At Hokkaido Nature Tours, we specialize in creating unique private custom-made tours in the spectacular island of Hokkaido, Japan. Whether you’re after adventure, culture, sightseeing, wildlife or all of the above, we will craft a unique itinerary according to your preferences, and will always provide an English-speaking nature guide and private transport.
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Daisetsuzan Foliage: Ropeway assisted one-day and multi-day walks and hikes in Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan’s largest
Visit our website (http://hokkaidonaturetours.com/) and let us create a personalized itinerary for your tour by submitting the easy-to-use preferences form. You’ll soon understand why guests have raved about our tours: “Absolutely Brilliant!”, “Dream itinerary”, “Thank you for an awesome time!”, and many, many other happy travelers. Your private tour with us will become a memory of a lifetime!
Irashaimase!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 2000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | Open 7 days a week: Monday – Thursday: 5:30pm – 1am (Food and Drink last order: 12:30am) Friday, Saturday, Days preceding a holiday: 5:30pm – 2am (Food and Drink last order: 2am) Sunday: 5:30 – midnight (Food and Drink L.O. 11:30pm) 定休日 月-木、祝日: 17:30-翌1:00 （料理L.O. 翌0:30 ドリンクL.O. 翌0:30） 金、土、祝前日: 17:30-翌2:30 （料理L.O. 翌2:00 ドリンクL.O. 翌2:00） 日: 17:30-翌0:00 （料理L.O. 23:30 ドリンクL.O. 23:30） 17:30～翌1:00迄 |
| Closed | December 31 – January 3 |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | ￥300 charge for otooshi (お通し), a small dish of food / seating charge Capacity: 50 |
| Location / Getting There | Sapporo, Chuo-ku, South 6 Jyo, West 3 Choume Daiichi Susukino Building 3rd floor. 北海道札幌市中央区南６条西３第1すすきのビル3F |
Japan is an expensive country. But like all expensive countries, there are opportunities to enjoy the local fare on the cheap. One such chance to fill your belly is by having a meal at HANAYAGI, a small izakaya (traditional Japanese restaurant) located in the southeastern corner of Susukino.
Proudly serving Yebisu beer!
HANAYAGI has everything you’d expect a bare bones izakaya to have: something from the pickle jar, the deep fryer, the grill, the fish cooler and the fry pan. And a really, really cheap all-you-can-drink menu (nomihoudai/ 飲み放題). Enter through a corner door and you’ll be greeted by the chef busy doing what he does best. Shed your shoes and choose from one of the low tables situated on the hardwood floors. HANAYAGI only employs one other staff, so get your order in quickly. By 8pm the restaurant fills for a frenetic few hours with hungry 20 somethings. The drink menu is pretty standard: Yebisu beer on tap, bottled Heartland and a handful of premixed cocktails. As for food, consider your eating needs covered. With a wide variety of items listed on both the menu and on the walls, you’re guaranteed to find something to satisfy your hunger…providing you can read Japanese!
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Besides the chef, HANAYAGI only employs one other staff, so get your order in quickly. By 8pm the restaurant fills for a frenetic few hours with hungry 20 somethings. The drink menu is pretty standard: Yebisu beer on tap, bottled Heartland and a handful of premixed cocktails. As for food, consider your eating needs covered. With a wide variety of items listed on both the menu and on the walls, you’re guaranteed to find something to satisfy your hunger…providing you can read Japanese!
Just ask, and the staff will do their best to accommodate your illiteracy.
HANAYAGI is perfect for a busy night. You can be in and out in an hour, satisfied with a belly full of great local cooking. Or if you’re agenda is on the boozy end of the spectrum, consider this your best deal to prime the motor cheaply (think 2 hours of all the beer you can drink for under $10…). For the price, this place has it all: good food, good vibes and good value all in one place. Just remember to give your compliments to the chef directly – he’s a salt of the earth Sapporite, happy to serve the people.
Local youngsters readying for a big night out.
Grilled chicken breast with sinus-melting wasabi.
Fried oysters and mayonaise – heart attacks never tasted so good!
Grab a seat at the counter if the tables are taken.
は – HA, な – NA, や – YA, ぎ – GI = HANAYAGI in Japanese:
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 1000 - 2000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | 12:00 ~ 21:00, Open Sundays. |
| Closed | Open year round. Provisional closings are possible. |
| Contact | 011 211 8554 |
| Notes | No reservations necessary. No smoking/ No private rooms available. Most major credit cards accepted. |
| Location | Sapporo, Central Ward, South 1 Jyo, West 12 Choume, 322-1 AMS Building 1F 札幌中央区南１条西１２丁目３２２−１、AMSビル |
Start your night with a flight
BEER CELLAR SAPPORO is a great example of how the craft beer resurgence in America is influencing beer drinking abroad.In Japan, it’s confirming that beer lovers want more variety, complexity and depth in what could almost be called a national past time.As domestic brewing giants scramble to introduce craft-like products to market, the demand for real craft beer has been growing steadily. And while Japan is in the midst of it’s own brewing renaissance, many bars are focusing on opening American taps for their customers.
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Side plate of venison jerky
Specializing primarily in Oregon-brewed beers, BEER CELLAR SAPPORO has the same authentic taproom vibe that you would find stateside. Solid wooden and metal furniture, concrete floors and a big black chalkboard bring it all together.With eight beers on tap any given night of the week, visitors are certain to find something to quaff their thirst. Not sure what to go with first? Why not start with a beer flight tasting set of four 120ml glasses for ￥1,000 plus tax. Low ABV beers like the India Session Ale from Columbia River Brewing are great for those looking to pace themselves.
One of the many choices on offer
On the opposite end of the spectrum are double digit bruisers like the 10% ABV Grand Cru from Mazama Brewing in Corvallis. If nothing on tap catches your fancy, BEER CELLAR SAPPORO has five fridges full of bottles and cans for those craving a particular flavor. Prices on Oregon favorites like Rogue, Breakside, Columbia River, Coalition and Gilgamesh range from ￥500 cans to ￥3,000 specialty magnum bottles. Growlers are available but the price may be off putting for those on a budget.
Cheese platter
While a nomihodai (all-you-can-drink course) of Sapporo beer at an izakaya or Korean bbq joint is all well and good, you’ll never find a good IPA or stout on such a menu. BEER CELLAR SAPPORO’s food menu may be slim, but its selection of liquids more than makes up for it. They do have a cheese platter and a couple of small rustic side dishes. Planning your evening is as straightforward as can be: eat somewhere else first, and then come here for dessert. Maps, pictures and reviews are available here and here.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ￥300 ~ ￥400 per hour (depending on membership status & equipment rental) |
| Opening Hours | Open everyday, year round 10AM ~ 6AM |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-231-1955 |
| Notes | - |
| Location / Getting There | Sapporo, Central Ward, South 3 West 3, Dai Ni Tamura Building, B1 札幌中央区南3西３、第２タムラビル地下１F |
It’s a well-known fact that musicians travel, as they are travelers by heart. They may be called to the road to perform in the next town over, or at a gig clear across the country. And when their momentum really gets going, they hit the international scene. Sapporo is no stranger to hosting a wide spectrum of talent, from globetrotting buskers to world-renowned superstars. It’s also a city brimming with local talent with new bands sprouting up every year. As with any craft, being a musician requires a constant sharpening of ones skills. Even musicians on vacation get a hankering to practice their chops. If in the northern capital they should look no further than SHIRAKANSU, a first class music studio located in the heart of downtown Sapporo.
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Named after the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish that has evaded extinction for 65 million years, SHIRAKANSU is the newest generation of practice studios in Sapporo. Opened in 2015, it quickly established itself as the most accessible and well equipped of the downtown studios. While there are several other studios nearby, SHIRAKANSU is the easily the best. It boasts 12 practice rooms that accommodate anywhere from 3 – 15 people. Each room is fully equipped with gear any musician worth their salt would expect to find. Plug into to Yamaha EMX212 preamps, Hartke and Marshall stack amps, and EV PA systems. Drummers will be pleased to find well tuned DW, Tama, Pearl and Yamaha drum kits, pedals and cymbal stands and Paiste and Zildjian cymbals.
Far removed from the bring-your-own-gear ethos of the past, any folk or rock musician can show up empty-handed and still enjoy having a jam here. SHIRAKANSU offers a range of rental guitars, snare drums, microphones, and keyboards for a few dollars more. Drumsticks, headphones, guitar and bass lead cables – literally everything necessary to rock out is available to customers.
Open everyday for the better part of 24 hours, SHIRAKANSU has become the busiest studio in downtown Sapporo. And at ￥400/ hour for nonmembers and ￥300/ hour for members it’s a cheap way to have fun in the city. If you’re a musician spending a few days in Sapporo, call ahead or swing by to reserve a room for an hour or two. Just make sure to do it a day or two in advance. The staff is knowledgeable, energetic and able to overcome most communication gaps with a little patience. Remember that any trip is enhanced by some music. That’s a fact.
Click here for more pictures of SHIRAKANSU and a map.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ￥1000 ~ ￥2000 lunch ￥2,000 ~￥3000 dinner |
| Opening Hours | Open 7 days a week. Lunch 11:30 – 14:30 Café 14:30 – 17:30 Dinner 17:30 – 23:00 (LO food 22:00) |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | brooklynparlor.co.jp +81 11-209-3737 |
| Notes | Coffee shop, seating 130, non smoking, books available to read, hamburgers on menu, English menu available |
| Location / Getting There | Central Sapporo. Located in Akarenga Terrace shopping centre, on the 2nd floor. Top of the escalator and turn to the right 〒060-0002 Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Kita 2 Jōnishi, 4 Chome−1, Akarenga Terrace. North 2, West 4 |
Shopping in downtown Sapporo can be exhausting work. In and around Sapporo station are a multitude of opportunities to spend money. Visitors to the city flock to the big electronics stores, apparel shops and boutiques from sun up to sun down. Inevitably, with all the walking, bag toting and picture taking that comes with such activity, the need to sit, relax and replenish one’s energy will arise.
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Perfect brew to relax
Located on the 2nd floor of the new Akarenga Terrace Building between Sapporo and Odori stations, BROOKLYN PARLOR is a great place to refuel. With seating for 130 people, there is rarely a need to wait to take a table. This is important, as this establishment is the type of place where it’s very easy to while away the afternoon into the evening. Part high-ceiling café, part sit-down restaurant BROOKLYN PARLOR offers a variety of New York-styled dishes. From coconut lattes and caramel-drizzled pancakes to juicy avocado and bacon cheeseburgers and a pint of Brooklyn Lager, there’s something sure to please any hungry guest. Or for those just wanting a beverage, there are a number of specialty coffee drinks and cocktails, as well as non-alcoholic cocktails, juices and teas.
The interior design has all the trappings of a good book café back in the Big Apple, with funky tables and chairs, lots of plants and hundreds of books to thumb through at your leisure. Large windows provide a great view of the brick plaza leading up to the Douchou, the former Hokkaido capital building. Jazz music helps set the mood and on weekends local and out-of-town musicians perform on a small side stage.
BROOKLYN PARLOR’s appeal lies in the comfort of its ambiance and quality of its menu. In a highly competitive area for restaurants, this is one that’s sure to be around for a long time.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 1000 - 2000 Yen. |
| Opening Hours | 6pm - 3 am Daily 6pm - 12 am Sunday |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | +81 11-251-1087 |
| Notes | A small bar that is very popular. Can be full seating often. |
| Location | 7 Chome Minami 2 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 060-0062, Japan |
Front entrance to Kalahana
Although perhaps most famous for its auto and electronics exports, there are of course other markets in which Japan participates globally. Booze is one of them, and the name Sapporo is synonymous with beer, which you can read about here. A sister city with Munich, Sapporo holds an annual beer garden where revelers consume countless liters of light pilsner style lagers. In convenience stores, hotel lobbies and pretty much any restaurant you swing into, you will no doubt be offered the choice of a beer. With sales eclipsing those of traditional Japanese spirits, it is the favored social lubricant of the masses.
The owner, always more than happy to serve up his ale.
Sapporo is a beer lover’s city and has several downtown bars that specialize in the getting the good stuff. I’m talking proper brown and red ales, skull-splitting stouts and aphotic porters. Thirsting for an IPA potent enough to have you buzzing by the bottom of the glass? You’re in luck. You can find all of these and more at Kalahana. Located in the 7th block of Tanuki Koji (狸小路7丁目), this funky little bar is a mainstay in the covered Susukino arcade.The round table in front of the store is a great place to people watch when the temps permit. Inside you’ll find a cozy, wooden-floored bar, with all the trappings of a legitimate local watering hole. There’s seating for 22, although one or two more can squeeze in with a bit of shuffling. Edibles are listed on the large blackboard on the back wall, all of it simple, well-executed pub fare. Beers are in constant rotation and one week’s specialty might be the following week’s fond memory. The atmosphere is perpetually jolly in Kalahana, and it’s easy to become a fixture for the night. The staff is happy to talk beer, or whatever banter your greased gears crank out. It doesn’t take long before things get chummy and cross-table conversation becomes inevitable.
Some good craft beer
On a recent Friday night, my wingman and I were fortunate enough to grab an open table in the back. He started with a Belgian Wit bier, while I went to the opposite end of the spectrum with a 9% orange chocolate porter. So as not to drown ourselves early in the night, we ordered assorted cheeses and pâté to line our stomachs. Thirty minutes later we were into our second round of drinks, both of us opting for a full glass of Oregon IPA. The owners of the bar are a salt-of-the-earth hippie couple with impeccable taste in funk and jazz music. Couple this with good food and drink and you’re bound to leave satisfied. I’d be remiss not to point out that Japan’s version of a pint and a real pint (American or UK) are two different things, something to keep in mind if you’re drinking on a budget. The craft beer movement isn’t new in Japan, but it’s slow to gain the same traction as it has in the United States. High national taxes on malt are to blame, making beer drinking prohibitively expensive for some. Many younger patrons feel 1,200 yen is better spent on an all-the-mass-produced-beer-you-can-drink-in-2 hours option than a single glass of import beer. Still, there comes a time when plebeian swill just won’t cut it. In such a case, stroll on down to Kalahana for a glass of righteousness.
