| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0166-94-3355 |
| Notes | Wifi available Parking - 165 vehicles Coffee shop & restaurant Restrooms (wheelchair access) Park golf Shopping area |
| Location / Getting There | It takes about 20 minutes by car from JR Biei Station. A 2 and a half hour drive from Sapporo. Shirogane, Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido 071-0235 |
Huge park area next to facilities
Whilst on the road and taking in the sightseeing spots in Biei, the Biei Shirokanebiruke Roadside Station is a nice spot to have a rest, do some shopping, grab a bite to eat, or to enjoy the park and its facilities. The rest area is just down the road from the Blue Pond, and also the Kaiku Kiln Museum, which are some good spots to visit while in Biei. There are about half a dozen new buildings at the site, which is surrounded by a large park that incorporates a park golf course.
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Souvenir shop
Besides the park golf course, you can find restrooms here for some relief. For those looking for a quick bite to eat, there is a nice little hamburger shop called Between the Bread. Here you can eat inside their restaurant, or have lunch in the park. The park is full of sculptures and there is a table tennis table plus some instruments(interestingly), and seating. The other buildings include a souvenir shop that has information about Biei and the surrounding areas, plus an ice-cream shop, and a North Face outdoor equipment store.
| Pricing Guide | ￥300- ￥500 |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Closed | - |
| Notes | System is in Japanese |
| Location / Getting There | Multiple locations |
Where can you wash your car in Sapporo? For automobile owners, or for rentals, there are two ways to give your car or bike a good wash if you don’t have the room (or the time) at your residence. The first, and more expensive, is at the gas stations where you can sit back and have a coffee. The second, and more economical option is at the self service car wash stations that are dotted around Hokkaido. Each station has about 3 to 5 car bays with a heavy duty water spray and a machine to select the washing course.
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Spray machine
About the same size an ATM, the water spray machines are green or blue but they do the same thing. There are 6 washing courses to choose from and they are pretty simple to use. There is a simple water wash, a soap wash, and a wax course and they last from 5 to 10 minutes. Simply follow the three steps:
1. Place your money into the machine.
2. Choose which course you want and push the button. This symbol 押
3. Pick up the water spray and then press the start button
The standard course, is a water wash, a soap wash, then a water rinse. The long course is the same but longer for a large vehicle. The spray machines are in Japanese, for a translations in English, please see the image below.
| Standard rate (1 person) | Onsen only: Adults ￥650. Children ￥300 Overnight stay (including dinner): ￥7170 - ￥14,190 Short day pass (including meal): ￥3650 - ￥5300 *Tax included |
| Opening Hours | For day visit 9: 00 - 22: 00 (last reception) 23: 00 (closed) |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-596-2131 info@matsunoyu.co.jp |
| Rooms | 10 Japanese style rooms |
| Credit cards accepted | VISA, MASTER, NICOS, JCB, UC, Diners, SAISON |
| Notes | Restaurant Wheelchair access Wifi available Free parking Electric car charging location |
| Location / Getting There | Sapporo-shi Minami-ku Koganei 24 45 minute drive from Sapporo 50 minutes from JR Sapporo station bound for Jozankei Onsen 50 minutes by bus from Sapporo station to Toyohira Gorge hot spring. 30 minutes by bus from Makomanai Subway Station to Jozankei Onsen Get off at Kogane hot springs bus stop and walk 5 minutes on foot |
Tempura and Udon noodle set
Matsunoya Ryokan is a pleasant onsen located on Toyohira river up in the mountains near Jozankei. This onsen gets its water from the base of Mt. Koranuma and contains rich minerals to sooth the body. For those dropping in for an hour or two, the onsen has a (gender separated) indoor and outdoor bath that overlooks Toyohira river and is a great place to relax. The restaurant here serves up delicious meals using Hokkaido ingredients, including wild vegetables that have a fresh seasonal taste. There is also a souvenir shop, a game corner, and vending machines for snacks and drinks.
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Restaurant area
For those wishing to stay for a night or longer there are 10 Japanese style rooms. All the rooms are air-conditioned, and dinner and breakfast is included and is served in the guestrooms. With meals, depending on the price, the bigger the course. Robes (Japanese Cotton Kimono) are supplied as well as a toothbrush set, body towel, bath towel, and a refrigerator. Wifi and LAN cables are provided in each room. The capacity for the hotel is 40 people, so reservations are recommended. There is a small cancellation fee.
To drive to the Onsen, there is free parking for up to 70 cars. It will take 45 minutes from central Sapporo, buses are available. There is a lot to see around this area, as it is only a 10 minute drive from Jozankei. Across from Matsunoyu Ryokan Onsen is the Sapporo Ainu Culture Promotion Center. The area is a nice spot to walk around, especially during the autumn.
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 18:30 |
| Closed | Public holidays |
| Contact | 011-252-6368 |
| Notes | English speaking staff English, Chinese, Korean translations |
| Getting There | 5 1 Kitayonjyo Nishi Chuo Ku. 1f Asty 45 Bldg Sapporo 0600004 3 minute walk from Sapporo station |
Western Union is located on the corner
If you have ever been travelling and suddenly need some money sent ASAP, then Western Union is a very convenient way to get money fast. There are only 2 Western Unions in the whole of Hokkaido. One in Sapporo, located very conveniently near the station. The other can be found in Kutchan. For tourists, to send or receive money, you will need a passport with a landing permission of less than 90 days. For foreign residents, you will need a valid alien registration card with a landing permission of more than 90 days. Secondary ID includes your passport, Japanese drivers license, health insurance card, pension book or your residential registration certificate. Residents will also need you ‘My Number’ card.
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Sending or receiving money is pretty straightforward. Fill out the correct form and take it to the English speaking staff, with the correct ID. To pick up money you will need ID plus the MTCN number. The limit to sending or receiving money is from ￥200 000 to ￥700 000 or equivalent, depending on the country. There is also a limit of two transactions a day. Western Union does have a fee for sending money and exchange rates do apply.
Transfer fees to Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam are as follows:
| ￥1 - ￥10,000 | ￥990 |
| ￥10,001 - ￥50,000 | ￥1,500 |
| ￥50,001 - ￥100,000 | ￥2,000 |
| ￥100,001 - ￥250,000 | ￥3,000 |
| ￥250,001 - ￥500,000 | ￥5,000 |
| ￥500,001 - ￥1,000,000 | ￥6,500 |
Transfer limits are up to ￥700 000. For the following countries, there is a separate limit:
| ￥500,000 limit | Russia, Urkraine, Turkey, Poland, Moldova, Singapore, France, Colombia |
| ￥300,000 limit | Egypt, Madagascar, Tanzania, Togo, Central African Republic, Thailand, South Africa |
| ￥200,000 limit | Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique, Uganda |
| ￥100,000 limit | Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Cote D'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Benin |
For money exchange, Travelex is also located 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.
