| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1500 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 0:00 |
| Closed | Wednesdays |
| Contact | 011-532-1202 |
| Notes | Soup curry restaurant, seating 25 , no parking , Japanese menu only (pictured) Smoking |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute walk east from 'Asahiyama Koen-dori Station' street car line. South 9 West 15 15-chōme-1 Minami 9 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0809 |
Counter area
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The hamburg soup curry
The Nishi Tonden Dori Soup Curry menu includes chicken, a delicious vegetable curry, the hamburg curry (which is highly recommended), plus a pork curry, and interestingly, a ramen soup curry. There are around a dozen dishes to choose from. The spice level ranges from one to eight. Be warned, though, eight is one of the hottest curries in town. Their soup curry flavors include coconut and a creamy prawn flavor. Delicious! There are added extras that are available to make your meal even more mouth watering. And of course, the drink menu includes lassis, soft drinks and in the beer department, Sapporo Classic, and Guinness!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥600 per drink ¥1200 charge system Stage charge: First ¥1,000 (¥500 yen after the second) |
| Opening Hours | 19:00 - 2:00 Mon to Thu 19:00 - 3:30 Fri & Sat |
| Closed | *Sundays (event on last Sunday of the month) |
| Contact | 011-532-0114 |
| Notes | Show timetable 20:00 / 21:00 / 22:00 / 23:00 / 0:30 / 2:00 Seating 30, smoking available, no wifi |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute walk from Susukino subway station 〒 064-0804 Hokkaido, Chuo Ward, Sapporo City Chuo Ward, Minami 4 West 2nd Street-8 Watabe Building 5F |
If you are looking for some good live music, Cross Roads is a great bar to check out. The bar is named after the cult classic movie ‘Crossroads’. Whereas the film has some epic guitar playing, so does this bar. Founded in 1998, you can enjoy music from the house band that is second to none. The musicians here are truly masters of their instruments, as they play cover songs from the 70’s rock era, from bands such as Eric Clapton, CCR, Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Journey, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chicago, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi and more!
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The house band
There is plenty of table seating, plus bar seating, where you can sit, drink, and enjoy the music, whether alone, on a date, or with a group. There is a stage charge system to see the band. It is ¥1000 for the first stage, and an extra ¥500 for following performances, which start at 20:00 and continue hourly. There is beer, wine, and spirits on the menu. Crossroads is also available to book for parties, and wedding parties. On Sundays, the space is available for musicians to hire for 30 minute shows, where equipment is provided.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1200 - ¥2500 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 22:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0139-42-2525 |
| Notes | Seafood shop seating 30, parking English menu available |
| Location / Getting There | Central Matsumae. 5 minute walk from Matsumae Castle & in Yano Onsen 温泉 049-1512 Hokkaido, Matsumae-gun, Matsumae, Fukuyama, 123 Hot spring inn Yano |
Come in for a bite
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Fantastic ‘Tuna Dinner’ set
Matsumae is a popular tourist spot for local and for tourists abroad. Yano caters to both, as their menu comes in Japanese and in English. It also has pictures of its dishes so its easy to order. Yano has some great seafood sets such as a tuna set, a fried shrimp set, or the crab cream croquette set. Other dishes include a spaghetti dish, curry set, or a hamburg set.Their crème de la crème though is the ‘Specialty of Matsumae’ set which has an assortment of local seafoods. The drink menu has soft drinks, teas & coffees, and beer.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0139-42-2449 |
| Notes | Photography spot |
| Location / Getting There | 6 hour drive from Sapporo or 2 hour bus ride from Hakadote. Matsujo, Matsumae-cho, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 049-1511 |
Peaceful
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Graveyard of the Matsumae Lords
Walking among the stone pathways and moss covered gardens is a real treat. Another feature of this area is the graveyard of the local Matsumae Lords. The trees surrounding the headstones and tombs make for a fantastic setting, with which to wander and take the quiet beauty of the graveyard. There is also a fantastic 200 year old Kechimyaku Sakura (bloodline cherry). The temples are especially beautiful during late April and early May, as the cherry blossoms (with which Matsumae is famous) are in full bloom. Make sure to bring your camera as you stroll through the historic buildings and paths.
| Admission | ¥360 Adults / ¥290 Group ¥240 Students / ¥190 Group Children free *Groups of 10 or more |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 April 10 to December 10 |
| Closed | Winter |
| Contact | 0139-42-2216 |
| Notes | Wheelchair access April & May busy, need early reservations for hotels, weeks in advance |
| Location / Getting There | 6 hour drive from Sapporo or 2 hour bus ride from Hakadote. Matsujo, Matsumae-cho, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 049-1511 |
Sunset on the hill
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Great spot for photos
The castle is most popular during the months of April & May due to its vast array of stunning cherry blossom trees, during which the Matsumae Sakura festival is held. The castle is located in Matsumae Park. The park boasts 10,000 cherry blossoms of 250 different kinds of varieties. Many of these cherry blossoms descend from a 200 year old Kechimyaku Sakura (bloodline cherry) also found on the grounds. The castle is a great spot to visit, as there is a lot to see and do in the area. The seashore town of Matsumae is also steeped in history.
How to get there
Matsumae is a town located at the very bottom of Hokkaido and from Sapporo, it takes a while to get there. Having your own transport is the optimum means of getting there. To rent a car would be the cheapest and fastest way. For those who can only take public transport, train and then bus are your options.
| From Sapporo to Hakadote | Super Hokuto Limited Express Super Hokuto 12 (platform 4) 3 hours and 30 minutes | ¥8,830 |
| Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Kikonai Station | Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen Hayabusa Hayabusa 34 towards Tokyo (platform 11) 12 minutes | ¥3,250 |
| Kikonai Station to Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop | Walk 5 minutes | - |
| Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop to Matsushiro (Matsumae) Bus Stop | 6:20, 7:38, 9:00, 11:10, 12:10*, 14:52, 15:20, 16:50*, 17:55*, 19:15 90 minutes | ¥1370 |
| Matsushiro Bus Stop to Matsumae Castle | Walk 400 meters 5 minutes | - |
How to get back
| Matsumae Castle to Matsushiro (Matsumae) Bus Stop | Walk 400 meters 5 minutes | - |
| Matsushiro (Matsumae) Bus Stop to Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop | 5:22*, 6:21, 7:20*, 8:44, 9:50*, 10:37, 12:34, 14:22, 15:52, 18:03 90 minutes * to Hakodate | ¥1,370 |
| Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop to Kikonai station | Walk 5 minutes | - |
| Kikonai Station to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station | Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen Hayabusa Hayabusa 23 towards Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 12 minutes | ¥3,250 |
| Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Sapporo | Hokuto or the Super Hokuto Limited Express on the Hakodate Line. 3 hours 30 minutes | ¥8,830 |
| Admission | - |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Contact | 011-221-4100 management |
| Notes | Events & festivals at the park run throughout the year |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute walk from Odori subway station & Susukino subway station. 1 block east from TV tower & Odori park 1 Chome Minami 3 Johigashi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0053 |
The statue of Otomo Kametaro at Sosei Bridge
Soseigawa Park can be found in central Sapporo, and runs from north to south, for 820 meters. It’s a pleasant place to take a stroll along the narrow river that runs through the centre of the park. The Sosei bridge crosses through the centre of the park, and is said that the history of Sapporo started at the very foot of this bridge. A statue of Otomo Kametaro, who first excavated the canal in 1869, can be found here. The park was redesigned and completed in 2011 with amenities, grass area, sculptures, and an underpass was put in.
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One of four works by Yasushi Yasuda
Soseigawa Park runs by the Nijo Ichiba Fish Markets and also the TV Tower at the eastern end of Odori park. There are around thirty different lilac trees planted throughout the park, twenty kinds of ‘Day Lilies’, and thirty seven German lilies. Along the walkways, you can find sculptures by three Japanese artists, Yasushi Yasuda, Yasuzo Nishino, and Eiki Danzuka. Throughout the year, Soseigawa Park is home to numerous festivals and events especially during the spring and summer. These events are a great spot to unwind and take in the beauty of Soseigawa park.
