| Things to see | Mt. Usu Toyako Onsen Toyako Visitor Center Tōya Lake Forest Museum |
| Notes | Walking trails, Onsens, National park, Camping grounds |
| Getting There | Take JR train from Sapporo station bound for Hakodate. Get off at Toya station (70 min) ￥4500 Take bus from Toya station to Toyako Onsen bus terminal (15 min) ￥330 |
Lake Tōya is a volcanic caldera lake in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. With a maximum depth of 180 metres, this lake is 10 kilometers in diameter from east to west and 9 kilometers, north to south. The lake’s biggest town, Tōyako is located on its western shore. The town Sōbetsu is located on the other side of the lake. The stratovolcano, Mt Usu, lies on the southern edge of the lake. This lake is beautiful all year round, and is one of the northern most lakes that never ices over.
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A beautiful winter dawn
So, what can you do at the lake? This Lake is a beautiful lake to drive around and get some photos. There are numerous parks surrounding the lake in which to stroll, and enjoy. Likewise, there are numerous walking trails surrounding the park, such as the Waterfront Forest Lane (Takarada Nature Observation Trail) and the Nishiyama Sanroku Crater Trail. In the warmer months, there are five campgrounds around the lake. Lake Toya is the second most transparent lake in Japan! Perfect for swimming, canoeing, and boating on a nice summers day.
After a days activities, you can sit in the soothing hot water of the numerous onsens in which to relax with gorgeous views of the lake. And finally, in the middle of the lake, there is Nakajima Island. Nakajima island is home to wild deer and it also houses houses the Tōya Lake Forest Museum.
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 20:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-212-1421 |
| Notes | Organic supermarket |
| Location / Getting There | 4 minute walk from Ropeway Iriguchi tram station (Sapporo) Sapporo, Chuo, Minami 18 Jonishi, 16 Chome−2−20, Gufo 1st floor |
Plenty to choose from
Maccali’s Market is a local supermarket which excels in organic products. It aims to incorporate organic life into part of the customer’s lifestyle with the concept of “casual organic” as its concept. Based in Hokkaido, they operate as retail market, a wholesale business, and an online shop. Maccali’s Market focuses on organic products which includes vegetables, textiles, and cosmetics! The market is only a 4 minute walk from the Ropeway Iriguchi tram station and being right near Mt. Moiwa and the lookout, it’s not a bad market to drop in and take a look, on the way home!
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| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ￥1200 - ￥2000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 15:30 (last order) 17:30 - 20:30 (last order) |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-688-6454 http://okushibaachan.wixsite.com/okushiba-cyan |
| Notes | No credit cards Japanese menu only Seating 24 Private rooms available Parking 8 |
| Location / Getting There | 20 minute walk from Maruyama subway station Miyamori 1 Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido 10-chome 7 No. 10 |
Fantastic staff
If you like tempura or soup curry why not have both? Okushibachan Soup Curry is a fantastic and unique restaurant that is hidden away in the western part of Sapporo. Incorporated in the shop name is ‘Obaachan’ which in Japanese, means grandmother. All the staff, except for the manager, are ladies aged over sixty. With the friendly elderly staff, plus the shop being located in an actual house, gives this restaurant are very homely and warm atmosphere, which you won’t find anywhere else. This restaurant is located in the vicinity of the Okurayama ski jump, making it a good spot for lunch on a day out.
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Tempura set at the counter!
Another aspect of this restaurant, which makes this soup curry unique, is the tempura that is part of the delicious menu! The pictured menu is in Japanese only, and has about a dozen dishes to choose from. Choose your order, choose your soup flavor, and then choose the spice level. Extra topping can be ordered before finally selecting a rice side dish. There is a tempura side dish or a tempura chicken curry which is recommended. There is seating on a beautifully cut wooden counter, plus two rooms on the second floor which can be reserved for large groups. The soup curry is fantastic, making Okushibachan a must, while in Sapporo!
| Admission | Ski lift to top ￥500 adults ￥300 children |
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 18:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-641-8585 |
| Notes | |
| Location / Getting There | 20 minute bus ride from Sapporo station (JR bus [circle 14] Arai Yamasen) 45 minute walk from Maruyama subway station Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Miyanomori, 1274 |
Ski lifts to the look out. Rug up!
Okurayama ski jump was built in 1931 and is located on the east side of Mt.Okura in Sapporo. Contructed by Kishichiro Okura, it is one of the few 90 metre class jumping hills in the world. The ski jump has been home to Nordic World Ski Championships as well as 1972 Winter Olympics to name a few. The total height of the jump hill from the top starting point to the bottom of the slope is 133 metres, with a stadium area that can hold up to 50,000 spectators. There is also the Mt. Okura Observation Platform, offering views down the jump itself, plus views overlooking Sapporo from a height of 300 meters.
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Inside the observation deckOpen all year round, once visitors have arrived at the parking lot and taken the escalator to the base of the ski jump, the tickets for the chairlifts to the viewing platform can be found. There is not only the ski jump at Mt. Okura, but there is the Okurayama Crystal House and the Winter Sports Museum. The Okurayama Crystal House is a large building that houses a souvenir shop and restaurant. Tickets for the Winter Olympic Museum can be purchased with the ski jump observation tickets.
Escalators to the ski jump entrance
To get Okurayama Ski Jump, a car is needed. If you need public transport, then there are regular buses that can be taken from Maruyama subway station. Once arriving at Maruyama subway station, take the JR Hokkaido Bus Circle 14 (JR 北海度バス円14), and this bush will take you to Okurayama Ski Jump. These come twice an hour. Bus tickets are ￥210 for adults and ￥110 for children. The return bus schedule is located at the ticket shop. Okurayama Ski Jump is a good spot for views over the city, and if you’re lucky, you may get to some ski jumpers taking to the air!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ￥500 - ￥1000 per drink |
| Opening Hours | 18:30 - 5:00 18:30 - 1:00 Sundays |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-561-6830 |
| Notes | All you can drink option Pool table Electronic darts Bar food Sit down charge Smoking Credit card accepted Seating 100 |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute walk from Nakajima station 10 minute walk from Susukino station Belle 7 turn building 1F, Minami 7 Jo Nishi 3, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 064-0807 |
Billiards a plus
Afro Play is a spacious bar located near the southern end of Susukino. It has a friendly atmosphere, mainly thanks to the fantastic staff who work there, who are always happy to chat with the customers. This bar is one of the few bars in Susukino to have a pool table which is definitely a plus! It also has a a darts bar as well if you feel the need, which is ￥100 a game for each player. Or you can just sit at one of the many tables located around the bar. Afro Play is good for small groups from four to ten people with plenty of seating. During the warmer months they have outside seating which is great!
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Can be hired for parties
Afro Play has a small seating charge of a couple of hundred yen. There is an ‘all you can drink’ option for two hours for ￥2000. Otherwise drinks are ordered separately and are around the ￥600 mark. Spirits and beer and non-alcoholic drinks are all available. Afro Play also serves up some delicious bar food. Afro Play, due to its size can be hired out for parties as well which costs from ￥2400 to ￥3500 per person, depending on the plan. Bookings can be made at the Japanese site at Gurunavi . Afro Play is a great bar for a night out with friends. It is also located across from Rad Brothers Bar and it’s right by the club, Booty.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-511-5917 |
| Notes | Buddhist temple |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute walk from Nakajima station Hokkaido, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Minami 7 Jōnishi, 4 Chome−1−1 |
Tama Temple and Toyokawa Inari shrine were founded in 1891 and are located in the Susukino district of Sapporo. The temple is made of wood and reinforced concrete and is a nice small temple to visit. With the shrine right by, and in a convenient location, its a good spot to take some photos of not only the shrine, bu the many small statues around the temple. The Toyokawa Inari shrine is believed to have been built as a guardian company of Tamaji.
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The shrine is said to have “watched Suzukino’s emotions and sorrows for years, and witnessed its prosperity”. The “gate pillar” has inscriptions of certain geisha during this time. A small garden was maintained in the precincts of the Inari shrine, and upon entering the area on the left you can see the ‘Mizuko Mourning Monument’. This shrine seems to have a sad past concerning children lost at birth. Tama Temple is one of the few remnants of the old days during the period of the shogun of Hokkaido.
