A plan for Sapporo

Sapporo's population has grown from seven in 1857 to nearly 2 million in 2021.

Welcome to Sapporo is the city's official multilingual guide site.

Tipping is not customary here. Excellent service is the norm, and service charges are often already included in the bill

Climate

Sapporo has four distinct seasons. Temperatures are generally cool and pleasant during summer, making it a popular place to escape the heat that grips much of the rest of Japan. Summer days here start longer and earlier than the rest of Japan, with sunrise as early as 03:55, and the latest sunsets in June are only around 19:15.

Winters are harsh by Japanese standards, though not as harsh as the likes of Harbin or Chicago. Sapporo is one of the snowiest cities in the world (about 6 meters of snowfall each year, three times as much as in Montreal), and the city makes full use of this by hosting the world-renowned Sapporo Snow Festival in February every year. During the winters, the sun rises at around 07:00 and sets as early as 16:00.

1 Clock Tower (時計台 Tokeidai) (Close to Ōdōri Station.). This rather diminutive building has become a symbol of Sapporo, mostly by being the oldest building still standing. It was constructed in 1878 for the Sapporo Agricultural College (now the Hokkaido University) and would not look out of place in "Smalltown U.S.A." The inside has a small retrospective of its history. Visitor beware, as this is for some reason a mecca for Japanese tourists coming to Sapporo who feel that no trip to Sapporo would be complete without a photo in front of the Tokeidai, but has been rated as Japan's third "most disappointing" tourist attraction! ¥200.

2 Shiroi Koibito Park (白い恋人パーク). Formerly "Ishiya Chocolate Factory". The factory has an incredibly corny, but fun, tour building up to a view of the actual chocolate making floor, and ending with a random toy museum. Also there are two restaurants, a souvenir store, and an hourly robot show complete with annoying music. Famous for its white chocolate, which is sold under the brand "White Lovers" (白い恋人 shiroi koibito), and is only available in Hokkaido; if you are working in Japan, your colleagues will expect some White Lovers chocolate as souvenirs if you visit Hokkaido. There is also a cake buffet available at the restaurant on the top floor for "¥1,500" but reservations must be made 3 days in advance. ¥600 for a tour, free entrance to the premises. (updated Jan 2018)

Sapporo Snow Festival (雪祭り Yuki Matsuri). First week of Feb. This is Sapporo's largest event. The festival is best known for the ice sculpture competition attracting artists from around the world, competing to create the largest and most elaborate artworks from ice and snow. The festival is focused on Odori Koen, in the centre of Sapporo. It consists of a combination of large-scale replicas and artistic sculptures; children-aimed attractions; and a separate section for world-wide competitors (where you can see a wide range of smaller artistic sculptures). The festival should be enjoyed both in the day -- but particularly at night when the sculptures (especially the larger ones) are lit up. When the weather is warmer and there's a bit of melting, the smaller sculptures are literally remade every night to ensure that they are in perfect condition the next day. Book accommodation early, because Sapporo gets booked out during the festival.

1 Mt. Teine (手稲山 Teineyama). A ski mountain within easy drive from most of Sapporo. This ski mountain featured in the 1972 Winter Olympics. Offers a good mix of beginner and experienced slopes (in two distinct parks; Highlands and Olympia which are connected). You can purchase a Skip (スキップ sukippu, ski + trip) ticket at any JR ticket office for roughly ¥4500 (depending on which station you start from) that includes roundtrip train tickets to JR Teine station, roundtrip bus tickets from Teine station to the ski area, and a four-hour lift ticket. At Teine Station, make sure to exit at South gate #3 to find the correct bus.

Skiing. As befits a former Winter Olympics site, Sapporo is famous for its ski resorts, which are easily accessible by bus. Niseko, one of Japan's top destinations for powder, is two hours away by bus.

Sapporo is famous for hairy crab (毛蟹 kegani), an expensive treat available at any seafood restaurant, and miso ramen (味噌ラーメン), a local variation of the ubiquitous noodle dish with miso paste added to the stock, and one of Japan's top three ramen. The ramen in particular will warm you up nicely on a chilly winter day. Sapporo soup curry (just what it sounds like) is also increasingly famous.

As elsewhere in Hokkaido, you can also enjoy dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, chocolate and ice cream), seafood (especially as sushi), fruits (honeydew melon, strawberries) and meat (sausages, ham, bacon and beef).

Kuwanomi (桑の実) is a popular mulberry. It is red or black in color and sweet. Preserved kuwanomi can be made into jam, which is a traditional food. In elementary schools, students make kuwanomi jam every year.

1 Nijō Ichiba (二条市場), South 2-3, East 1-2 (5 min from Odori Stn). 07:00-18:00. Sapporo's equivalent to Tokyo's famed Tsukiji Fish Market, this is where the best of Hokkaido's catch is traded — and like its Tokyo counterpart, there are many restaurants here offering top-quality, cut-price sushi and sashimi. Popular with locals and tourists alike.

2 Aji No Tokeidai (味の時計台). The best-known ramen noodle chain in Sapporo, now franchised around the country. Many famous people have eaten here including former Japanese prime minister, Tomiichi Murayama. Miso ramen is the most popular dish, but if you want something special, order the batā-kōn ramen, a Hokkaido specialty made with a hearty broth of corn and butter. ¥600-1000.

3 Ramen Yokochō (ラーメン横丁) (just east of Susukino Station.). Also known as Ramen Gai, this alley is chock full of ramen shops of all varieties. Get butter corn ramen, crab ramen, and even scallop ramen. It's touristy but fun, and locals come here as well.

4 Sapporo Beer Garden. At the same location as the Beer Museum is the Beer Garden, an incredibly popular Genghis Khan (mutton barbeque) restaurant. Even though the dining rooms span three large buildings, come early and expect to wait. The restaurant offers a 100-minute all-you-can-eat-and-drink plan, as well as à la carte. Bibs are provided, because the food can get rather messy.

The drink of choice when in Sapporo is obviously Sapporo Beer, and a good option for this is the Beer Museum (see See).

Susukino (すすきの), to the south of the center, is one of Japan's largest nightlife (and red-light) districts, which was created to keep labourers in Hokkaido. It has a somewhat unsavory reputation due to heavy yakuza involvement in the business, but is safe for travelers not looking for trouble. Get there on the subway Namboku line, Susukino station.

1 Paul's Cafe, North 5 West 5 (next to the railway station, in Century Royal Hotel Building). 11:00-22:00. Belgian beer and rotisserie grill chicken. While you wait for your train, Paul will delight you with his wonderful beer selection.

Jazz Spot Jericho (ジェリコ), Minami 3 Jonishi, 3 Chome−1 (Located in the basement of サンスリービル スブリム), ☏ +81 11-231-2529. Opens at 8pm. A tiny jazz bar in a building's basement with live performances most nights. Check the website to see who's playing and have a good listen for the cover of one drink. (updated Sep 2026)

Most unusually for a Japanese city, Sapporo is logically organized thanks to its strict grid system. The main thoroughfare, the leafy Ō-Dōri (大通り, literally "Big Street"), runs east-west across the city and divides the city into North and South, while Sōsei-Gawa (創成川, literally "Creation River") divides the city into West and East, running under the main street Eki-Mae-Dōri (駅前通, literally "In Front of the Train Station Road"). The address of every block in the center is thus of the type "North X West Y" (prominently signposted at all intersections), making navigation a snap. However, most businesses provide maps to their location, building names or landmarks, because the address "North X West Y" or the like simply means that the place you are trying to find will be somewhere in the block, and blocks in the center of the city can be quite large!

Two public transportation smart cards are sold in the Sapporo area; JR Hokkaido's Kitaca and the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau's SAPICA. While the Kitaca can be used on the buses, subway and streetcars, the SAPICA cannot be used on JR trains, making the Kitaca the better choice for most visitors. If you are coming from elsewhere in Japan, the major smart cards from other regions such as Kanto's Suica and PASMO, and Kansai's ICOCA are fully interchangeable with Kitaca, meaning that you do not need to purchase an extra smart card.

By train

The JR above-ground trains are reasonably priced and a good option for traveling in Sapporo and surroundings. The trains arrive and depart at specific times. You'll most likely want to take a train to and from the airport.

No smoking. Downtown Sapporo is a smoke-free area. Smoking on public streets and in public buildings will get you fined, should the police be inclined, so please use smoking areas in cafes. Relatedly, cigarette vending machines require a special ID card. These TASPO cards are free, but require an address in Japan and several weeks to receive in the mail. (updated Nov 2021)