| 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!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000- ¥1500 |
| Opening Hours | Restaurant : 8:00 to 23:00, Clothing Store : 11:00 to 20:00. |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-271-0310 http://www.rounduptrading.com/ |
| Notes | Wifi Available No smoking Space available to rent for functions |
| Location | 〒060-0051 Hokkaido Prefecture, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 1 Johigashi, 2 Chome−３−１ NKCビル1F 2 minute walk from Bus Centre Mae subway station |
Fabulous Cafe is an arty coffee shop that serves not only as a cafe, but as a clothing boutique, a plant shop, and as a small art gallery. It can also be hired for functions and events. The cafe seats up to about 40 people and is best for couples or up to 4 people. The place has a very 1920’s art deco feel to it. It definitely has a lot of style and its interior design is exceptionally done. It is decked out with art, bronze sculptures, leather couches and plants.
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The cafe serves up a delicious menu of pastas,beef dishes, 
chicken,galletes, and desserts. This mouth watering selection will please any guest. The galletes look particularly good! Fabulous also has its own special coffee blend and has a big selection of coffees, teas, and drinks. On entering, there is a large, unique drip coffee apparatus which is a centre piece for the shop. This coffee shop has a seasonal menu and from 11am – 3pm it has a special lunch time menu that comes with a coffee or beverage of your choice for an extra ¥300.
What sets this cafe apart from the rest is that half of the shop is a clothing boutique. Fabulous has its own range of clothing, and jewelry. The designs in the jewelry are beautifully crafted and worth a look. Plants, cacti, and sculptures are all on sale and its not a bad idea to peruse while waiting for your lunch or coffee. You might find a hidden something that’s a must have! If clothing, trinkets, or plants aren’t your thing thing, then there is a small gallery of paintings, prints, and images that you can also purchase! Every month on the walls there is an exhibition by local artists. There is definitely a lot to see than just the coffee at Fabulous Cafe!
