Sapporo

Sapporo Japan

Capital of the northernmost region in Japan, and world famous for its annual Sapporo Snow Festival and Ice Festival-held in early February. It is one of Travel Japan's favorite stops.


The Snow Festival is usually held early in February and showcases over 200 snow structures including a feudal Japan castle, a Japanese home, various cartoon and anime figures, to mention a few. Just down the street is the Ice Festival, where over 100 ice sculptures are on display along the street. It is truly something to see.

The Nijo Market is where you want to be to see and eat fresh seafood straight from the fishing boats. There you will see taraba gani or king crab. The king crab legs are huge with lots of crab meat-and sweet too! Fresh ikura, or salmon roe, uni, or sea urchin, hokke, a kind of mackerel, are available for purchase. Hungry, stop by one of the seafood restaurants-Domburi Chaya, located in the Nijo Market, and have a 9 topping kaisen don, a seafood rice bowl.

The Sapporo Beer Museum, dedicated to the beer that was brewed there until 2003, where after a brief tour, you are able to sample some of the beer. Next door is the Sapporo Beer Garden where you can try the Genghis Khan Viking buffet for 3300 Yen, grill the lamb on a skillet and drink beer for 90-minutes.


Susukino's Ramen Yokocho, or Ramen Alley, where you can warm up in the frigid air by eating some steaming miso pork ramen noodles. Close by are several crab restaurants, including an all-you-can-eat king crab restaurant for 4000 Yen (90-minutes), and an all king crab 8-course I think, (I lost track on how many) dinner for 4900 Yen.

Sato Land, an kiddies amusement park with a farm theme, and winter activities like ice slide, sledding, etc.


Shopping on the mind? Be sure to check out Pole Town running from Odori to Susukino, and Aurora Town from Odori Park to the TV tower. Both underground arcades feature many shops and shelter you from the elements.

Chitosetsuru Sake Museum, where you can get a free sake tasting and sample the pure clean water of the area and sample the extremely crisp and delicious sake made by the sake brewery, which uses Ginpu sake rice.

Getting to Sapporo is simple.  Just catch the bus limo or the JR railway line from the New Chitose Airport into Sapporo station. If you're traveling by train, from Sapporo station you can catch one of the local trains to your hotel, or catch a taxi.