| Admission | Main Exhibition Hall Adults ¥600 Students ¥300 Hokkaido Museum & Hokkaido Historical Village Adults ¥1200 Students ¥700 |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 17:00 (May to September) 9:30 - 16:30 (October to April) |
| Closed | Every Monday (If the Monday is a public holiday then the Tuesday will be closed) December 29th - January 3rd |
| Contact | Phone: 011-898-0466 Fax: 011-898-2657 |
| Notes | Audio Guides are available in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean and Russian. Audio Guides are available for rental at the Welcome Center on the 1st Floor. In the Main Exhibition Hall, there are multilingual explanation boards in each exhibition area. Wheelchair access Lockers available |
| Getting There | From Shin-Sapporo Station Bus Terminal Stop 10 Take the JR Bus No. “Shin 22” bound for the Historical Village of Hokkaido, then get off at Hokkaido Museum The bus ride lasts 15 minutes. From Shinrinkoen Station Higashiguchi (East Entrance) stop The aforementioned bus from Shin-Sapporo Station stops at Shinrinkoen Station. The bus ride lasts 5 minutes. On foot It is 20 to 25 minutes on foot from Shinrinkoen Station. |
The Hokkaido Museum, also known as Mori-no-Charenga was opened in 2015. This 2 story building replaces the old Historical Museum and joins the Ainu Research Culture Centre. The museum is open to the public and introduces a look into the history, culture and nature of Hokkaido. It researches the relationship between the natural environment and people, the Ainu culture, and the lives of the immigrants coming from Honshu. It also collects and preserves materials from the land and the people of Hokkaido, and conducts exhibitions, educational activities and events.
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The museum is beautifully laid out and the exhibits are well presented, well lit and the information is available in English and Chinese. There are 2 floors. The bottom floor looks at the history of Hokkaido and goes through artifacts and fossils throughout the region. It also has models and artifacts looking at the history of the fascinating Ainu culture. The 2nd floor looks at the more modern history of Hokkaido and its wildlife. It has some hands on items that are great for the kids. The second floor also has a lookout platform and rest area that has views of Nopporo forest.
2nd floor exhibit
The Hokkaido Historical Museum is a well designed museum with lots of information. There is a coffee shop on the 1st floor, lockers for bags and it has wheelchair access. There are a number of events throughout the year on their calender with special exhibitions. This museum is also in a great spot to see the Centennial Memorial Tower, which is a 10 minute walk away. The museum is also a 10 minute walk from the Hokkaido Historical Village, that is also a must see when in Nopporo Forest!
| Admission | - |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | November - April (winter) |
| Contact | 011-898-0455 http://www.kaitaku.or.jp |
| Notes | Free admission. Tower entry is closed to the public. This is due to awaiting renovations. 5 minute walk from the Hokkaido Historical Museum |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Nopporo Forest. Take the JR bus from Sapporo station or Shin Sapporo station, heading to Kaitaku-no-mura. Get off at Nopporo Forest Park. It's a 5 minute walk. Nopporo Forest Park, 53-2 Konopporo, Atsubetsu-cho, Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo 北海道札幌市厚別区厚別町小野幌53-2 (野幌森林公園) |
Nopporo Forest
The Centennial Memorial Tower was constructed in 1970. It was built as part of Hokkaido’s Centennial Project and was in honor of the people who built and turned Hokkaido into what it is today. It is also a symbol of future accomplishment. It is located in the vast Nopporo Forest park, which contains many trails and the Hokkaido Hokkaido Museum. The tower is 100 meters tall, in accordance with the Centennial Project and can be seen rising in the horizon from the train into Sapporo from the airport.
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You may be forgiven for thinking you had walked onto a set of ‘Lord of the Rings’ as this tower has a striking look to it. In the summer it is surrounded by huge fields of dandelions and is a beautiful place to walk around. Surrounding the fields is the dense Nopporo Forest. The shape of the tower is meant to imitate snow crystals, as it has a hexagonal base. The cross section of the tower represents the Chinese character ‘north’. The uneven walls are symbolic of the struggles the people of old had, during long hard winters, and the rising tower curving to the sky shows hope for the future. There is an observation deck 23 metres up on the 8th floor and there are stairs that continue all the way up to the roof. On top there are views of Sapporo and surrounding areas BUT unfortunately entry into the tower is prohibited!
Unfortunately, and very disappointingly, access into the tower is not allowed due to safety regulations. The tower has fallen into some disrepair over the years and is therefore unsafe to enter and climb up. Although you can’t enter the building it is still definitely worth going to see as it really is an interesting piece of architecture and Nopporo park itself is a great place to walk around, and its free!
| Admission | Overnight - Adults - ¥800 Elementary School Kids - ¥500 Infants over 4 yrs - ¥300 Infants under 4 yrs - free *Just for the day it is ¥200 cheaper |
| Opening Hours | Administration : 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | "Early" October - April 27th (Winter)* |
| Contact | PH : 0123-25-2201 FAX : 0123-25-2202 |
| Notes | Car needed Free parking available Toilets & amenities on site Camping gear NOT available to rent BBQ equipment available to rent Wheelchair access *Closing date changes yearly. Date is NOT decided until just before end of season. |
| Location / Getting There | Lake Shikotsu (Shikotsu-ko) Take route 453 from Sapporo - turn right onto route 276. Take route 16 from Chitose and turn onto route 453. |
Hows the serenity
Morappu Campsite is located on the southern shores of Lake Shikotsu, which makes it a serene place to camp out under the stars and next to clear, calm waters. Getting to the campsite, you will need transport. It takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes from Sapporo and about an hour from Chitose by car. Simply get onto to route 453. Follow this road until you get to route 276. Turn right onto route 276 and follow this road for about 10 minutes, the campsite entrance is on the right. The entrance is on a a bend and can be missed so keep an eye out for the signs.
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Lots to do on the lake
There is plenty of space to camp along the shores though its best to get there early, especially in the peak season (mid August). Upon entering the site, there will be an administration building where you will need to pay to enter. If the building is closed you can still go in and pay the next day. There is parking for up to 150 cars. Once in, there are carts to help you move your gear to the lake shore.
The campsite is along the shore of pebbles of the lake, so something comfortable to sleep on, is advised. Extra equipment is NOT available to rent, ONLY basic BBQ equipment such as grill and coal. All other equipment must be supplied by yourself. Other facilities include toilets that are well kept, a restaurant during the day, vending machines, and the rental shop.
Choose your swan!
The deep waters are crystal clear and stay at a cold temperature all year round, perfect for cooling off in the summer. The waters are also popular for fishing, canoeing and paddle boarding. There are boats and swan paddle boats available to rent. To rent a boat it cost ¥1000 per hour, and fits up to 2 people. To rent swan paddle boats for 3 people, it costs ¥1500 for 30 minutes, and for 4 people it’s ¥2000 for 30 minutes. The lake is 78 square km so there is a lot space to roam!
| Dates | June 7th - June 11th |
| Contact | http://www.yosakoi-soran.jp 011-231-4351（YOSAKOI Soran Festival Organizing Committee) |
| Location / Getting There | Odori park, and surrounding areas throughout downtown Sapporo Take the subway to Odori station |
The Yosakoi Soran Festival is an energetic dancing event based on the Yosakoi Festival of Kochi Prefecture which was first held back in 1954. The style of dance is highly energetic, combining traditional Japanese dance movements with modern music. Yosakoi is performed all over Japan at festivals. Sapporo’s Yosakoi Soran Festival was first launched in 1992. The dances feature naruko clappers, colorful costumes and Hokkaido’s ‘Soran Bushi’ folk songs. From its origins of 10 teams with 1,000 dancers, it has bloomed into a major international event attracting some 30,000 dancers from within Japan and from abroad. Every year brings up to 20 million visitors. It runs for 4 days with the top teams performing in Odori park for the final.
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Tireless performance
The teams are made up of men and women from all ages and all walks of life; students, homemakers, and workers. The teams perform all over Sapporo from afternoon to the evening. There is a great energy at these performances and the performers put a lot of effort in. They are always smiling and happy to pose for photographs. The best teams are selected to perform on stage in Odori park on the final day, where the event is televised. Many of the roads are blocked off to traffic so its very easy to walk aorund and view the various teams.
Performers with naruko
The energetic choreography, vibrant costumes and make-up are part of the festival’s attractions. The costumes are made up of ‘Happi Coats’ and yukatas (light cotton kimonos) and are based on historical attire, popular fashion, or ethnic fashions. All members of the teams wear similar costumes and look fantastic together. Many teams carry and use the ‘naruko’ (small wooden clappers) and each member has one. The use of naruko is required in yosakoi dance but over the years, many teams use other hand held instruments or props, such as drums, flags, batons, wagasas (Japanese style umbrellas), and floats. The head of each team usually has two singers or presenters that sing to a loud backing track, and there are typically one or two flag bearers at the rear of each team that wave giant flags to the music. Yosakoi is a colorful spectacle, and is a big event on the Hokkaido calender!
| Where | Hokkaido Shrine Nakajima Park |
| Dates | June 14th - June 17th |
| Contact | http://www.hokkaidojingu.or.jp 011-611-0261. |
| Location / Getting There | Hokkaido Shrine - take the subway to Maruyama station, it's a 10 minute walk to Hokkaido Shrine. The shrine is located in Maruyama park. Nakajima park - take the subway to Nakajima park station. Festival is located there. |
The Hokkaido Shrine Festival, also called the Sapporo Festival, has a history going back over a century. It is also one of the biggest festivals in Hokkaido. The festival runs from the 14th to the 16th of June. Stalls, entertainment and other attractions are set up through Nakajima park for those 3 days. Traditional dedication ceremonies are held at the shrine in Maruyama park, where many festival stalls are also set up. On the final day on the 16th, a huge parade sets out from Hokkaido Shrine and makes its way into the centre of Sapporo. The procession involves thousands of people dressed in colorful Heian period costumes. They wind their way through the city, so it is not hard to miss. Just follow the sound of the taiko drums. This really is a must see, a great Japanese experience!
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Nakaijima park is a popular place to head to for this festival. Many people dress up in their yukatas (light cotton kimonos) and head to the park. The festival here opens midday and closes by 10pm. There a rows and rows of stalls, selling local food, beer, drinks, sweets and even goldfish. Try your luck at the many game stalls set up, and try and win a toy or trinket. At the centre of the park, are a couple of fun ghost houses that you can enter. There is also a death defying motorbike event which is pretty interesting. Watch as a motorcyclist rides the walls of small circular room, blindfolded. There are also some jumping castles for the kids, and a magic house. Be warned though! In the evening, there are thousands upon thousands of people, and walking through the stalls can take a lot of time! It can get very crowded!
The highlight of the 3 day festival comes on the last day. Thousands of people in full costume leave in a long procession from Hokkaido Shrine. With drums, piccolos, and other instruments, this parade heads into the centre of Sapporo and makes its way back. The floats and portable shrines leave from Hokkaido shrine at around 8 am. It is a full day affair. The procession usually arrives into central Sapporo around early afternoon. Along with the procession there are 4 large mikoshi portable shrines that are carried by hundreds of locals, and 8 floats. The costumes are Heian period (794 to 1185 ad) and are very colorful and beautiful. Thousands of onlookers line the street and there are plenty of cameras around to capture this great spectacle. Definitely, mark this one down on your schedule if you are in and around Sapporo!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | from ¥4000 - ¥7000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 22:30 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-222-2588 |
| Notes | Large groups available. English menu available. Credit card accepted |
| Location | 2 minute walk from Susukino Station Sapporo-shi, Chuo-ku, Minami 4-jo, Nishi 2-chome, 14-6 |
This store is not hard to miss! Simply get off at Susukino station and look for the giant crab! As this giant motif suggests, this is a crab & seafood restaurant! This famous crab-cuisine restaurant has a 36 year history. This huge 5 story establishment serves up 3 major crabs, has special set meals, is a good spot for big groups or couples alike, and is a fantastic place to get a taste of Japan.
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The menu offers up a few set dishes which range from ¥4000 – ¥8000. These sets include crab sashimi, several small seafood dishes, stewed crab with vegetables, a rice dish, and an ice cream desert. For the more adventurous diner, you can buy whole crabs to share. These prices range from ¥5000 and up. Top price is ¥23 000! The size of these snow crabs is quite amazing. If you enjoy this succulent dish, then this restaurant is the place for you.
The layout, although a little dated, is set out Japanese style so its a nice atmosphere. There are 5 floors so there is plenty of space. There is also a large tetami-mat hall with hori-gotatsu (sunken floor) tables for large groups and parties. The staff are very helpful, and will help set up the crab stew and vegetables. They are dressed in kimonos so it adds to the experience. There is a shop at the entrance where you can buy gifts, and souvenirs (crab & seafood orientated) so you can take a piece of the Crab Shogun Restaurant home with you!
