| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | Free entry |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-706-2658 |
| Notes | No parking, walking distance from Sapporo station, exhibits mostly in Japanese |
| Location | This museum is easy to access. It is a 15 minute walk from Sapporo station. Start by taking the north exit from the station and take a nice walk through the University grounds. 8 Chome Kita 10 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 |
Walking around the grounds of Hokkaido University is a nice day out unto itself, and finding the museum here is a nice little bonus. The museum is free to enter and has some great exhibits. What makes this museum good is the old corridors that the visitors get to wander around. This gives the whole place an antiquated feel which adds to the experience. The show rooms are a little more modern and have an array of scientific exhibitions ranging from biological to technological fields. Unfortunately, practically all the information is in Japanese so for tourists, you aren’t learning too much. Even if you can’t read Japanese you can still enjoy the dioramas and pictures. They have local flora and fauna, animal skeletons, a dinosaur area with fossils, chemistry, geology, plus many more. The whole museum is two floors with elevator access. At the end, there is a gift store with souvenirs. This museum is great to wander around and good for kids too. A good day out as the grounds are nice to walk around as well!
| Population | 157,288 |
| Size | 1,362.90 km2 |
| Contact | https://www.city.kushiro.lg.jp/ Kushiro City Hall - 0154-23-5151 |
| Location / Getting There | Kushiro is located in the south eastern part of Hokkaido. By car, from Sapporo the fastest route is a 4 hour 21 minute drive (tolls included). Head east via route 38. For a long drive you can take the scenic coastal drive down south to Erimo and then across east Kushiro. This coastal drive will take about 8 hours. There is an airport in Kushiro also. |
Kushiro is a small city in the eastern part of Hokkaido and is located on the coast and is the most populated city in eastern Hokkaido. Its history dates back to 1869. Being a port city, it has strong ties to the fishing industry. It is also most famous for the two national parks surrounding the city. These national parks are Kushiro Marsh and Akan Marsh. Kushiro has a main train station, airport and a main road that runs through the center of town, with many temples, museums and restaurants. Food wise, Kushiro is the birthplace of ‘Zangi’ (deep fried chicken) and also ‘SupaKatsu’ (a local dish of spaghetti and fried pork cutlet). So what to do in Kushiro? Read on!
Sightseeing
Friendship Square Kobunka Kushiro City Museum Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf MOO Kushiro Marsh Observatory
Kushiro Shitsugen National Park Nusamai Bridge Nusumai Park Onnenai Visitor Centre Sakaemachiheiwa Park
Food
Nightlife
Accommodation
Hotel Crown Hills Kushiro Kushiro Century Castle Hotel
Daimaru Department store is a large shopping centre connected to Stellar Place and Sapporo station. The supermarket here is on the basement one floor and it is here you can find many Japanese food goods and souvenirs. Half the area is your typical supermarket in Japan selling meat products, dairy, fresh fish, liquor, and fruits and vegetables. Though, what makes this supermarket different from your usual run of the mill supermarkets is that has a bit more range, including some hard to find items, and higher quality produce. These higher quality items come with a price and you will find this supermarket more expensive than most. Here, is particularly handy if you are hosting or attending a dinner party and can produce some lovely food dishes. Also on this floor they sell Hokkaido based food souvenirs and many items that can only be found in Hokkaido. This floor also has an abundance in confectionary stores. If you have a sweet tooth, then definitely drop in. Parking is available at this department store but if you are using public transport, then its an easy quick walk from either the train station or the subway station.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Photo spot |
| Location / Getting There | The river runs through the southern end of Susukino, Sapporo, and runs through Soseigawa Park. |
This is a very small river that runs through or past many iconic areas of Sapporo. It is a well recognized river though most people don’t know much about it. It breaks off from Toyohira River and begins its journey north and runs all the way along Nakajima Park. From here it cuts through the northern part of Susukino. There is a bridge over this river at Eki Mae Dori (the main street that runs through Sapporo. It is at this bridge where people can get some nice photos. During the springs cherry blossoms drape over this small river in this area, and in winter it is quite beautiful. It is here too that you can look down and see the many Koi (colorful carp) fish here swimming around. From here the river flows along with some bars and stores along its banks. The river then flows straight for many kilometres. It is the central feature of Soseigawa Park which is named after the river (gawa meaning river in Japanese). The river finally ends up joining Fushiko River and then eventually joins the mighty Ishikari River which ultimately flows to Ishikari Bay.
| Opening Hours | 09:00 - 18:30 Susukino location 09:00 - 17:30 Soen location |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-5302-777 Susukino store 011-6155-858 Soen store |
| Notes | Supermarket, bulk buying grocery store, card accepted, parking available |
| Location | Susukino location is a 6 minute walk from Nakajima Koen station. 2 Chome-2-15 Minami 7 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0807 The other location is a 5 minute walk from Nijuyonken JR station. 〒060-0010 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Kita 10 West 23 |
There are two Carrot supermarkets in Hokkaido, and they are both in Sapporo. Carrot is simply a very small version of Costco. A lot of the items are bulk buy and you will see many restaurant and bar managers using Carrot fir their needs. Unlike Costco, you don’t need a membership card to use them. A lot of their food items are frozen, which again, can be bought in bulk. They also have many overseas foods and condiments that you won’t find in most supermarkets so Carrot is also quite popular with the expat community. Anything from pastas, olives, sausages, and cheeses to name just a few. They have a large range of spices to perk up any dish plus if you enjoy baking, there is a myriad of different flours for your baking needs. Carrot not only provides a large supply of ingredients, they have kitchen items, cooking items, and packaging on a large scale. Carrot is a very handy resource especially for cooks!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 21:00 Shin-Sapporo Sunpiazza 09:00 - 23:00 Shiroi-shi 09:00 - 20:00 Otaru station 10:00 - 22:00 Obihiro 10:00 - 21:30 Kushiro |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | https://www.burgerking.co.jp/home |
| Notes | Fast food store, parking, card accepted |
| Location | There are 6 locations in Hokkaido. 2 in Sapporo, 1 at Otaru train station. 1 in Kushiro, 1 in Aeon Mall in Asahikawa, and 1 in Obihiro. Check the maps in the article. |
Burger King not a super well known fast food chain in Japan but it is spreading. This chain serves as a guilty pleasure for those expats living in Hokkaido, or maybe as a rare escape from Japanese food for those traveling from abroad. There are only six Burger King stores currently in Hokkaido as of 2025, so finding one is a little rare. The easiest Burger King to find is in Otaru as it is at the very exit from the station. The others are a little out of the way and require a car to get there. Burger King first arrived in Japan in 1993 and has continued to spread across the country. The menu keeps the same with the brand being the home of the ‘Whopper’ and you can find your favorite items on the menu. All these stores have parking, and a couple of them have drive through. Most meals are around the ¥1000 mark so if you are looking for a quick bite and want something that reminds you of home, Burger King is a good fast food option.
