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Manda

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥800 per drink *Sit down charge |
Opening Hours | 16:00 - 00:00 16:00 - 23:00 Sundays |
Closed | - |
Contact | 011-251-7717 |
Notes | Craft beer bar, seating 12, smoking, all you can drink plan available, outside seating in summer |
Location | The bar is located in the Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade on the 6th block. It is just a 6 minute walk from the Susukino subway station. 6 Chome-8 Minami 3 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0063 |
Manda is a cozy little bar in the hustle and bustle that is the Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade. Manda has outside seating during the summer months and is a nice spot to sit down, have some beer and food and watch the shoppers and other revelers pass by. The beer here is quite good. They have Sapporo Classic on tap plus a variety of other craft beers from which to order. They do have an all you can drink option. Few things to note that this is smoking bar plus there is a sit down charge.
The main selling point for this bar is the craft beer in which they have a reasonable selection. They have Hoegaarden, a Belgian Westmar beer, and Pilsner Urquell which can be found in Czechoslovakia. For those traveling to Japan, you can try some Japanese craft beer here. There are four different beers to sample. The kitchen here serves up some finger food that compliments the beer. They have potato crisps, cold meats such as cured ham and olives. There are also salads to enjoy.

Otaru Canal Museum & Information Center

Admission | ¥300 |
Opening Hours | 9:30 - 17:00 Information center closes at 18:00 |
Closed | - |
Contact | 013-4221-258 |
Notes | Museum, wheelchair access, lockers available, sled activities (winter), paid parking close by |
Location / Getting There | The museum is located right by Otaru Canal. It is a 10 minute walk south from Otaru train station. From the exit, walk down the main road to the canal. The museum is on the left, along route 454 2 Chome-1-20 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0031 |
Otaru City General Museum Canal Museum has an extensive collection that introduces the history of Otaru City including information on the natural environment. The exhibition includes 20,000 objects and materials in its collection. The museum is located by Otaru Canal and can be found in the ‘former Otaru warehouse’. This beautiful building was constructed in 1887. The museum itself is a historical icon. In 2007, the museum was opened as well as the Otaru Information Center which has direct access to the museum.
The first exhibition room looks at the history of Otaru from its origins connected with the Ainu. There are materials related to the Ainu as well as the herring fishing industry. The latter part of the exhibition looks at a cityscape of Otaru during the Taisho era (1912 – 1926). There are some hands on exhibits here. The second exhibition room looks at the extensive flora and fauna of the Otaru area. These fascinating exhibits include a skeleton of a giant sea lion. Apart from the museum, there is a nice small coffee shop located in the information center. The information center is recognizable by its champagne glass pyramid. This room as tonnes of information about Otaru. Very useful for tourists.

Tokai Lavender Fields

Admission | Free |
Opening Hours | - |
Viewing times | July & August |
Closed | - |
Contact | - |
Notes | Car needed, small parking area, festival in mid July |
Location / Getting There | Located at Tokai School campus. It's a 30 minute drive from central Sapporo. Head south along Ishiyama Road and turn right onto route 82. Public transport, take the subway to Makomanai Station (Nanboku line). From here take the bus 24 to Tokai Highschool. 1 Chome-1-1 Minamisawa 5 Jo, Minami Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 005-8602 |
On the Tokai Sapporo School campus the grounds really comes alive with lavender. It is said that the south district of Sapporo, where the campus is located, is known as the birthplace of lavender cultivation in Japan. The lavender field here has been planned since 2002 and now it has 3,600 lavender plants that create a beautiful scene from late June to mid August. There is a festival held here annually in mid July. This includes a “lavender concert” which is performed by the brass band of the school here (noted as the best school brass band in Japan).
During the festival a ‘Yosakoi Soran’ dance is also performed by the students. The festival has become an annual event not only for the students but also for the whole community. The fields are accessed easier by car. There is a large parking lot right near the campus grounds and this parking is free. For those taking the bus, the bus stop is directly in front of the school. These lavender fields are pleasant to walk around. They have a few benches on which to rest. The backdrop of the new modern school is also nice. These small lavender fields are not well known so for those traveling you can experience a very local and non touristy sightseeing spot!

Gaja

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥3000 - ¥5500 |
Opening Hours | 17:00 - 02:00 Susukino & Kitano store 17:00 - 23:00 Motomachi 17:00 - 00:30 Obihiro, Riverside, Aso, and Kotomi store |
Closed | - |
Contact | For numbers please check the Gaja website http://gajafan.com/store/ |
Notes | BBQ style dining, all you can eat plan, all you can drink plan, party plan, good for groups |
Location | Various locations throughout Hokkaido. The Susukino location in Sapporo is a 4 minute walk south from the Susukino subway station and can be found in the Cyber Building. Please see the maps below for Sapporo location and at the end of the article for locations in Hokkaido. |
They have party plans that range from ¥3500 to ¥5500 and obviously the more expensive the more you get for your buck. They also have a ‘viking’ plan which is basically an all you can eat plan that costs around ¥4000 for around two hours. You can have yourself a nice little BBQ in the comfort of a restaurant. And what goes well with cuts of meat but beer. Here they have an all you can drink plan as well. So this place is good for parties and groups where the drink and food flows all round.
Gaja is a very popular chain of yakiniku restaurants throughout Sapporo and with another location in Obihiro as well. Yakiniku is a unique dining experience where the clientele grill (yaku) their own meats (niku) to their desired taste. The food is cooked on small hot grill that is heated via hot coals. Each grill is located in the center of the tables with an exhaust fan above (so the customers don’t get smoked out). These restaurants are popular for two reasons. First there is a large selection of meat that can be chosen. Different cuts of beef, plus pork, chicken and vegetables. Rice and a variety of sauces are also available.

Mt. Teine

Height | 1,023 metres |
Length | 10km round trip |
Hiking Time | Summer - 3 hours to summit |
Notes | Hiking trail, popular ski field in winter, car access |
Location / Getting There | To hike the trail during summer. Drive to Heiwa no Taki (peace waterfall). This drive is a 30 minute drive east from central Sapporo. From the shrine near the waterfall you can find the trail head. During winter, it is a 1 hour drive from central Sapporo. The easiest route is to get on route 5 and then turn left onto the road that leads up to the mountain top. Heiwa, Nishi Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 063-0029 |
Mt Teine is a very popular mountain on the western outskirts of the city of Sapporo. The mountain has an elevation of 1,023 meters, or 3,356 feet. This mountain is busy during summer as well as winter. During the winter months Mt Teine serves as a ski resort which sees thousands of locals and visitors enjoying the ski slopes whether it be skiing, or snowboarding. Mt Teine was one of the sites of the first Winter Olympics held in Asia, in 1972. This mountain hosted the giant slalom and slalom events in alpine skiing.
During the summer months there are hiking trails that lead to the summit of the mountain. For those who don’t wish to hike the trail (which takes about 2 hours to the top), there is an access road which can be used to drive up where you can enjoy the views over Sapporo and Ishikari Bay. The trail head can be found at Heiwa no Taki (peace waterfall). There is parking here and you can find the trail next to an old shrine here. Along the path you can see the Nunojikino Falls, a small waterfall, plus along the path you can pick wild vegetables including mushrooms. The trail turns into a rocky slope near the top so be sure to wear suitable foot wear.

Teppanyaki Steakhouse Annex

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥5000 |
Opening Hours | 11: 45 - 15: 00 (last order 14:00) 17: 00 - 24: 00 (last order 21:00) |
Closed | - |
Contact | 011-552-2929 https://www.sapporo-steak.jp/ |
Notes | Teppanyaki restaurant, seating 32, private room 4 - 7 people, credit card accepted, no smoking, paid parking 110 spaces (free for first 2 hours), steak restaurant, reservations preferable |
Location | This restaurant is located in central Sapporo. It is directly on route 36 on the basement floor of the 'Sapporo Tokyu Rei Hotel'. It is only a 1 minute walk west from Susukino the subway station. Head to the basement floor of the hotel. 5-1 Minami 4 West, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido, Sapporo Tokyu REI Hotel Restaurant Brother Sapporo B1 |
If you love steaks, this place is a must. This restaurant is a fantastic place to celebrate a special occasion, or if you are traveling to Japan, then this a great Japanese experience to enjoy and remember. This is a ‘teppanyaki’ restaurant which means you get to watch your own personal chef working their magic. Everything is cooked right in front of you and there is a certain flair to the dishes so make sure to bring your camera! There are various set dishes to order that include a meat cut plus vegetables and dessert.
These set meals are not cheap but the cost is worth it. The meat here (especially the steaks) are succulent and melt in your mouth. The beef here is Tokachi black beef and has been carefully selected. The steaks here have beautiful marbling and you won’t find a better steak. These can be enjoyed with salt, wasabi, or a handmade mustard. The seats each come with a single chef so you need to book in. Private rooms fit up to seven people. This restaurant is definitely high on the list of dining experiences. There is parking within the hotel (free for the first 2 hours), or the restaurant is not a far walk from Susukino subway station.