Sapporo might just be my new favourite Japanese city. The capital of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, Sapporo is a shimmering, buzzy destination packed full of cool cafes, mouth-watering ramen, a unique parfait culture, shopping galore, and much, much more – including the beer for which it is perhaps most famous.
It’s Tokyo but on a much smaller, more manageable scale with wide open streets, flashing neon signs and lofty boulevards more commonly found in European cities.
Many visitors use Sapporo as a transit hub, moving quickly away from the city to ski the region’s legendary powder snow, soak in hot springs or discover the indigenous Ainu culture (this one week Hokkaido winter itinerary includes two of these three things!).
Spend some time in Sapporo however, and you’ll be hard pressed not to fall in love with Japan’s fifth-largest city. Here’s our pick of the very best things to do in Sapporo.
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A brief history of Sapporo
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The name Sapporo comes from the Ainu word Sari-poro-betsu, meaning “a river which runs along a plain filled with reeds”. Before the capital was established here the area, like much of Hokkaido, was home to the indigenous Ainu people. They called Hokkaido “Ainu Moshiri” (Land of the Ainu).
After the Meiji Restoration and the Japanese colonisation of the northernmost island, however, things became very difficult for the Ainu people; the language was outlawed, their traditional ways of life including salmon fishing and deer hunting were banned and their land was repossessed.
Today, efforts are being made to preserve and promote this unique culture. In 2020 the Upopoy Museum opened, dedicated to the Ainu people. It’s the first national museum in Japan to be focused on the county’s indigenous population.
In Sapporo the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art is currently running an exhibition on contemporary Ainu arts and crafts. See our one-week Hokkaido itinerary for more ideas on where to experience and learn about the Ainu people.
Sapporo itself was only founded in 1868 when the Meiji government moved the capital from Hakodate. When designing Sapporo, American engineers and planners were invited to help with city planning and the result is an easy-to-follow rectangular grid pattern.
One of the key figures of this time was William S. Clark who helped develop Sapporo Agricultural College (today’s Hokkaido University) – a statue of him stands atop Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill and a bust engraved with his motto, “Boys Be Ambitious!”, stands in the Hokkaido University grounds.
Getting around Sapporo
Sapporo is very easy to get around. As well as the simple gird pattern, the roads are numbered and correspond to the block they border. So, for example, you might find yourself at West 3 North 4″, which makes finding your way back to your hotel relatively straightforward!
Public transportation is, as you would expect in Japan, efficient and reliable. Buses are the most cost effective but the Sapporo subway system is the most reliable, especially if you arvisiting in winter when heavy snowfall can cause disruptions above ground.
Speaking of which, the clever city planners factored in Sapporo’s weather patterns and built a far-reaching underground passageway system connecting around 50 per cent of the city center.
The Sapporo streetcar (tram) is another option. This runs a loop around southwestern downtown Sapporo and is a good alternative to the subway in this corner of the city.
Taxis are plentiful and while some bemoan the cost, they are much cheaper than in cities such as London!
Visit during the warmer months and cycling is another great way to get around.
Japan Cheapo has a very comprehensive guide on getting around Sapporo by public transport.
And if you plan to see more of Hokkaido beyond just Sapporo, you could consider doing a bike tour. Japan is one of the safest countries to cycle in for families, and Hokkaido generally has generally rolling terrain that is doable for families with kids. You could also use e-bikes that make tackling climbs even easier. There are several Japan bike tour companies that run e-bike tours in Hokkaido that start from Sapporo.
Things to do in Sapporo
Sapporo is one of Japan’s youngest cities; at the time of its founding, Sapporo had a population of just seven. Today this lively city is home to some two million people.
Visit during the winter months and enjoy the city’s famous Snow Festival, the Yuki Matsuri. Or, time your trip for the summer when, unlike much of Japan that is hot and humid, the weather is warm with temperatures averaging 21C. July and August is also when Sapporo’s Summer Festival takes place with outdoor beer gardens and other events in Odori Park.
Sakura fans will argue that the best time to visit Sapporo is in spring when the cherry blossom trees burst into bloom with delicate blossoms in varying shades of candy floss pinks and whites. In Hokkaido, cherry blossom season tends to fall from late April until mid-May.
Odori Park
Developed shortly after the city was founded, Odori Park is a great place to start your tour of Sapporo. The city’s answer to Central Park, this generous green space stretches for 1.5km through the heart of the city, separating Sapporo into north and south.
It’s a popular meeting spot – particularly for hanami parties (cherry blossom viewings) – and the venue for some of the city’s most well-loved events included the famed Sapporo Snow Festival.
Summer months sees food vendors set up their cars around the park selling grilled corn on the cob, a Hokkaido speciality. Makes sure to pick one up before you start your walk.
Hokkaido Botanic Gardens
If you feel the need for more green space then head to the Hokkaido Botanic Gardens, a short walk from Sapporo station. The verdant gardens form part of Hokkaido University are showcase what the city looked like before development started.
It’s particularly pretty during spring when the cherry blossoms burst into bloom or during the autumn months when the gardens transform into a cacophony of oranges, reds and yellows.
There’s also a museum on site dating back to 1882 that details the colonisation and development of Hokkaido.
Other popular parks in the city are Maruyama Park (the perfect place for enjoying the cherry blossoms and plum blossoms in spring) and Moerenuma Park, which was designed by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi.
Sapporo TV Tower
Standing tall on the eastern edge of Odori Park is the Sapporo TV Tower, a a 147.2 m high radio tower that has become a symbol of the city.
Construction began on the tower in 1957 and it welcome its first visitors in March 1959. Take the elevator up to the observation deck, which is about 90 metres above the ground, and you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the city – it’s a particularly popular spot for viewing the incredible sculptures and illuminations of the Sapporo Snow Festival. On clear days you’ll even be able to see all the way out to the Sea of Japan.
Not surprisingly for a country that loves souvenir shops, there’s a gift shop within the tower selling all manner of TV Tower-inspired merchandise alongside Japanese sweets and snacks, toys and more.
Sapporo Snow Festival
The big event in Sapporo’s calendar is its Snow Festival, which takes place in early February. Today this is a big deal in the Hokkaido capital when tens of thousands of visitors arrive to enjoy the incredible statues carved out of ice and snow.
The festival’s origins date back to 1950 when a group of high school students decided to make the most of the city’s snowfall and created six snow sculptures in Odori Park. They proved such a hit that a small festival was established around them – some 50,000 people attended.
In 1955 the Japan Self-Defence Force got involved, bringing extra snow to the park and challenging themselves to create sculptures on a larger scale. It was in 1972, however, that the festival really took off when Sapporo staged the Winter Olympic Games.
Today the annual Sapporo snow festival takes place in Odori Park as well as Susukino and in the grounds of the Tsudome exhibition centre. Sculptors travel from all over the world to take part in the week-long festival creating all manner of fantastic sculptures. Also on display, are sculptures made by local Sapporo residents.
If you’re visiting Sapporo with kids then head to the Tsudome where you can slip and slide along giant slides carved from snow in giant inner tubes.
Sapporo Clock Tower
It might not possess the same ‘wow’ factor as the Sapporo TV Tower (some would argue that it is disappointing by comparison!) but the city’s Clock Tower has a longer history.
Built by the Americans in 1878, the building originally served as the drill hall of the Sapporo Agricultural College, present day Hokkaido University. A clock tower was fitted three years later and it still works today. It remains the oldest clock tower in Japan to use a pendulum and is also one of only a few surviving Western-style buildings in Sapporo.
if you want to learn more then the exhibition room on the first floor shares the building’s history in more detail.
Sapporo Olympic Museum
When the Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo in 1972 its as the first time that the Games were hosted somewhere other than North America or Europe. Japan won three medals during these games, when three Japanese athletes won gold, silver and bronze in the ski jumping.
You can relive Sapporo’s Olympic glory at the city’s Olympic Museum, which sits at the bottom of the Okurayama Ski Jump.
The exhibition shares the history of the Games from the Ancient Olympics in Greece to modern day as well as the history of the Winter Olympics and the legacy of the 1972 Sapporo Games. Equipment including skis, skates and uniforms used by Japanese Olympians, are also on display.
Ski enthusiasts will enjoy the exhibition showcasing the history of winter sports in Sapporo itself.
Go Skiing
Hokkaido is famous for its snowfall. Japan’s northernmost island welcomes some of the deepest, best quality deep powder snow created by Siberian winds that cross the warmer temperatures of the Sea of Japan.
In Sapporo alone it snows on average 130 days of the year. When we visited in January it snowed 140cms in one day!
Some of the most famous ski resorts in Hokkaido are Niseko, Furano and Rusutsu but if you’re just looking for a taster, the chance to carve a few runs in Japan’s legendary powder, then the good news is that many ski resorts can be visited as a day trip from the capital.
Located just an hour away from Sapporo city is Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort. With only seven runs it’s small but perfect for a day’s worth of powder-bashing. The Jozankei Onsen is nearby for a post ski soak.
Sapporo Teine was there the 1972 Winter Olympics were held and today there are two areas to enjoy the Olympia Zone for families and the Highland Zone which includes the Olympic runs. Sapporo Teine is about one hour from Sapporo.
Kiroro Snow World is 90 minutes from Sapporo city and is famous for its regular snowfall, among the largest in Hokkaido.
One of the most popular resorts is Rusutsu that boats 37 runs catering to all abilities from groomed pistes for beginners to tree skiing for powder hounds. A bus transports skiers between Sapporo City and Rusutsu resort.
Sapporo Beer Museum
The city of Sapporo has become synonymous with its beer that has been brewed since 1876 making it the oldest in Japan.
The museum opened 111 year later – in an former sugar factory that had once produced sugar used in Sapporo beer – and today it’s still the only museum in Japan dedicated to beer.
Entry to the Sapporo Beer Museum is free and you can wander around the exhibition spaces learning all there is to know about the history of Sapporo Beer. Paid guided tours are also available and these include a screening followed by a tasting of Sapporo Beer Kuro Label – a recreation of one of the original brews from when the company was first founded.
For something a little more up to date head to Star Hall and take part in a tasting session that include brews such as the Sapporo Classic and the Kaitakushi Beer (tastings are paid for).
Like what you tasted? The museum shop stocks Sapporo beer merch, Japanese snacks and beers.
Grab lunch at the Genghis Khan Hall while you’re there.
Historical Village of Hokkaido
One of my favourite places to visit was the Historical Village of Hokkaido on the outskirts of Sapporo.
This open-air museum is home to 52 buildings from around Hokkaido that were dismantled and reassembled on the museum grounds. It’s a fascinating insight into Sapporo’s young history showcasing the period from 1868 to the 1920s.
The buildings are grouped by theme: the Town, Fishing Village, Farm Village and Mountain Village but the layout is seamless and you can simply wander from building to building – or catch a ride in the horse drawn sleigh!
We enjoyed a tour with a volunteer guide Jiro Nakai, a former air traffic controller originally from Hiroshima. Jiro-san introduced us to a selection of buildings including an old Inn, set up as it would have been in the 19th century with a kitchen, shop selling snacks and a waiting area with a Japanese train timetable.
Another favourite was the sake brewery and bar, the sweet shopped the large wooden high school for boys that had a great collection of old ski team memorabilia among its displays.
One of the most interesting buildings is the one once used to package herring; the buildings is divided in two with one area used for workers and the other where the wealthy owners lived. Make sure to peek inside the merchant’s toilet where an elaborate ceiling is on display.
You are also welcome to explore on your own but a guide definitely adds an additional insight.
Perhaps one of my favourite aspects to the museum was the costumes that are available to wear around the museum. There’s the choice of wearing either a black wool cape and bowler hat, as the men of the 19th century would have worn, or a large burgundy shawl, as seen on women of the time.
I opted for the black cape and quickly became quite attached to it! Boots made from straw are also available but only if you have small feet.
Ramen Alley
One of the best things to do in Sapporo is visit Ramen Alley, a narrow alleyway lined on both sides with cosy ramen shops serving up delicious bowls of piping hot noodles.
The alleyway, better known as Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho, dates back to 1948 when eight ramen houses opened their doors to hungry customers. Today 17 ramen shops sit side by side, each one with their own speciality.
One of the most famous is Aji no Sanpei where, in 1961, the first bowl of miso ramen was served, quickly becoming a huge hit. Sapporo Ramen Haruka specialises in cheese ramen, Teshikaga Ramen Sapporo conjures up mouth-watering bowls of ramen using fish stock. Tenhou uses pork stock for their ramen and Ichikura uses clam stock.
The best thing to do is wander along the alley and see which ramen shop catches your eye. Ramen alley gets very busy so do be prepared to wait.
Parfait Culture
A good night out in Japan often ends with a bowl of steaming ramen but in Sapporo, a night out on the town inevitably ends up in a Parfaiteria.
Unique to Sapporo, these parfaiterias fall somewhere between a cosy cafe, cool ice cream store and late night drinking den and serve fanciful and delicious parfaits.
These elaborate concoctions are created using a medley of ingredients: ice cream, fresh fruit, meringues, jelly, jam, cocoa nibs, biscuits and so much more, and inevitably involved a theatrical element as well.
Every parfaiteria has their own signature parfait and the recipes are closely guarded secrets (menus ask guests to please not take photos of the ingredient list).
We visited Parfaiteria Mil whose signature parfait has been inspired by the Hokkaido “snow fairy”, the incredibly kawaii fluffy white bird, the Shima-enaga. Not only was my Shima-enaga-inspired dessert delicious, it was almost as cute as the bird itself.
These are definitely a reason to stay up late for!
This map details some of the best parfait shops in town.
Eat at an Izakaya
You are guaranteed to eat well when in Sapporo. Like everywhere else in Japan it doesn’t matter if you’re eating in a high end restaurant or a small ramen noodle shop, meals are made using fresh seasonal produce and are delicious.
An Izakaya, for the uninitiated, is a Japanese bar, popular for after-work drinks accompanied by snacks. Think of them as similar to a Spanish tapas bar. There are dozens to choose from and they are a great way to try some of Hokkaido’s local specialities including uni (sea urchin) and shirako (cod semen).
Even if neither of these particularly appeal, there are plenty of other delicious dishes to try. Make sure to order Makkari Village Tofu, Yimomochi (potato croquettes served with a slab of melting butter) and the oysters that are plump and juicy.
Drink Sake
You can – and I would highly recommend that you do – drink sake when you visit an Izakaya but for something a little different, pull up a seat at the Kamada Sake Bar.
Run by sake master and sommelier Takashi Kamada, this cosy bar is a fantastic place to get a deeper understanding of Japan’s National Drink.
The bar stocks 120 different types of sake, and they all come from Hokkaido. My person favourite was the Kitano Katsu Sake, but Kamada-san speaks perfect English so he’ll be able to guide you through the different options.
Don’t worry if you start seeing double, either, Kamada’s twin brother is a sake brewer and owns a shop downstairs from the bar!
Go Shopping
Like every major Japanese city, shopping opportunities are endless in Sapporo. If you’re looking for souvenirs then I recommend the enormous, and oft-overwhelming, behemoth that is Don Quijote.
This giant discount store is the place to stock up on Japanese sweets and snacks; come here for KitKats in all flavours, incredible Black Thunder chocolate, chocolate-covered almonds, Hi-Chew sweets and more. It’s also packed with kawaii things. There is a 24-hour store in Sapporo – just look for the giant blue penguin mascot!
Japan’s equivalent to Patagonia is MontBell, an outdoor clothing and equipment specialist that was established in Osaka in 1975. They have a large store in Sapporo.
Studio Ghibli fans should head to Donguri in the Parco shopping mall. Located on the top floor, this well-stocked shop has plenty to delight Hayao Miyazaki of all ages.
Beams is a high-end clothing store that I first discovered in Kyoto. Hands (once upon a time it was called Tokyo Hands) is a popular chain selling everything from homewares and stationaries to gardening tools and all manner of beauty gadgets and gizmos.
Tanukikoji Shopping Street dates back to the Meiji era making it the oldest shopping street in Sapporo. The 1km-long covered arcade is home to around 200 shops.
Pole Town and Aurora Town are two underground shopping arcades packed with shops including 3COINS, where most items cost 300 yen. Don’t miss Kinotoya Bake when you’re wandering along Pole Town, this tiny bakery makes the most incredible miniature cheesecakes.
Where to stay in Sapporo
We stayed in the beautiful Yuen Sapporo, a modern take on a traditional Japanese inn with stylish rooms and a beautiful spa-like Onsen. It’s centrally located with friendly staff and the breakfasts are some of the best I enjoyed in Japan.
For more ideas on where to stay in Sapporo, take a look at these recommendations.
How to get to Sapporo
New Chitose Airport is the main airport for Sapporo with regular daily flights to and from most major Japanese cities including Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports. Flying from Europe, FinnAir flies direct to Sapporo from Helsinki.
Travelling by train from Tokyo, the Hokkaido Shinkansen runs to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in four hours. From here, the Hokuto limited express runs to Sapporo in 3.5 hours. Plans are underway for the Shinkansen line to run all the way to Sapporo and it’s estimated that work will be completed by 2030.
