Sapporo 6hr Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide

The Sapporo Snow Festival (さっぽろ雪まつり, Sapporo Yuki Matsuri) is held during one week every February in Hokkaido's capital Sapporo. It is one of Japan's most popular winter events. The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in 1950, when high school students built a few snow statues in Odori Park. It has since developed into a large, commercialized event, featuring spectacular snow and ice sculptures and attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and across the world. The snow festival is staged on three sites: the Odori Site, Susukino Site and Tsu Dome Site.

Moerenuma Park (モエレ沼公園, Moerenuma Kōen) is a large park in the outskirts of Sapporo. Surrounded by a marsh, the park has a circumference of about four kilometers. The grounds are covered in attractive green space and there are massive, dramatic features that make the park a very unique public space. The park owes its bold design to the renowned Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Born in the United States, Noguchi spent a considerable part of his professional life in Japan and maintained a worRead more

The Historic Village of Hokkaido (開拓の村, Kaitaku no Mura) is an open air museum in the suburbs of Sapporo. It exhibits about 60 typical buildings from all over Hokkaido, dating from the Meiji and Taisho Periods (1868 to 1926), the era when Hokkaido's development was carried out on a large scale. There are four different sections: a town, fishing village, farm village and a mountain village. The Hokkaido Museum (北海道博物館, Hokkaido Hakubutsukan) documents the history and nature of Hokkaido and is locatRead more

Mount Moiwa (藻岩山, Moiwa-yama) is one of several small, forested mountains southwest of central Sapporo. The mountain is a popular sightseeing spot that is known for the spectacular view out over the city from an observation deck at its summit. The view is especially beautiful after sunset. The Mount Moiwa Ropeway climbs from the base of the mountain three quarters up the mountain to a transfer station. From there a rather unique mini cablecar travels the rest of the way to the upper station at the summit Read more

Shiroi Koibito Park (白い恋人パーク) is a theme park by Ishiya, a local chocolate company. The company's flagship product is the Shiroi Koibito cookie, which consists of two thin butter cookies and a layer of white chocolate in between. It is one of the most famous souvenirs from Hokkaido. The park consists of a free area with a shop, cafe and restaurant and a paid area with various chocolate-related exhibits and, most interestingly, a few large windows through which visitors can observe the cookie productRead more

Hokkaido is the birthplace of beer in Japan. Sapporo Beer, one of the oldest and most popular beer brands in the country, has been brewed in Sapporo since 1877. The Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール博物館, Sapporo Beer Hakubutsukan) was opened in 1987 in a former brewery from the Meiji Period. The museum introduces the history of beer in Japan and the process of beer making. After the exhibitions, beer tastings are available at a small fee. Alternatively, paid tours are held in Japanese that include a tasting session at the end.

Odori Park (大通公園, Ōdōri Kōen) is the broad median of Odori ("large street") in the center of Sapporo, separating the city into north and south. The park stretches about a kilometer and a half over twelve city blocks and offers pleasant green space during the warmer months. In early February, the park serves as the main site of the Sapporo Snow Festival. At the eastern end of Odori Park stands the Sapporo TV Tower, which has an observation deck with nice views of the park and the surrounding city. The tower is just uRead more

Susukino (すすきの) is Japan's largest entertainment district north of Tokyo. It is packed with stores, bars, restaurants, karaoke shops, pachinko parlors and red light establishments. Of special interest to noodle lovers is the Ramen Yokocho, a narrow lane lined with shops serving Sapporo's famous ramen. In February, Susukino serves as a site of the Snow Festival, hosting an ice sculpture competition.

Sapporo Factory is a large shopping and entertainment complex that was opened in 1993 in central Sapporo. There are about 160 establishments that include clothing stores, souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes and a multi-screen movie theater. The shops are concentrated around a five story atrium that provides visitors a refreshing and spacious atmosphere. Sapporo Factory was constructed on the former site of Japan's first beer brewery, and the complex includes a red brick Akarenga building that is reminiRead more

Jozankei Onsen (定山渓温泉, Jōzankei Onsen) is located inside Shikotsu-Toya National Park between the high cliffs of the Toyohira River. The town is only one hour outside central Sapporo, making it a popular side trip from the city. As a result, Jozankei is rather developed compared to smaller onsen towns in Hokkaido. The onsen waters of Jozankei were discovered in 1866 and the town now has dozens of ryokan, restaurants and shops catering to hot spring tourists. Many ryokan offer day visitors entrance to their baths for Read more

Nijo Market (二条市場, Nijō Ichiba) is a public market in central Sapporo that occupies about one city block. Both locals and tourists visit the market to shop for fresh local produce and seafood such as crabs, salmon eggs, sea urchin and various fresh and prepared fish. The market is open from around 7:00 to around 18:00 on all days of the week, with individual shops maintaining their own opening hours and closing days. Several restaurants can be found among the shops, including a collection of small drinkiRead more

The Clock Tower (時計台, Tokeidai) is a symbol of Sapporo. The building was constructed during the early period of Sapporo's development in 1878 as a drill hall of the Sapporo Agricultural College. In 1881 a clock purchased from Boston was installed. Today, the Clock Tower serves as a museum with displays about the building's history and Sapporo on the first floor. On the second floor are displays about the clock and a spacious ceremony hall that calls to mind the simple buildings of the colonial American Midwest.

Built in 1871, the Hokkaidō Shrine (Hokkaidō Jingū) is one of the country's most important (and visited) Shinto religious sites. Adjacent to Maruyama Park, the shrine became even more popular after it was dedicated to the soul of much revered Emperor Meiji in 1964. The site is massive, and in addition to the huge temple building, it consists of a large garden replete with cherry blossoms, a big draw when they are in bloom each spring. Another favorite time to visit is New Year's, when special celebrations and festivitiRead more

On the west side of Sapporo is Maruyama-koen Park, a multipurpose natural area popular with visitors year-round. In spring, the park's 226-meter-high hill comes alive with the stunningly beautiful blooms of its more than 1,700 wild cherry trees, while in autumn, it's the turn of the many maple trees to show off as their leaves change into a cavalcade of reds and golds (it's also popular among bird-watchers). Winter, too, is not without its own beauty, when heavy snowfalls carpet the park, turning it into a playgrounRead more

Built in 1957, the 147-meter-tall Sapporo TV Tower (Sapporo Terebi-tō) remains one of the city's most visited landmarks. Easily accessible from Odori Park, the tower offers superb views over Sapporo from its observation deck, as well as from its restaurant. In addition to on-site stores, the tower also houses an interesting exhibit on the ground floor relating to the structure's history, along with access to a large underground shopping precinct. A highlight of the tower's exterior are the large digital clocks installed Read more

One of Sapporo's most obviously western influenced landmarks, the splendid Former Hokkaidō Government Office was built in 1873 to house the offices of the predecessor government that once watched over the island's affairs. Later extensively restored after a devastating fire, it now offers exhibition space and serves as a tourist center for the city and is well worth a visit for both its interior décor and its bright red-brick exterior. Impressive in size, the structure includes some two-and-a-half million bricks sourced locRead more

A great place to visit for those traveling with children is the Sapporo Science Center. This modern facility includes more than 200 displays and exhibits (many of them hands-on and interactive), covering the natural and man-made worlds. Highlights include a virtual universe, displays related to weather, and a huge globe with the northern hemisphere projected onto it. A must-do is visit the refurbished planetarium, which walks you through a fascinating 4D depiction of the stars and planets surrounding us. Also worth a Read more