You're Going to Love Sapporo
The capital of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, Sapporo has the lot: great museums, wonderful shopping markets and streets, sporting attractions, fine food, and some of the country's best beer too.
It's also an all-year-round destination. Being so far north, Sapporo gets plenty of snow. The mountains that ring the city (and hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics) become a playground for skiers and snowboarders, while the Sapporo Snow Festival in February is a visual spectacular.
Come summer, when the city heats up, you'll find food and drink festivals, open air music, enchanting Japanese gardens, and an easily walkable city center. There's not much more to ask for from an Asian vacation destination.
Top 5 Reasons to Visit Sapporo
1. It's a City of Festivals and Fun
Few Japanese cities (or any cities) can match Sapporo's hectic schedule of festivals. From the Sapporo Snow Festival in February, with its massive ice sculptures and captivating light shows, to June's city-wide dance festival, the Yosakoi Soran Festival, every month sees something to enjoy.
2. Winter and Summer Outdoor Activities Are Within Easy Reach
The countryside around Sapporo is staggeringly dramatic in summer, when you can hike, mountain bike, and climb in stunning locations. Then, around November, everything changes, and the region becomes Japan's winter sports nexus. If you love to ski, there's no better place to be.
3. Sapporo Is a Wonderful Place to Shop
The city is Hokkaido's commercial hub, and it has all of the stores, bustling markets, and electronics shops you could ever need. You can head to Odori to check out cutting-edge fashion labels or dive into historic Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade, with its narrow streets lined with restaurants, souvenir stores, and karaoke bars.
4. Fun Museums and Other Family Attractions
Sometimes it seems that the people of Sapporo are obsessed with fun. It's obvious at attractions like the Sapporo Beer Museum or the Ishiya Chocolate Factory (don't miss the white chocolate), manicured gardens like Moerenuma Park, and the quirky agricultural-themed amusement park Sapporo Satoland.
5. You Can Eat Like a King
Sapporo is famous for its food culture. On one hand, you'll find a distinctive style of ramen noodles (topped with fried vegetables), while there are also succulent snow crabs, curry soups, and much more to discover.
When to Visit Sapporo
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Sapporo doesn't really have an "off" switch. It just keeps on celebrating, shopping, and dining all year round. Obviously, if you are interested in hitting the slopes, you'll need snow, so visiting between December and March makes sense. Otherwise, festival season kicks off in May, and the weather warms up nicely after that. Any time between May and October will be ideal for sightseeing.
How to Get to Sapporo
Plane
New Chitose Airport (CTS) has a direct flight to Honolulu, and indirect connections to a vast array of North American cities. After you get there, the most convenient transportation option is the Skybus shuttle, which drops visitors off at their hotels (at a cost of around ¥20,000), but JR trains to the city center are cheaper, costing ¥1340.
Train
You can travel by train (via the impressive Seikan Tunnel) all the way from Tokyo. Sapporo also has excellent rail connections to other cities on Hokkaido. The JR Sapporo Station is the only terminal, and it's on the blue Toho subway line, making it easy to find your hotel after arrival.
Car
Few people choose to drive all the way from Tokyo (which takes 2-3 days in many cases), but renting a car at the airport and driving into town is a great option. If you rent a car, you'll just need to take the Hokkaido Expressway (northbound), which feeds you into central Sapporo.
Bus
Regional buses from other cities on Hokkaido arrive at Bus Center-Mae, a short walk east of the city center, with companies running routes into town including JR Hokkaido Bus and Hokkaido Chuo Bus.
Airports near Sapporo
Airlines serving Sapporo
Where to stay in popular areas of Sapporo
Most booked hotels in Sapporo
How to Get Around Sapporo
Public Transportation
Public transportation in Sapporo includes streetcars, subway, and light rail services, which combine to cover pretty much every inch of ground. Single subway fares are ¥200, but With You rechargeable cards offer better value, with a day's travel costing ¥500. Streetcars cost ¥170 per journey, with day passes available for ¥300.
Taxi
Taxis in Japan tend to be extremely expensive relative to public transportation or renting your own car, so beware. However, if you need to take a cab, there are plenty of options. Expect to pay around ¥650 per mile.
Car
Sapporo's city center has a handy grid network that is easy to get to grips with, and the intersection of Ō-Dōri (north to south) and Sōsei-Gawa (east to west) marks the center point. There are also plenty of rental outlets, including Nissan Rent a Car, Toyota Rent a Car, and ORIX car rental. Rental costs can be very competitive, at around ¥800 per day.
Car rental agencies in Sapporo
The Cost of Living in Sapporo
Shopping Streets
Shopping is a civic obsession in Sapporo, and everywhere you go, you'll find malls, underground shopping centers, and atmospheric alleyways full of craft stores. The best areas to go include Stellar Place (next to JR Sapporo Station), which hosts hundreds of fashion stores, cosmetics outlets, and restaurants. Sapporo Factory, near the Beer Museum, is also a fabulous shopping mall. If you want to buy an authentic kimono, head to Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade, where you'll find innumerable boutiques offering traditional and contemporary prints.
Groceries and Other
Supermarkets in Sapporo include Aeon (the most common store across the city) and many independent grocery stores. Don't expect rock bottom prices though, with a gallon of milk coming to around ¥820 and 12 eggs costing ¥200.
Where to Eat in Sapporo
The food in Sapporo is the envy of many Japanese cities, and in a country as obsessed by high-quality cuisine as Japan, that's high praise indeed. Great restaurants abound, but some of the finest options include Hanamaru (an exceptional sushi restaurant), Nishitondendori (which specializes in curry soups), and the seafood experts Sapporo Kani-Honke. There are also excellent vegan-friendly places like Aoi Sora and barbecue restaurants like Jingisukan Daruma Rokuyon; don't miss the BBQ mutton with bell peppers, leeks, and onions. Meals won't cost the earth, either, with a sit down dinner coming to around ¥3,000-6,000.