Sapporo
INTRO
Sapporo is one of Japan's newest and nicest cities, and it has little in the way of traditional Japanese architecture and the look of cities such as Kyoto. But the tranquil environment and the tree-filled streets and boulevards of Sapporo are hard, and even impossible to find anywhere else in Japan, thus making the city unique in terms of that lack of typical "Japanese-ness". Sapporo is most famous as the brewing mecca of Japan, but the kick of Sapporo comes from much more than the beer - the city is friendly and cosmopolitan, and at the same time spirited and rambunctious.
City Profile
City: Sapporo
Country: Japan
Area: 1, 121 km2
Population: 1, 890, 561
Districts: 10
Mayor: Fumio Ueda
Language: Japanese
LOCATION
Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. The city is located on the western plains of the island, and more than 60% of Sapporo is mountains - primarily in the south-west. The concentration of urban activity is focused around the Toyohira River that runs through the city.
TIME TO VISIT
Never underestimate the weather in Sapporo - no matter what time of year you choose to visit the city, take clothes that will keep you warm and dry. Occasionally, Sapporo could be even hit by typhoons. The winter in Sapporo lasts almost 5 months - from November till March, and nothing but sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall should be expected. During this period the majority of tourists are skiers or snowboarders, and some of them come especially for Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri). If you want to avoid crowds, you can plan your visit for October or early November - the late autumn. There is no rainy season in Sapporo, but often summers could be rainy and miserable. The biggest influx of tourists is from June to August - most of them are hikers and campers that use Sapporo as a base to explore the rest of the island of Hokkaido.
POPULATION
In the beginning of the 20th century, Sapporo had a population of no more than 10,000 people. By1983 residents of the city grew to almost 1,5 million, and Sapporo became the 5th largest city in Japan - after Nagoya, Osaka, Yokohama and Tokyo. Currently, almost 1,9 million people live in Sapporo.
DISTRICTS
The city of Sapporo is divided into 10 wards (ku):
- Chuo-ku - located in the centre of Sapporo. It houses lots of offices and buildings such as Sapporo TV tower, the City Hall, Hokkaidocho office, the Corts, Hokkaio Police office.
- Kita-ku - comprises mostly of residential neighborhoods. This ward is located in the northern part of Sapporo, and with its 260, 000 inhabitants, it is the most populated ward in the city. The Ishikari river runs through Kita-ku and borders its northern part.
- Nishi-ku - located in the west part of Sapporo. Two of the biggest parks in the city are located there - Noshi Koen and Miyagoaka Koen. In the less built-up neighbourhoods of the ward it is not unusual to see red foxes and Asiatic brown bears.
- Susukino is predominantly an entertainment district of Sapporo, situated north of the centre. It has lots of restaurants and bars, you could enjoy beautiful panorama from the top of Mt. Moiwa. It is not a ward in terms of administrative divisions.
SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
- Tokei-dai - the clock tower that was constructed in 1878 has now become the symbol of Sapporo. The clock has never missed tolling the hour for more than 120 years now, and in the structure there is a small history museum. Although Tokei-dai is a landmark, do not expect miracles from its outer look - it is not particularly stunning. http://www.tokedai.co.jp/
- Hokkaido Museum of Literature - houses lots of letters, books, memorabilia of famous Japan writers, most of them with Hokkaido connection. Signs in English are limited.
- Hokudai Shokubutsuen - botanical garden and museum complex with more than 5000 varieties of Hokkaido's flora. Between November and April, only the greenhouse is open for visitors. The complex houses a small Ainu (Japanese aboriginal people) museum with good collection of Ain tools, household utensils and ceremonial objects.
- Moiwa-yama Ropeway - especially on a clear night, you can get marvellous views of Sapporo. Occasionally, the ropeway could be closed due to high winds. Discount coupons are available - check with the conductor when you take the tram.
- Sapporo Beer-en - located in the original Sapporo brewery, this is a nice museum and beer garden. There are two tour options possible: short tour (30 min) - visitors get a takeaway goody bag with a can of beer and some other items; long tour (50 min) - includes a 20 minute all-you-can-drink - for those who want some more action.
AIRPORT
The major local and international transportation hub for the whole Hokkaido island is New Chitose Airport - located to the south of Sapporo. To the north of the city there is a much smaller and less significant Okadama Airport - a few local flights within Hokkaido land there.
- New Chitose Airport is where all international and inter-island flights land. Direct international service is limited to Taiwan, China, Korea, Sakhalin, Guam and seasonal flights to Australia. For other international connections, JAL and ANA provide non-stop service to Narita Airport near Tokyo. The route from New Chitose Airport to Tokyo is the most intensely travelled in the world - several dozens of jumbos of different carriers travel daily, and if you book more than 1 month in advance, price is as low as 10,000 yens one way. The airport is easily reachable from the city - either by train or shuttle bus. http://www.new-chitose-airport.jp/language/english/index.html
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
- Subway - Sapporo has 3 subway lines - Namboku Line ("North-South"), Tozai Line ("East-West") and Toho Line - running in a C-shaped curve from the southeast to the northeast. On weekends and public holidays you can buy a whole-day pass for only 500 yens. On weekdays the same card costs 800 yens. For 000 yens you could get a Bus and Subway transfer - one day card, which allows you to travel on the entire suburban bus, streetcar and subway network. Child tickets usually are half of the adult fare.
- Streetcar - there is a streetcar line in the southwestern side of Sapporo, and its most important stops are the Chuo Library and the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway. It is most usable in the winter, and single trip fare is 170 yens.
- Taxi - cabs in Sapporo are usually comfortable, but quite expensive. You can wave them down, or get one from the assigned stands - most of them near major hotels, business centers and malls.
HISTORY
Prior to the establishment of Sapporo, the area known as the Ishikari Plain was home to a number of indigenous Ainu settlements. The year 1868 is recognized as the birth year of Sapporo. The city followed the American-style grid plan with streets at right-angles to form city blocks - something unusual for Japan even today.
CITY LINKS
- Sapporo City official website - in English - http://www.city.sapporo.jp/city/english/
- Sapporo International Communication Plaza Foundation - http://plaza-sapporo.or.jp/index.html
- Sapporo ski vacation information - http://www.skivacation.ws/Sapporo.html
- Sapporo Travel Guide - http://wikitravel.org/en/Sapporo
- Sapporo breweries homepage - http://www.sapporobeer.jp/english/
- Sapporo sightseeing guide - http://www.welcome.city.sapporo.jp/english/
UNIVERSITY LINKS
- Hokkaido University - http://www.hokudai.ac.jp/en/index.html
- Hokkaido University of Education - http://www.asa.hokkyodai.ac.jp/index-e.html
- Sapporo University - http://www.sapporo-u.ac.jp/engpage/