| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 19:00 |
| Closed | – |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Stationary, art supplies, office supplies, picture framing, Japanese goods, cards, two restaurants, no parking, credit card accepted, tax free store (for purchases over ¥5400), wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo. 2 minute walk from Odori subway station 3 Chome Minami 1 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0061 |
If you are an artist looking for art supplies, a student or teacher needing supplies for school, an office worker looking for something to spruce up the office, or even a place to grab some lunch, Central has it all! Central which is located (conveniently) in central Sapporo is right next to Parco. There are six floors in this large building. This place is hugely convenient and will cater to any supplies you need. Importantly, if you are looking pictures to be framed, then there is a framing corner to get that done. Central is really the Mecca for art supplies.
Going floor by floor let’s start at the bottom. The B1 basement floor has a huge variety of colored paper, printing paper, and personal seal stamps to buy, and a small restaurant to have some lunch. The ground floor has birthday cards, stickers and toys. The second floor has all school supplies and office supplies, things for the desk, diaries and ledgers. The third floor is packed full of art supplies, and it has a framing corner and picture frames. The fourth floor has a ramen restaurant, and Japanese arts and crafts. This floor is a secret spot for a great souvenir. The seventh floor is next for public access and has an art gallery here.
| Admission | Adults ¥500 High School and University Students ¥250 Elementary and Junior High School Students Free. |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 am to 5 pm daily |
| Closed | Mondays, December 27th to January 4th and occasional irregular closures |
| Contact | 011-511-7655 |
| Notes | Free parking (up to 7 spaces) Wheelchair access Exhibits are in Japanese only |
| Location / Getting There | Japan, 〒064-0931 Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Nakajimakōen, 1−4 北海道立文学館 Take the Nanboku subway (Green line) to the Nakajima Park station. The museum is in the middle of the park, on the west side. |
The Hokkaido Museum of Literature first opened in 1995, and is the first of its kind in Hokkaido. It is located on the grounds of Nakajima Park and is home to some 260,000 works. The collection includes works by and about authors associated with Hokkaido, such as Takeo Arishima, Takuboku Ishikawa, Takiji Kobayashi, and Ayako Miura. There is a permanent exhibition as well as temporary exhibitions.
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The permanent exhibition includes 1,300 items and provides an insight into the literature and authors throughout the history of Hokkaido. This permanent exhibition is currently only in Japanese. The collection is of works of Hokkaido literature dating back to the mid 19th century. These works includes novels, essays, poetry, tanka, haiku, senryu, children’s literature, works of criticism, and Ainu folklore.
| Admission | - |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 21:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-231-2131 |
| Notes | Bicycle parking available Starbucks inside with Wifi Foreign books available DVDs Credit cards available |
| Location / Getting There | 5 Chome-7 Kita 5 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture 060-0005 5 minute walk from Sapporo station, west side |
1st floor
Kinokuniya bookstore is a world wide Japanese bookstore chain operated by Kinokuniya Company Ltd. Founded in 1927, with its first store located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, the shop name means “Bookstore of Kii Province”. Kinokuniya has a huge range of books (fiction and non-fiction), comics, magazines, DVDs, learning materials, and also a Starbucks coffee shop on the 2nd floor. Kinokuniya also has a good selection of English novels, and teaching materials. Perfect for locals and tourists alike! Prices are generally around the ￥1000 to ￥2500 mark.
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English section on 2nd floor
This large building is located conveniently across from the Daimaru shopping centre, and only a 5 minute walk from Sapporo station. The 1st floor has a large comic and manga section, magazines, Japanese novels, and there is a DVD shop selling Japanese and foreign movies here. The 2nd floor has learning materials, art books and calenders, and it is on this floor you will find all the foreign books. They have novels, and non-fiction English books by the latest authors. There are Japanese learning books (if you want to brush up on your Japanese ability), and English teaching materials here, plus a whole kids section.
Starbucks entrance
If you want to relax and have a quiet coffee while you peruse over any purchases from Kinokuniya, then the Starbucks on the 2nd floor is a perfect choice. It has wifi, plugs for your laptops, and a very nice shaded view with floor to ceiling windows. A great spot to sink into a comfy chair and read. So, if you’re looking for reading material then Kinokuniya is the place for you! Kinokuniya customer cards are also available here and can be used from other locations from other countries.