| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-611-0261 http://www.hokkaidojingu.or.jp/ |
| Notes | Sightseeing spot, wedding venue |
| Location / Getting There | The shrine is located at the top of Maruyama Park. It is a 8 minute walk from Maruyama Subway station. 474 Miyagaoka, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0959 |
Hokkaido Shrine was constructed in 1871 to hold the deities, Ōkunitama, Okuninushi, and Sukunahikona, and also the soul of the Meiji Emporer. It is the main Shrine of Hokkaido and a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. It is located in Maruyama Park (Maruyama Koen) on the West side of Sapporo. The shrine is well worth a look in all seasons, especially Spring. It is surrounded by 1,500 cherry blossom trees which usually bloom early to mid May. During this time thousands of locals have their Hanami (flower viewing parties) and the temple is a great backdrop.
In early Summer the Sapporo Festival is held which sees portable shrines carried around the city and stalls set up near the Shrine. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is also a popular time where families will go to pray.At the shrine you are free to walk around in the courtyard where you can take photos, purchase fortune tokens, and see the occasional traditional Japanese wedding. Don’t be surprised to see a monk blessing a car out the front either as some new car owners pay for this ceremony. The shrine is located in Maruyama Park (Maruyama Koen) which is located on the west side of Sapporo. The main way to get there is to take the subway from Odori Subway Station and take the Tozai Line (Orange line) to Maruyama Koen which is 3 stops away. After exiting it’s a 15 minute walk west through Maruyama Park. Keep heading up the path which is lined with huge Elm and Cider trees. Along the way you will see various smaller shrines.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥170 per cheese tart, ¥1080 6 cheese tarts ¥350 per custard apple pie ¥380 ice cream |
| Opening Hours | 09:00 - 22:00 Sapporo station 10:00 - 20:00 Pole town |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-804-7770 Sapporo station 0120-246-161 Pole town |
| Notes | Cheese cake & confectionary store |
| Location / Getting There | 1st location is at Sapporo station. 〒060-0806 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Kita Ward, Kita 6 Jonishi, 3 Chome, JR Sapporo Station Satsueki East 2nd location is in Pole Town. It is a 3 minute walk from Odori subway station and Susukino subway station. 〒060-0062 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 2 Jonishi, 3 Chome, Sapporo Underground Town Pole Town |
Kinotoya Bake is part of the Kinotoya company. This delicious store is located in the popular shopping center called Pole Town. There is also a store at Sapporo Station. This store is easily accessed and you can definitely smell the mouth watering aromas as you walk past. This store has three items on offer. Their baked cheese tarts (which is the most popular item here), freshly baked custard apple pies, and a soft ice creams. The tarts and apple pies are the perfect match with a tea or coffee. As Hokkaido is famous for its dairy and baked goods, this store is often busy with customers.
The tarts and pies here are baked fresh, and you can see these mouth watering treats being made through the glass screen at the front of the store. The smell is fantastic. The baked cheese tarts use milk, wheat, eggs, and fresh cream cheese from Hokkaido and is the most popular item. You can buy these individually or as a set of six to take home! They last up to three days in the fridge. (The freshly baked custard apple pies can last up to two days). And for those hot days outside, they have milk ice creams served in a cone. With Kinotoya Bake being so near Odori park, you can take your treats up outside and enjoy them on the benches.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥600 - ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | Depending on store |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | https://www.lotteria.jp/ |
| Notes | English menu available, fast food burger restaurant |
| Location / Getting There | There are thirty Lotteria stores throughout Hokkaido. Restaurants can be found in Sapporo, Hakodate, Asahikawa, Tomakomai, Obihiro, Kushiro, and Obihiro. |
Lotteria is one of the big four fast food restaurants throughout the country. The other three being McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Mos Burger. The company ‘Lotte’ was founded in 1948 by a Korean national, Shin Kyuk-Ho. After stowing on a ship to Japan the company has grown from selling chewing gum to becoming a major multinational corporation. The first Lotteria restaurant opened in 1972 in Tokyo, Japan. The most popular items on their menu include hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and teriyaki burgers. Lotteria’s biggest claim to fame is the invention the shrimp burger in 1977. This burger has since been copied by McDonalds and Mos burger in Japan.
Other items on the menu include sandwiches, french fries, and desserts such as crepes, apple pie, and frozen cake sticks. The burgers here are pretty good, though not the cheapest compared to the other fast food restaurants. But if you want a quick and easy meal whether you are on the fly or out shopping, Lotteria is an option for you. Since its first store in Tokyo, the chain spread to Yokohama, and Ueno. In 1979, the Lotteria brand was established in South Korea, and then spread to South East Asia such as China, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Vietnam. For further locations around Hokkaido, see below.
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 20:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-281-6160 http://www.ikeuchi.co.jp/top/ |
| Notes | Small department store, no parking |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo. It is a 5 minute walk from Odori subway station and Odori park. |
Ikeuchi Zone is a small department store in the shopping district of Sapporo. It is has eight floors plus two basement floors. Ikeuchi’s origins can be dated back to June 1893, during the Meiji era. The first store was ‘Ikeuchi Hardware Store’ and was established by Yosoyoshi Ikeuchi. A hundred years on and the Ikeuchi name has developed into its own separate department store. The current building was completed in 2011. The building has restaurants, clothing boutiques, an English language school, a kimono store, an art gallery, and antique stores.
| Floor Guide | |
| 8th Floor | Western food bar Hakodate Gotoken Charcoal fire tavern Sumibi Izakaya En |
| 7th Floor | Sapporo Ayumi Osteopathic Clinic Seitai Beauty Clinic Interac English school |
| 6th Floor | Yuzawaya handcraft supplies |
| 5th Floor | Kukura Beauty Counseling Sapporo Aoba Clinic Price Contact Clinic Pola the Beauty Cosmetics Eyelash Salon Blanc |
| 4th Floor | Can Do cheap goods store |
| 3rd Floor | Nail Salon Andova Chimatsu Kimono store Amway Plaza Sapporo (cosmetics, food, cafe) |
| 2nd Floor | Zara |
| 1st Floor | Zara |
| B1 Floor | Zara |
| B2 Floor | Baby, The Stars Shine Bright / Alice & The Pirates ladies' boutique Kist men's & ladies' boutique Volks Sapporo Showroom hobby store |
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 - ¥2000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 23:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-272-2941 sumibiizakaya-en.com |
| Notes | Japanese tavern, all you can drink plan available |
| Location / Getting There | Located on the floor of the Ikeuchi building. 5 minute walk from Odori subway station <〒060-0061 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 1 Jonishi, 2 Chome−9-1 ＩＫＥＵＣＨＩＺＯＮＥ ８F |
There are two restaurants located on the top floor of Ikeuchi Zone. Both of these are owned by the Shinwa Holdings group. Sumibi Izakaya En is one of the two izakayas to be found here, the other being the Gotoken Hakodate restaurant. Sumibi Izakaya En translates to the ‘charcoal fire tavern’ in English. It is here you can find decent beer, plus good food. Sumibi Izakaya specializes in skewered meatballs and other grilled meats. The meatballs are handmade and kneaded with eight kind of spices. They also have an assortment of other dishes including seafood and salads.
The zangi here (fried chicken), is aged by letting it sit for 48 hours in a special sauce that combines 11 kinds of spices. the salt used is ‘Setouchi Ako salt’. Setouchi being known for its large salt fields. At Sumibi Izakaya En, as with all izakayas, you simply order lots of small dishes and share them around whilst enjoying the local beer. This izakaya has party plans that range from ¥4500 per person to ¥2500. The most expensive including delicious snow crab! You can find beer here plus a variety of bottled sake. They have an all you can drink option if you are looking to have a big night.
| Opening Hours | Depends on location Generally from 9:00 - 21:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | https://www.cando-web.co.jp/ |
| Notes | Cheap shopping store, basic goods |
| Getting There | There are multiple locations throughout Hokkaido. There are stores in every main city around Hokkaido |
Can Do is a large chain of stores throughout Japan. It is one of the two main ¥100 store companies in Japan. In Hokkaido they have around seventy five in all the main cities. Their goal being to become a world wide brand. You can easily recognize the store by its large orange star. Their stores are well laid out and bright with easy to find items on the shelves. With most items being at ¥100 you can find most of your daily household goods at Can Do. These stores are very popular due how cheap everything is here. Most of the stores are part of main shopping centres or around some supermarkets.
To find a Can Do closest to you, simply visit their website and check on locations. You can find the list of stores here. The items available at Can Do include Japanese traditional items (which make for a nice little souvenir to take home), kitchen goods, stationary and office supplies, bath and restroom articles, cleaning and washing items, health and beauty goods, clothing and bags, home goods, electronics, and food. Anything that you are looking for really.
