| Dates | September 9th - October 1st |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 22:30 |
| Contact | 011-281-6400 |
| Location / Getting There | Odori park. Odori-nishi 1-chome to 11-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 1 minute from Odori subway station |
Food & wine
The Sapporo Autumn Fest is one of the newer festivals in Hokkaido, being held for the first time in 2008. It is the last of the big Sapporo festivals for the year. The 4 big festivals in Sapporo come with each season, the winter has the Snow Festival, spring has the Lilac Festival, summer brings the Sapporo Beer Garden , and the changing of the leaves sees the arrival of the Autumn Festival. Autumn is the harvest season, and this festival showcases the best food from around Hokkaido! The Sapporo Autumn Fest runs the length of Odori park and each block has its own unique theme. Discover each, and enjoy the sights and smells of delicious food and drink from all corners of Hokkaido!
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1 Chome venue
At east 1, under the TV tower, is the Oktoberfest venue. Reproducing the ambiance of Sapporo’s sister city, Munich, you can enjoy craft beers, from not only Germany but also from around Hokkaido. Native German cuisine, is also served, with German sausages, snacks made with ingredients from Hokkaido, and other beer food. There is also live traditional German music to get into the authentic Munich atmosphere. This is a great venue for beer lovers!
4 Chome venue
The east 4 block serves as the Sapporo Autumn Fest’s entrance venue, and has a number of stalls that offer cuisines that abundantly use Hokkaido’s seasonal ingredients. Seating surrounding the large fountain at the centre makes for a nice setting to enjoy the various foods on offer here. Meats, and wines as well as seafood are available here.
5 Chome venue
This section is focused on Hokkaido’s delicious ramen noodles, with a large collection of ramen shops. There are also stores selling food from around Hokkaido, using local ingredients. Along with the ramen noodles, steaks and oysters are very popular! This is a nice area to sit at the edge of the fountain pool area and dine on your favorite foods.
6 Chome venue
This block is defined by the huge trees that create a nice canopy in which to wine and dine under. The 6 chome site is made up of stores from popular restaurants throughout Sapporo. This is the perfect opportunity to look around and see the latest dishes in Sapporo, whether it be seafood, meats or gourmet pizzas. There are also a couple of wine shops selling their tasty wares. Sit beneath the changing leaves and raise your glasses!
7 Chome venue
Smack in the middle of this festival is the very popular 7 chome site. Recognizable by the myriad of black tents circling the middle of the block, this site is where the wine flows! Hokkaido’s wineries are set up here so you can sample not only local wines, but also overseas wines which are very popular. In addition to the wine stalls, shochu and whiskey stores are also here. This block also gives you the opportunity to partake of some delicious cheeses, or grilled oysters. A perfect compliment to the wine…or whiskey!
8 Chome venue
Each town in Hokkaido is famous for something, and each municipality has its specific delicacy. People often visit these towns throughout Hokkaido so they can try these special foods. The beauty of the 8 chome site is that all these towns have all set up their food stalls in one block! Take a walk around Hokkaido and try the different foods from these places. There are a total of more than 100 municipalities, treating you to specialties from all over Hokkaido. Each store has a map pinpointing where the town is. This a very popular block showcasing an abundant amount of local cuisine!
10 Chome venue
For the meat eaters in town, the 10 chome site is well worth a look! Here, you can enjoy a huge selection of meats, including venison steaks, as well as crackling pork, chicken and beef. Famous wild game shops have set up their stalls which are enough to satiate any meat lover! Desserts and salads are available to compliment these dishes. There is also a beer stall set up in the middle.
11 Chome venue
Last, but not least at on the 11th block at the end of the Autumn Fest is the world cuisine block! You can walk around and see various chefs from around the world working their magic to bring you an array of delicious cuisines. Foreign wines and beer are also included into the mix. Try some “world travel” through the authentic tastes and talents of every country’s chefs. The smells and sights are a fantastic part of the Autumn Festival. See you there!
| Admission | Adults : ￥520 (groups ￥470) Children: ￥300 (groups ￥270) |
| Opening Hours | May - June: 8:30 -18:00 July - August: 8:30 - 19:00 September: 8:30 - 18:00 October - April: 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-851-3080 |
| Notes | Buses available Wheelchair access Free parking for 150 vehicles Credit cards available |
| Location / Getting There | 1 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 062-0045 Hokkaido Chuo Bus: 10 minutes from Fukuzumi Station (Tōhō Line) to Hitsujigaoka Tenbodai Bus stop. |
Hitsujigaoka which literally means, “Hill of Sheep”, was first developed in 1906 as a cattle breeding station, and then sheep breeding was introduced in 1919. At its peak it was the home to 2,000 sheep. The hill now, is the home to the famous statue of Dr. William Clark, and commands a stunning view overlooking the Ishikari Plains, with Sapporo Dome in the foreground. The hill also has an “Austrian House” souvenir shop, a rest house & restaurant serving mutton, a wedding chapel, a lavender garden in summer and the Snow Festival Museum.
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The Austrian House has plenty of souvenirs to choose from, and has ice cream for those hot, sunny days. Around the back is a huge field and a beautiful lavender garden that is in full bloom in the summer. People visiting are allowed to cut the lavender into bouquets at the end of the season and take them home! Nearby is a white birch grove, where you can wander about. For lunch, at the Rest House, there is a restaurant that is set up for “Jingisukan” (a Hokkaido dish of grilled mutton cooked on a hotplate). The two floor restaurant also has venison, lamb chops, and there is an all you can eat & drink option. Prices range from ￥1200 – ￥2200.
The chapel
The chapel is a pristine white building, which is a great wedding spot, and has seen many wedding ceremonies over the years. It is equally beautiful in the winter! Behind the chapel is a charming white birch grove. Along with the chapel is the Snow Museum. This building contains information about all the Snow Festivals that have been held over the years. It contains miniatures of the giant sculptures of the Snow Festival from decades past. The museum also has an interesting image of one of the snow sculptures in the very first Snow Festival!
The most famous aspect of Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, is the statue of the Dr. William Smith Clark, the father of pioneers in Hokkaido and who left the famous words “boys be ambitious”. His right arm is raised in his characteristic pose as he points “toward the eternal truth which lies far in the distance”. Dr. William Smith Clark was the first “hired foreigner” and served as the vice-principal at the Sapporo Agricultural School (presently Hokkaido University) in 1876. Although he served for only 8 months he had a great influence on all the students. His statue was set up at the Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill as the university was being overwhelmed by tourists.
To get to Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, you need to take the subway to Fukuzumi station on the Toho Line (blue line). From there take the 84 bus (Fuku Hachiju yon, Hitsujigaoka sen). Get off at the last stop Hitsujigaoka observation hill (Hitsujigaoka tenboudai). If you are driving, it is a 25 minute drive from Sapporo station.
| Dates | Mid July to Mid August (1 month) |
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-281-6400 |
| Location / Getting There | Odori park. Odori-nishi 5-chome to 11-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 1 minute from Odori subway station |
The winters are long in Sapporo, so when summer finally arrives, people love getting out to the summer festivals and events. And the beer garden is no exception! The Odori Beer Garden is the biggest event in summer, and the biggest beer garden in Japan! Since its beginning in 1959 the beer garden runs for a month. Located in the heart of Sapporo, the beer garden takes up 6 blocks, runs over half a kilometer and seats up to 13,000 people!
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Each venue is run by each of Japans leading brewers, so you can enjoy your favorite beer! Each venue offers seating with tables, standing-only spaces, as well as tables under a roof cover, it gets busy so be sure to get there early! Reserved seats are possible. Food is also available to buy. To buy a beer, you need to purchase a ticket then give the ticket to one of the friendly staff. Enjoy! The Odori Sapporo Beer Garden is broken up into the following venues:
5 Chome Venue: Suntory Beer “The Premium Malt’s Garden”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-222-8188 011-222-5122 (reservations) |
Located on the 5th block west, Suntory has nice seating around the fountain. Non smoking seats are available. There are 160, all weather seats, and stand-up drinking space. Plus the Suntory beer, you can enjoy a 10-liter refrigerated pitcher and Suntory’s Kaku highballs.
6 Chome Venue: Asahi Beer “Asahi Super Dry Beer Park”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-210-6990 |
6th block west, at Asahi you can enjoy sitting under the overhanging trees and enjoy your beer. Asahi has an English menu and as with Suntory, it has plenty of seating. Asahi also has Super Dry chilled to below zero degree at the popular Extra Cold bar.
7 Chome Venue: Kirin Beer “Kirin Yoroko Beer Garden”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-518-8010 |
7th block west is the Kirin beer garden, with plenty of undercover seating. Kirin has 3 litre beer tubs, or the mighty 6 litre towers that are a popular choice. You can also enjoy the Kirin Ichiban Shibori frozen draft beer. Reservations are possible, stand-up drinking space available.
8 Chome Venue: Sapporo Beer “The Sapporo Beer Garden”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-233-3305 |
On the 8th block west and underneath the largest tent out of the whole event, lies the Sapporo beer venue. You can can enjoy draft beer direct from the factory, as well as the “Classic Furano Citrus” exclusive to the venue.
10 Chome Venue: “World Beer Plaza”
| Opening Hours | Weekdays: 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) Weekends: 16:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 080-1972-6336 |
10th block west on Odori park will see you at the world beer plaza. Here you will find a variety of overseas draft beers such as Guinness, Lowenbrau, and Carlsberg, just to name a few. The perfect opportunity to try out some new ales!
11 Chome Venue: “Sapporo German Village”
| Opening Hours | Weekdays: 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
Last but not least on the 11th block west is the Sapporo German village. Enjoy authentic draft beer brought in directly from Germany. You can also savor German cuisine and happy hours from noon until 4 o’clock in the evening on weekdays. Reservations are available.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 - ¥2000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 22:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-213-5728 |
| Notes | Seats 26 No smoking from 11:00 - 15:00 Credit card available Take out available |
| Location | At Sapporo station in Paseo B1 Kita 6 Jōnishi Kita-ku Sapporo-shi Hokkaidō |
Hola
Located in Paseo Dining on the B1 floor, Mexican Dish Sombrero Mexicano is a nice little Mexican restaurant that is especially good for lunch during a busy day shopping. This is only one of a couple of Mexican restaurants through out Sapporo, if you are so inclined for some Mexican cuisine. This restaurant serves up, as you would expect, a selection of tacos, burritos, fajitas, spicy chili beans and enchiladas (which are particularly good). Fries, salads, and wrap rolls are also on the menu. The spiciness level is represented by a chili icon. Sombrero Mexicano also has a selection of Mexican beers you can enjoy with your meal. Of course, the obligatory Corona beer, plus Tecate beer, Sol, and a good Negra Modelo dark beer. The restaurant is nicely decked out with Mexican ornaments, and with the food, makes for a nice meal out!
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| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Residence: 9:00 - 17:00 Garden: 8:45 - 17:30 |
| Closed | Weekends, public holidays, New Years *Closed occasionally due to official affairs |
| Contact | 011-611-4221 |
| Notes | No parking |
| Location / Getting There | 16 Chome Kita 1 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 060-0001 5 minute walk from Nishi 18 Chome subway station (Tozai Line) Located across from the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art From Sapporo Station on JR, Subway Namboku and Toho Lines, take the Chuo Bus or JR Hokkaido Bus (42, 55, 65, 57, 66, 80, 62, 63) and get off at "Doritsu kindai bijutsukan" |
Spacious lawn
The Hokkaido Governor’s Official Residence was first built in 1936 as a holiday home for the Mitsui Gakuin Company. In 1953 it became the property of Hokkaido and used as the residence for the governor. It has since been used for various meetings and other functions, for national and foreign dignitaries. The residence was selected in 1998 as one of 100 local cultural sites known as the ‘Furusato Bunka Hyakusen’. In 1999 it was registered as a cultural asset. Apart from serving as a space for functions, it has served as a location for various television programs.
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Japanese elms
The Governer’s Residence is a hidden gem in Sapporo. Covering 5 square hectares the Governor’s residence has a huge lawn, and garden area with over 2400 trees making it the perfect spot to walk around and relax. Interestingly, the garden contains a pit dwelling from the Jomon era, thousands of years old. Pristine streams snake their way through this well manicured park area and there are plenty of benches to sit, relax and take in the greenery. The lawn and wooded area also contains sculptures.
The house itself is 2 stories and is designed in the ‘Half-timber style’ similar to that of English and northern European architecture. The reception staff is very helpful and you are free to walk around and look through the rooms, though taking off shoes is required. There are a dozen or so rooms to look around and are spacious with high ceilings and oak furnishings. It is interesting to walk through and read about each room! Information is available in multiple languages.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | around ¥1000 |
| Opening hours | 11:00 - 22:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-233-0411 |
| Notes | Seats 24 Non smoking No parking Credit cards not accepted May have to wait for groups of 4 or more |
| Location | 5 minute walk from Odori subway station. Tanukikoji Arcade 5 South 2 West 5 chome 20 Hokkaido Sapporo |
à la flambé
Chefs doing their thing
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