| Admission | Adults - ¥410 Children - ¥80 Preschool - free Pensioners - ¥210 |
| Admission (groups of more than 20) | Adults - ¥290 Children - ¥50 Preschool - free Pensioners - ¥210 |
| Opening Hours | Spring 9:00 - 17:00 Summer 9:00 - 18:00 Autumn 9:00 - 17:00 Winter 9:00 - 16:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-592-3333 http://www.takinopark.com.e.bn.hp.transer.com/?go=kaienkikan |
| Notes | Car required to get there Buses available Wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | 〒005-0862 Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Minami-ku, Takino, ２４７ Take Bus 106 from Sapporo station or Makomanai station |
Takino Suzuran park is a huge park that is a great place for families and nature lovers. It covers 395.7 hectares, with around 200 hectares are available to the public. There are 2 entrances, the East Gate entrance (higashi guchi), and the Central Gate entrance (chuo guchi). Parking is available and the bus stops are located here. There are 3 main areas that make up the park. There is the Country Garden Area, the Childrens Playground area, and the Forest Area. There is also a camping area and an observatory on the grounds.
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Country Garden Area
This area is famous for its flowers in the spring season. It has the visitors centre here and the country club building. Lockers, bathrooms, bus stop, and rest area is here. Its at the top of the park offering great views. A perfect spot to sit and get views down the hill of the flower pasture. Thousands upon thousands of lilacs are planted here and are truly beautiful in May. There is a path leading down through them to get great photos. The country club has a restaurant, a snack shop and shops selling local vegetables. The country club is home to the herb garden, rock garden, flower master retreat, and the observatory.
Children’s Playground (Kodomo no Tani)
This area is designed for the kids. It has a huge 6.8 hectare sloped lawn area. Kids can take giant red inflatable balls and roll them down the hill. There is a giant ants nest sculpture and tunnels that the kids can crawl through and play in. A cool stream is here, and kids can play and cool down in the summer. This place really captures the imagination with slides, tunnels, and trampolines for the kids to play on. There is a rest area for the parents, and toilets, and a coffee shop is available.
Forest Area (Mori no Sumikawa)
This heavily wooded area is a great place to walk around and take in the pine air. There are walkways that twist and turn through the forest. There is a timber swing for the kids, a woodland craft house, and a suspension bridge all through this area. This area leads to the waterfalls which are a main feature in this park. There are 4 main waterfalls that surround the park, Ashiribetsu Fall, Masumi Fall, Shiraho Fall, and Furo Fall.
| Summer Activities | |
| Camping | There are camping grounds at this park, with access to shower rooms and a laundromat. Cabins are also available to rent but you will need to call in advance. There is a small shop near the camping grounds selling alcohol, cold drinks, snacks, cold meat, frozen foods, toys, camping equipment, and fuel (charcoal, white gasoline, various gas cartridges) |
| Fishing | Rent a fishing pole and bait and try some trout and rainbow trout fishing. Cost is ¥850 for the hour and ¥100 for additional bait. |
| Cycling | Rent a bicycle to get around and see the whole park! There are bicycles for adults, children and tandem bicycles. Prices range from ¥100 for children to ¥310 for adults. A 2 person bicycle is ¥800. Rental is for 2 hours. For an extra 30 minutes the cost is ¥30 for children and ¥80 for adults. |
| Park Golf | Park golf is like mini golf. It involves hitting a billiard size ball around a short course with a wooden club. Fun for everyone! Clubs and balls are available for free from the Country Club |
| Cooking | There are 4 different spots around the park that have BBQ’s and areas to cook. These areas can accommodate 100, 300, and to 1000 people depending on the area. Water supplies, and sinks, log seating is available. |
| Winter Activities | |
| Sled Slope | This slope for tubing is the longest in the country! For kids and adults the straight course is 200 metres! There is a shorter 180 metre S shape course. There is also a kids sled corner. Tubes and sleds are FREE to rent! |
| Skiing & Snowboarding | This 250 metre length course is perfect for beginners at a 7 degree slope. The weekend lift tickets for adults are ¥150 per ride, ¥1030 for 4 hours, or ¥1540 for a day pass. Lift tickets for children are ¥100 per ride, ¥620 for 4 hours, ¥1030 for a day pass. Weekdays have cheaper day passes. ¥820 for adults and ¥510 for children. |
| Skiing Lessons | Skiing lessons are available but only in Japanese, and depending on the conditions. It is advised to call ahead. The cost is ¥200 per person (not including ticket passes). There is a morning class and an afternoon class. Applications for the morning class must be handed in by 10:15. Morning class is from 10:30 – 12:00. Afternoon class applications must be in by 13:45. The lesson goes from 14:00 – 15:30. Skiing gear is available from the Country Club |
| Snowshoeing | There are 3 courses available. 1st is the Forest area (Takino no Mori), a 30 minute to 2 hour trek through the woods. 2nd is the Kawagarasu Course, a 1 hour trek to see the Ashiribetsu Falls frozen over, or “ice falls”. The 3rd is the Akagera Course which is also a 1 hour course. This course is an up and down course which has views over the park. |
| Cross Country Skiing | 6 courses to choose from. You can rent the gear and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the park. There are 2 beginner courses, a 1 km and a 5km course. 2 intermediate courses, 3km and a 5km course. 2 advanced courses, a 10km and a 16km course. Ski rentals are available from the Country Club. |
| Ice Falls | Snowshoe or do cross country skiing to see these amazing waterfalls frozen over. To Ashiribetsu Fall, it is approximately 1.1km from Keiryu Guchi Parking lot. The waterfalls are frozen by the end of December. |
If you don’t have your own transport, there are buses available from Sapporo station and Makomanai station. It is also possible to use a taxi from Makomani station. The ride takes about 20 minutes via taxi. The bus time tables are as follows:
To
Takino Suzuran Park Cost
Times
From
Makomanai Station
Terminal 2 Bus 106
Adults ¥440
Children ¥220
Takes 31 min.8:45
9:45
10:45
11:45
12:45
13:45
14:45
15:50
From
Sapporo Station
Terminal 1 Bus 106
Adults ¥630
Children ¥320
Takes 61 min.9:15
12:15
From
Fukuzumi Station
Terminal 6 Bus 87
Adults ¥620
Children ¥310
Takes 44-50 min.10:20
11:20
12:40
13:42
14:30
| From Takino Suzuran Park | ||
| To Makomanai Station East Exit Bus 106 | Cost Adults ¥440 Children ¥220 Takes 31 min. | Times 9:33 10:33 11:33 12:28 13:28 14:28 15:28 16:33 |
| To Sapporo Station East Exit Bus 106 | Adults ¥440 Children ¥220 Takes 61 min. | 8:45 9:45 10:45 11:45 12:45 13:45 14:45 15:50 |
| To Fukuzumi Station East Exit Bus 87 | Adults ¥620 Children ¥310 Takes 44-50 min. | 12:17 13:37 14:42 15:37 16:42 |
| Admission | - |
| Opening Hours | 8:45 - 16:00 |
| Closed | New Years Day |
| Contact | 011-616-2855 |
| Notes | Need a car to get there or can take a taxi. Buses available. |
| Location / Getting There | 〒005-0861, Makomanai, Minami-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 005-0861 20 minute taxi ride from Makomanai station |
If you don’t know about this place and are driving past you may be forgiven for doing a double take or checking that your eyesight is OK! The first thing you will see are rows and rows of giant Easter Island Moai heads! This strange sight means you are at the Makamonai Takino Cemetery. Makomanai Takino Cemetery was established in 1982. It covers 1,800,473㎡, and is open all year round. There’s a free shuttle service from Makomanai Station, and admission is free.
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Stonehenge
The huge space serves as a cemetery but is also an interesting sightseeing destination which is well worth a look. So, what is here? The intricate gates of the cemetery open up to about 40 Moai (Easter Island) heads. These giant heads are a great photo opportunity and run along the side of the road into the park. Further on down the road is a complete full size of replica of…yes, Stonehenge. It is strangely, one of the most complete replicas in the world. If you continue down this road, there is the actual cemetery broken up into different areas. There is a small shop here, selling ice-creams and drinks and there are places to sit.
To the right of the Easter Island heads is a road that will lead you to a flower area, and the entrance to a giant Buddha statue which is probably the center piece for the whole park. The Buddha statue is very impressive and can be found at the end of a sculpted tunnel which leads into a large hill. The hill is topped with lavender and is stunning in summer! This area is beautifully designed with large pools of water, and pathways surrounded with flowers. This place is a fantastic spot for photos. For bus timetables please see below.
| Weekdays Makomanai station to Takino Cemetery | Makomanai Station Bus station No.2 Bus No. 102 Fare : ¥370 | 9:15 10:15 11:15 12:15 13:20 |
| Weekdays Takino Cemetary to Makomanai station | Fare : ¥370 | 9:54 10:54 12:09 13:04 14:09 |
| Weekends Makomanai station to Takino Cemetery | Makomanai Station Bus station No.2 Bus No. 102 Fare : ¥370 | 9:15 10:15 11:20 11:45 12:45 13:20 |
| Weekends Takino Cemetery to Makomanai station | Fare : ¥370 | 10:22 10:59 12:09 12:39 13:33 14:08 |
*From December to March, buses run from 10:00 – 14:00
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | from ¥4000 - ¥6000 |
| Opening Hours | Sunday to Thursday 17:00 - 22:30 Friday & Saturday 17:00 - 23:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-522-0776 |
| Notes | English speaking staff English menu available Credit Cards accepted Seating 60 Smoking area available |
| Location | 2 minute walk from Susukino Station 〒064-0804 Hokkaido Prefecture, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 4 Jonishi, 2 Chome−10-1 |
Delicious vegetables
Shabu-Shabu or Japanese Beef Hot Pot is a delicious restaurant that serves up local food from the Tokachi region in Hokkaido. The restaurant seats up to 60 with private booths available. The friendly staff speak English and are happy to advise you on the best courses to choose from. The main ingredient served is thin strips of succulent Tokachi beef. The beef is served with two types of dipping sauces, a wasabi sauce and a thickened peanut & sesame seed sauce. To accompany the meat is a vast array of delicious vegetables. Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum leaves, onions, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and enokitake mushrooms are all on the menu. For those of you who are of the vegetarian persuasion, then there is a seafood set available, plus sushi!
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Appetizer
The menu has a vast array of set dishes, ‘all you can eat’ sets with varying amounts of vegetables and meats. Of course, the better cut the meat, the more expensive the set will be. The prices run from ¥5000 – ¥10 000. The sets include thin strips of beef, minced pork, vegetables, and dipping sauces. A small entree of pork and seafood comes before the meal. There is also a seafood set, that comes with crab, squid, and fish. If you are not interested in the beef or the seafood set then you can order everything individually.
Do it yourself!
The waitress will setup the large pot in the middle of the table, and get you started with vegetables and mushrooms. The rest is up to you! Add whatever you want, when you want. For the best reults, the trick is to drape the thin slice of meat 3 times into the boiling water or dashi (broth) and then dip it into one of the sauces. Delicious! Though the meat is thin, it is surprisingly filling! There is a large selection of wines, and drinks, and sake to go with your meal. Shabu Shabu is a great Japanese experience for the traveler and is a must try.
| Dates | Early May - Mid May |
| Contact | 0146-42-1000 (Shinhidaka Tourist Association) |
| Getting there | 15 minutes by taxi from JR Shizunai Station 3 hour drive from Sapporo |
| Notes | Best to get there by car |
| Location | Shizunaitahara to Shizunaimisono, Shinhidaka-cho, Hidaka-gun, Hokkaido 056-0144 |
Shizunai Road is the home to around 3,000 cherry blossom trees, including the vivid Sargant cherry tree. The road looks absolutely fantastic during the cherry blossom season and is one of the top cherry blossom viewing spots in Hokkaido! The road is 7km long and 36 meters wide and the cherry blossoms stretch as far as the eye can see. Every year over 200,000 visitors drive down to view this amazing sight. The Shizunai Cherry Blossom Festival is held here every year!
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You will need a car to get there, or to hire a taxi from the train station which is about a 15 minute drive. If you have a car, then there is plenty of space to park the car along the road underneath the cherry blossom trees and take a nice walk along the path. The mountains are a great backdrop to the cherry blossom trees. The festival is located halfway along the stretch of road.
Shizunai Festival
Shizunai Festival is a wide farm area with stalls and food stands with seating, surrounded by huge cherry blossom trees. The festival is lined with sakura trees and there is photo opportunity set up to get some couple shots done. The food sold is an assortment of various festival fare. Of course, the usual BBQ’d chicken, corn, sausages and grill. There are also stalls selling seafood, noodles, curries, kebabs, and crepes and donuts for those with a sweet tooth. There is plenty of seating on the tables to sit down and take in the views. Though, if you have the time, why not take a blanket, and enjoy a picnic with family & friends under one of the thousands of large cherry trees! Simply take your pick! For other places to see cherry blossoms, check out our top 10 sakura viewing spots.
| Admission | – |
| Opening Hours | 7am - 6pm |
| Closed | – |
| Contact | 011-222-5308 |
| Notes | |
| Location / Getting There | 〒060-0053 Hokkaido Prefecture, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, 南3条東1丁目〜東2丁目 Next to Soseigawa park. 5 minute walk from Bus Centre mae station |
This historic fish market has been part of Sapporo for over 100 years. It was said to have been formed during the Meiji period, when fishermen from Ishikari Bay started selling their fresh catches here. Over 100 years later the market has developed into a veritable oasis for all forms of culinary needs including restaurants and cafés. The market, also known as Nijo Ichiba, is a popular spot for tourists who are keen to sample some of the freshest seafood, get some souvenirs and get a real taste of Japan. The market used to be larger and run both sides of the river but over the years, shops and bars have slowly reduced the market to 2 blocks laying the foundations for today’s Nijo Ichiba.
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There are dozens of shop fronts selling fresh seafood ranging from muscles, scallops, urchin, octopus, oysters to salmon roe and the giant snow crabs that line the shops and are a great photo opportunity for many visitors. The seafood can be bought and packaged to take away, but there are also seats and small tables lining the street allowing customers to eat straight away! Dine on fresh sashimi, sea urchin and muscles or cook up some delicious crab and prawns and wash it down with an ice cold beer! A perfect summer treat!
There are English menus (with pictures) displaying the bounty of seafood that can be ordered at any of the shops. Prices will range from ¥1500 to ¥3500. The giant crabs are popular among groups to enjoy together. Many of the fish markets stock ends up in restaurants so it is OK to haggle over the price and try and get the price down. Its all part of the fun. Across the road, from the market, there is a multi-unit building called ‘Noren Yokocho’ which contains multiple local restaurants and drinking establishments. There is a lot to do and see in this little slice of Sapporo!
| Admission | – |
| Opening Hours | 9:30am - 8pm |
| Closed | – |
| Contact | Head Office - 011-892-6611 http://www.homac.co.jp/ |
| Notes | – |
| Location / Getting There | There are 16 stores in the Sapporo Area |
Need to fix up the house? Enjoy gardening? Homac is the place for you! DCM Homac is a chain of hardware and DIY interior stores that have everything to satisfy any handymans or interior designers needs! They have a 100 year history and during that time they have set up stores all over Hokkaido! There are no less then 16 stores throughout Sapporo and its outlying suburbs. There are a total 275 stores throughout Japan. If you need the tools, then Homac has them!
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Homac has gardening tools, indoor & outdoor tools and clothing for any job. Homac also has wood supplies, bathroom supplies, lighting, kitchen goods, curtains, rugs, garden supplies, car, pet and storage supplies, and raw building materials. Homac even has fish and fish tanks to buy! Whatever you need, Homac is she sure to have it. And if you cant find what you need, then the friendly staff are very helpful. If you are a returning customer then a Homac card is not a bad thing to get, and earn points!
