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  • Sapporo is Japan's 5th most populated city

  • and the capital of Japan's northernmost prefecture Hokkaido.

  • Like Hokkaido as a whole, Sapporo is known for its long winters

  • mild summers

  • amazing cuisine

  • and for being a worthwhile destination in any season.

  • Although located in the far north of the country, Sapporo is only a 90 minute plane ride from Tokyo.

  • The Tokyo-Sapporo connections is actually one of the busiest air routes in the world

  • and makes reaching the city easily reachable.

  • Compared to other major Japanese cities, Sapporo is still young

  • having grown into the metropolis it is today only relatively recently.

  • To give some historical context

  • in 1857 the city of Sapporo had a population of only seven people.

  • This was towards the end of the Edo era when most of Hokkaido

  • which was then called Ezo

  • was predominantly inhabited mainly by the indigenous Ainu people

  • who relied mainly on hunting, fishing and trading.

  • It wasn't until some years later at the start of the Meiji period

  • that the Ainu were assimilated into Japanese society

  • when Japan started colonizing Ezo on a large scale

  • in order protect against the threat of invasion from Russia.

  • Around this time the island was renamed Hokkaido

  • and Sapporo established as its administrative center.

  • Foreign specialists were brought to help with the city's development

  • and in some ways, Sapporo, with its rectangular grid and numbered blocks

  • resembles North American cities which were developed around the same time.

  • Over the next century the city grew quickly

  • and in 1972 gained international recognition as the first Asian city to host the Winter Olympics

  • and today visitors can go to the top of the Okurayama Ski Jump which was used in the games.

  • Now, Sapporo has become a major international destination

  • with a plethora of sightseeing options to explore.

  • So, here are our Top 5 Recommendations in Sapporo.

  • Number Five: Mount Moiwa

  • On the southwest side of Sapporo lie several forested mountains.

  • Of these, Mount Moiwa has become a popular sightseeing destination

  • not only for its breathtaking panoramic view of the city

  • but also for offering one of the best night views in all of Japan.

  • The building complex on the summit, which was renovated in 2012

  • consists of a theater

  • restaurant

  • and of course the observation deck from which visitors can take in the iconic

  • It's also become a popular place for lovers to leave a lock.

  • To reach the top, walk 10 minute from the Ropeway Iriguchi streetcar station

  • to the Mount Moiwa Ropeway which ascends most of the mountain.

  • The ropeway takes about 5 minutes and connectsto a unique mini-cablecar

  • which climbs the rest of the way to the summit.

  • Number Four: Historic Village of Hokkaido

  • To the east of the city center

  • on the western edge of the vast Nopporo Forest Park

  • is the Historic Village of Hokkaido.

  • On a life-size scale, this large open air museum depicts what life was like for the

  • pioneering colonists who came to settle the wild frontier of

  • Hokkaido in the late 18 and early 19 hundreds.

  • The grounds are divided into four sections:

  • There's the town section with over 30 buildings

  • and even a horse-drawn trolley down main street

  • and also sections showing a model fishing villiage

  • farm village

  • and mountain village.

  • If you decide to visit the Historic Village of Hokkaido

  • we also highly recommend the nearby Hokkaido Museum

  • which is only one bus stop or a 10 minute walk away.

  • This museum does a great job covering the history of the island

  • starting as far back as the first human civilizations

  • and spanning all the way to modern day.

  • Number Three: Moerenuma Park

  • On the outskirts of Sapporo to the northeast is Moerenuma Park.

  • This large and unique park features expansive lawns punctuated by massive structures

  • and points of interest.

  • Moerenuma Park was designed by the renowned Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi.

  • Sadly, after completing the park's design

  • Noguchi passed away without ever seeing the project come to fruition.

  • Nonetheless, the city of Sapporo went ahead with construction

  • and completed the park in 2005.

  • Moerenuma in an excellent place to spend half a day or more.

  • Among the park's many points of interest, some of the more notable are:

  • Hidamari, which is a large glass pyramid building featuring with a gallery inside

  • and Mount Moere, which is a 62 meter tall man-made hill

  • and the tallest point in the park.

  • From the top visitors can enjoy an excellent view of the entire park

  • as well as downtown Sapporo in the distance.

  • There's also Play Mountain, which is a shorterman-made hill across the park

  • and also has decent views.

  • The Sea Fountain in the middle of the park which has daily shows

  • And the forest area in the east which features many play areas for kids

  • All in all Moerenuma Park has a relaxing atmosphere

  • and is a pleasant place to explore away from downtown Sapporo.

  • Number Two: Food

  • One of the biggest attractions of Sapporo is its food

  • specifically its fresh seafood

  • ramen noodles and beer.

  • Some of the best places to experience the delicious local seafood

  • are at the city's two famous public markets:

  • the Nijo market which is near the TV Tower

  • and the Curb market which is in the west side of the city.

  • Here we recommend having a donburi dish calledKaisendon.”

  • Kaisendon is a bowl of rice topped with a combination of raw seafood

  • such as crab, shrimp,

  • sea urchin, salmon roe and tuna to name a few.

  • Next, is ramen.

  • All across Japan, different regions specialize in various flavors of these famous noodles.

  • Sapporo's take on the dish is made with a miso based broth

  • and is usually topped with Hokkaido specialties such as corn and creamy butter.

  • Miso ramen was invented in Hokkaido and can be found throughout the city

  • but two locations stand out as excellent places to try the dish.

  • The first is in a narrow alleyway in the Suskino district called Ramen Yokocho

  • which is lined with many small noodle shops specializing in miso ramen.

  • And the second is in theSapporo Republic of Ramen

  • which occupies the 10th floor of the ESTA building attached to Sapporo station

  • and also features many miso ramen specialty restaurants.

  • Of course, the name Sapporo has been made famous worldwide

  • by the beer label of the same name which is one of Japan's oldest and most popular brands of beer.

  • One of the best places to learn about and sample the city's legendary brew

  • is at the Sapporo Beer Museum

  • which has displays about the history of the company

  • as well as a tasting area.

  • Next door is also the Sapporo Beer Garden.

  • Coincidentally this is also an excellent place

  • to try another unique local specialty cuisine item

  • which is called "Genghis Khan".

  • Named after the 13th century Mongolian ruler, this dish consists of

  • grilled mutton and vegetables

  • and is said to pair excellently with beer.

  • Lastly, if you are in Sapporo during late July and early August

  • be sure to visit Odori park which is located one subway stop or a 15 minute walk from Sapporo Station.

  • During this time every year tents, seating and food stalls are set up in the park

  • stretching over one kilometer transforming Odori Park into the country's largest beer garden.

  • Number One: The Sapporo Snow Festival

  • One of the best known winter events in all of Japan is the Sapporo Snow Festival

  • which is held for one week each year in early to mid February

  • and attracts over 2 million visitors to the city.

  • The most famous attractions of the snow festival are the many large snow sculptures

  • found throughout Odori Park.

  • Aside from the giant sculptures, Odori Park also has many performances and events

  • an abundance of food stalls, ice skating

  • and also a night illumination.

  • Also during the festival, the Sapporo TV Tower on the eastern end of Odori Park

  • has extended hours and is an excellent place to get a unique view of the festival.

  • Nearby, in the Susukino district is where you'll find several blocks of intricately carved ice sculptures.

  • At night these are also lit up, and the roads are blocks to car traffic

  • so pedestrians can admire them up close.

  • The third section of the snow festival is found at Tsu Dome

  • on the outskirts of the city.

  • This is a family-oriented area

  • which has snow slides, food stalls and a stage for events.

  • If you plan to visit Sapporo for the Snow Festival

  • we highly recommend booking your accommodation at least two or three months ahead of time

  • as most lodgings around the city become fully booked close the time of the event.

  • We hope this top five list gives you a good place to start when planning your trip to Sapporo.

  • For more information about any of the places mentioned in this video

  • or to explore another region of Japan

  • click the links on the screen now or head over to japan-guide.com

  • your comprehensive, up-to-date travel guide first-hand from Japan.

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  • Happy travels.

Sapporo is Japan's 5th most populated city

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