| Dates | Early May to early June |
| Opening Hours | 7:00 am to 6:00 pm (no illumination) |
| Entry fee | ¥500 Adults ¥250 Children |
| Contact | 0158-29-2730 http://takinoue.com/ |
| Notes | Parking available Best viewing time - Mid may Helicopter tour available |
| Location / Getting There | 3 and a half hour drive from Sapporo. 2 hour drive from Asahikawa Takinoue Park, Motomachi, Takinoue, Monbetsu District, Hokkaido 099-5604 |
Moss pink
From the start of May to the start of June, the small town of Takinoue displays its most famous sightseeing spot, the Takinoue Park Shibazakura. Shibazakura, also known as ‘moss pink’, or ‘creeping phlox’ is an evergreen mat that blooms five-petaled flowers in rose, mauve, blue, white, or pink during the spring. This festival began in 1956 and Takinoue, at 100,000 square meters, is literally covered from top to bottom with millions of these beautiful flowers, making the park an extraordinary place to visit in the spring! The best time to visit being in mid May.
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Phlox House
There are many paths in which to wander around the hillside and get some photos. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, then why not view the whole park from the air? At ¥5000 per adult, you can take a six minute helicopter ride that will take you over Takinoue Park. The flowers and festival lasts for a month in which there are stage events and stalls. Also located at the park is the ‘Phlox House’ where you can buy some souvenirs, have a coffee, take a rest, or try a ‘Shibazakura ice cream’. Restrooms are also located here.
Takinoue is a small town, which means there is no train station unfortunately. For those without their own transport, to get to Takinoue it is advised to rent a car from Sapporo or take the train to Asahikawa and rent a car from there. For car rentals in Asahikawa, you can check the Asahikawa rental site by clicking here . It will take some time to drive there and it is recommended to stay at least one day in Takinoue, as there are other things to see!
| Dates | June 21 - 24 |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Entry fee | Free |
| Contact | 011-211-6406 |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute walk from Sapporo station or Odori subway station Sapporo-shi Chuo-ku North 2 West 4 chome & North 3 West 4-chome |
Nice colors
From June until August, the countryside throughout Hokkaido comes alive with myriads of color. The flower season is a must see in while in Hokkaido during these months. If you can’t get out into the countryside then there are plenty of opportunities to see the flowers in Sapporo city! There are plenty of events that are held during the summer, and the Sapporo Flower Carpet has added its name to the list. This event coincides with the flower festival which is held in Odori park around the same time.
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View down to the old government building
The Sapporo Flower Carpet is a relatively short event, only lasting for three days. It is set up on the paved brick road running in front of the Former Hokkaido Government Building . The outside event is free to enter and runs for about 30 meters up the road. It is on, not only during the day but at night as well, and is illuminated by hundreds of electric candles creating a very beautiful ambiance. A good time to get some photos. Running, in mid June and with easy access near Sapporo station, it’s an event that’s easy to check out!
| Dates | February 3rd |
| Opening Hours | 15:00 - 16:00 |
| Contact | 011-611-0261 |
| Location / Getting There | Hokkaido Shrine. 10 minute walk from Maruyama station 474 Miyagaoka, Chuo, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0959 |
Hokkaido shrine members
Ever since the days old, there have been festivals and rituals to expel the evil spirits. In Japan, this event is called the ‘Setsubun’ and is held on the 3rd of February. The name, ‘Setsubun’ refers to the day before the changing of each season. In ancient times, it was common belief that the changing of the seasons brought with it good luck and bad luck. In order to expel the bad and bring in the good, beans are thrown at these evil forces, represented as an ‘oni’ or demon. While the beans are thrown, “Oni wa soto!” is shouted. This translates to “demon out!”
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Shrine musician
The Setsubun happens all over Japan, in peoples homes. The biggest Setsubun festival can be seen at Hokkaido shrine in Sapporo. The event is held in the courtyard. Priests and flute players come up onto a raise platform and address the crowd. After this, two ‘Oni’ (one red and one green) will make their way to the stage where they will parade around, wielding their clubs. Once they have been ‘banished’ then thirty or so members of the shrine will come to the stage.
Throwing of the mochi
It is here the fun really begins. The members will start throwing out packets of beans into the eager crowd, so people can take them home. After this, they will then throw out ‘mochi’ which are Japanese rice cakes. If you want any of these goodies, it’s best you get to the front of the stage. Once this is finished, a priest wearing a traditional mask will walk around blessing people, by tapping them on the head. This event is very quick and is over in about 1 hour, but this event, in the surroundings of the shrine makes a great spot for some photos of Japanese culture!
The Rokkatei hut
This event is held in February which is one of the coldest months in Hokkaido. Be sure to rug up and keep warm! If you are feeling the chill, there is a nice little ‘Rokkatei’ hut near the shrine on the grounds. Rokkatei is a famous sweets store in Hokkaido. There are multiple locations around Hokkaido. The store at the Hokkaido shrine is called the Jingujaya Store. This store sells traditional small sweets. Here you can sit down in a heated room, sip on some hot tea and have some Japanese cakes!
| Dates | November 24 - December 25 |
| Opening Hours | 16:30 - 22:00 |
| Contact | 011-281-6400 (Sapporo White Illumination Executive Committee) |
| Location / Getting There | Odori Park (1~4-chome) Ekimae dori (Kita 4-jo ~ Minami 4-jo) |
Winter designs
Sapporo White Illumination is an event held every winter which sees Odori park and the main street through Sapporo draped with hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights. Sapporo was the first city in Japan to start this tradition in 1981, since then other cities throughout Japan have followed suit with their own illumination events. Some 520, 000 lights are draped through trees and objects set up through Odori park creating a beautiful landscape of color in the evenings. A beautiful area to wander around in the snow and get some great photos!
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Illumination tunnel
The Odori Park venue goes for 7 blocks, which spreads from the TV tower all the way west through Odori park. The German Christmas Market festival, which is also in Odori park, runs concurrently with the Sapporo White Illumination, so there is quite a lot to see, especially around Christmas! There are spots for photo opportunities in the park. Each year sees new additions to the event to check out. During the chilly evenings, there are stalls set up to grab something hot to drink, or eat. So, rug up, grab your family or friends and enjoy the Sapporo White Illumination display!
| Dates | First Sunday of October |
| Starting time | All events 9:00 - 13:40 Half marathon 9:30 |
| Entry price | ￥1020 to ￥3600 (depending on event & age) Half marathon ￥5140 (adults) Half marathon ￥1640 (high school students) |
| Contact | http://satumara.shsf.jp/ |
| Location / Getting There | Start & finish is at Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena (inside Makomanai Park in Minami-ku, Sapporo) Course runs along Toyohira river and Odori park |
First held in 1958, the Sapporo Marathon originally started out as a full marathon. From 1986, the race was turned into the half marathon, where it remains as one of the most famous sporting events in Sapporo. There are around 15,000 participants. The half marathon starts and finishes in Makomanai park and follows the banks of Toyohira river. The race winds its way to Odori park where the runners then make their journey back.
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Along with the half marathon course, there is a 10km course, a 5km, 3km, and a 2km course. The shorter courses are all held within Makomanai park. The 2km and 3km race is a “fun pair” race, matching adults with children (pre-elementary school age), so there are many grandparents who take part to run alongside their grandchildren. The half marathon and 10 km run are both official courses sanctioned by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations.
| 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!
