food arrives fresh at your home or delivery address, so you can enjoy shopping as much as you like without worrying about additional baggage.
Taste the seafood and mountain delicacies at reasonable prices on the spot
You will also want to taste the freshness of the market delicacies that you can enjoy because the market is located next to the central wholesale market. Crabs are boiled after you order, and the gorgeous kaisendon, a bowl of rice topped with seafood so plentiful that it overflows the bowl, is available at a reasonable price.
After tasting seafood to your heart's content, why not enjoy a sweet melon or boiled corn for dessert after dinner? Other classic Hokkaido delicacies such as nigirizushi, ramen, curry, and buta-don (pork bowl) are all available on the premises, making you want to visit again and again.
- Sapporo Central Wholesale Market
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- Kita 11 Nishi 21 - Nishi 22, Chuo-ku, Sapporo MAP
- 7 min. walk from Nijushiken Sta. on the Subway Tozai Line
- 6:00 - 17:00 (varies by location)
- 011-621-7044
- Free of charge
