| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Residence: 9:00 - 17:00 Garden: 8:45 - 17:30 |
| Closed | Weekends, public holidays, New Years *Closed occasionally due to official affairs |
| Contact | 011-611-4221 |
| Notes | No parking |
| Location / Getting There | 16 Chome Kita 1 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 060-0001 5 minute walk from Nishi 18 Chome subway station (Tozai Line) Located across from the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art From Sapporo Station on JR, Subway Namboku and Toho Lines, take the Chuo Bus or JR Hokkaido Bus (42, 55, 65, 57, 66, 80, 62, 63) and get off at "Doritsu kindai bijutsukan" |
Spacious lawn
The Hokkaido Governor’s Official Residence was first built in 1936 as a holiday home for the Mitsui Gakuin Company. In 1953 it became the property of Hokkaido and used as the residence for the governor. It has since been used for various meetings and other functions, for national and foreign dignitaries. The residence was selected in 1998 as one of 100 local cultural sites known as the ‘Furusato Bunka Hyakusen’. In 1999 it was registered as a cultural asset. Apart from serving as a space for functions, it has served as a location for various television programs.
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Japanese elms
The Governer’s Residence is a hidden gem in Sapporo. Covering 5 square hectares the Governor’s residence has a huge lawn, and garden area with over 2400 trees making it the perfect spot to walk around and relax. Interestingly, the garden contains a pit dwelling from the Jomon era, thousands of years old. Pristine streams snake their way through this well manicured park area and there are plenty of benches to sit, relax and take in the greenery. The lawn and wooded area also contains sculptures.
The house itself is 2 stories and is designed in the ‘Half-timber style’ similar to that of English and northern European architecture. The reception staff is very helpful and you are free to walk around and look through the rooms, though taking off shoes is required. There are a dozen or so rooms to look around and are spacious with high ceilings and oak furnishings. It is interesting to walk through and read about each room! Information is available in multiple languages.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | around ¥1000 |
| Opening hours | 11:00 - 22:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-233-0411 |
| Notes | Seats 24 Non smoking No parking Credit cards not accepted May have to wait for groups of 4 or more |
| Location | 5 minute walk from Odori subway station. Tanukikoji Arcade 5 South 2 West 5 chome 20 Hokkaido Sapporo |
à la flambé
Chefs doing their thing
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| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | around ¥5000 |
| Summer opening Hours | Monday 17:00 - 23:00 Wednesday 17:00 - 23:00 Thursday 17:00 - 23:00 Friday 11:00 - 23:00 Weekends 11:00 - 23:00 *closed Tuesdays |
| Winter opening Hours | open everyday 16:00 - 23:00 |
| Contact | 0136-55-5553 |
| Notes | English speaking staff English menu available Credit Cards accepted Pizza delivery available Bar area *in winter reservations are required |
| Location | 167-3 Yamada, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido Prefecture 044-0081 |
Tasteful surroundings
Niseko Pizza is a delicious Italian restaurant that excels in wood-fire baked pizzas, pastas, salads, mouth-watering desserts, all served with a special selection of fine wines, and local and imported beers. Niseko Pizza not only specializes in Italian cuisine but also serves up an excellent grilled menu that will leave any customer satisfied! Niseko Pizza is located in the heart of Niseko so its easy to find! The menu has a huge selection of dishes to choose from, using the freshest local ingredients.
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Venison steaks
There are over 20 handmade wood-fired pizzas to choose from. A huge selection of delicious pastas are also available, and to accompany your meal there are plenty of salads! The grilled section has succulent venison steaks, racks of ribs, chicken, steaks and vegetables. The menu has so much to offer, it’s hard to decide! If you have room left after your meal, the dessert menu won’t disappoint! And on those cold winter evenings, pizza delivery is available!
The restaurant has a great layout, the design featuring Italian wines lining the walls, a large screen with winter scenes, upstairs seating for larger groups and a great ambiance. The bar area is at one end with seating for up to a dozen. In summer,there is plenty of seating available. In winter, Niseko Pizza is a popular venue so it’s advised to make a booking beforehand, especially for large groups!
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 22:00 |
| Closed | New Years Holiday |
| Contact | 011-398-9570 |
| Notes | - |
| Getting there | 8 minute walk from Nopporo station 〒069-0821 Hokkaido Prefecture, Ebetsu, 東野幌町３−３ |
| Shops | Ebri Vegetable Market Gresham -Ebetsu - Tosa Grocery Store Il Mattone Arlese Italian Restaurant Nopporo Coffee Brick Hut Sweet Potatoes |
The stylish Ebri Shopping Mall was opened in March 2016 and was reconstructed from an old brick factory. This small one floor building has a lot of character with its red brick, wrought iron and wooden veneer and reflects on the town of Ebetsu, which is famous for its brick making industry. The brick building is made entirely from 100% Ebetsu brick and contains a supermarket, a coffee and sweets shop, a local grocery and a delicious wood fire Italian restaurant. A lot of local produce from the surrounding areas are sold here!
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Sweet potatoes
There are about a dozen shops in the building. There are some clothing stores but the main focus is on the local food grown in local areas. The supermarket there is a great place to buy some local fare. The space is very open and customers can walk around and poke their noses into the various kitchens of the sweet potato shop, coffee shop, and the Italian restaurant. At the coffee shop try the rich, delicious ‘Nopporo Coffee’ blend and purchase some packets to take home! There is also a roasted sweet potato shop as well, the “Brick Hut”. These fragrant potatoes are baked in a stone kiln made from materials sent from Italy & France. The kiln was created by a master craftsman and it brings out the unique flavors. French fries, sweet potatoes, and roast potatoes are on the menu. This shop is open until 19:00.
Lemon & Seafood Pasta
Ebri Shopping Mall is a 10 minute drive from Nopporo Forest Park. If you are hungry after seeing the sites of the Centennial Memorial Tower, or the Hokkaido historical Museum then there is a nice little Italian restaurant here, at Ebri Shopping Mall. Arles Il Mattone Italian Restaurant has a wooden kiln and makes its dishes from Ebetsu ingredients. There is lunch set meal (from 11:00 – 14:00) and a dinner set meal (17:00 – 20:30). The meals, come with a buffet style appetizer and cost around ¥1200. The all you can eat appetizer has a delicious selection of vegetables, olives, pastas, and meats. The main meals are made up of pastas, and wood fired pizzas. For dessert, there is also a large selection of all you can eat buffet style cakes and puddings. Arles has a great selection of local and foreign wines too! The phone number for Arles is 011-398-7708.
| Admission | Main Exhibition Hall Adults ¥600 Students ¥300 Hokkaido Museum & Hokkaido Historical Village Adults ¥1200 Students ¥700 |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 17:00 (May to September) 9:30 - 16:30 (October to April) |
| Closed | Every Monday (If the Monday is a public holiday then the Tuesday will be closed) December 29th - January 3rd |
| Contact | Phone: 011-898-0466 Fax: 011-898-2657 |
| Notes | Audio Guides are available in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean and Russian. Audio Guides are available for rental at the Welcome Center on the 1st Floor. In the Main Exhibition Hall, there are multilingual explanation boards in each exhibition area. Wheelchair access Lockers available |
| Getting There | From Shin-Sapporo Station Bus Terminal Stop 10 Take the JR Bus No. “Shin 22” bound for the Historical Village of Hokkaido, then get off at Hokkaido Museum The bus ride lasts 15 minutes. From Shinrinkoen Station Higashiguchi (East Entrance) stop The aforementioned bus from Shin-Sapporo Station stops at Shinrinkoen Station. The bus ride lasts 5 minutes. On foot It is 20 to 25 minutes on foot from Shinrinkoen Station. |
The Hokkaido Museum, also known as Mori-no-Charenga was opened in 2015. This 2 story building replaces the old Historical Museum and joins the Ainu Research Culture Centre. The museum is open to the public and introduces a look into the history, culture and nature of Hokkaido. It researches the relationship between the natural environment and people, the Ainu culture, and the lives of the immigrants coming from Honshu. It also collects and preserves materials from the land and the people of Hokkaido, and conducts exhibitions, educational activities and events.
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The museum is beautifully laid out and the exhibits are well presented, well lit and the information is available in English and Chinese. There are 2 floors. The bottom floor looks at the history of Hokkaido and goes through artifacts and fossils throughout the region. It also has models and artifacts looking at the history of the fascinating Ainu culture. The 2nd floor looks at the more modern history of Hokkaido and its wildlife. It has some hands on items that are great for the kids. The second floor also has a lookout platform and rest area that has views of Nopporo forest.
2nd floor exhibit
The Hokkaido Historical Museum is a well designed museum with lots of information. There is a coffee shop on the 1st floor, lockers for bags and it has wheelchair access. There are a number of events throughout the year on their calender with special exhibitions. This museum is also in a great spot to see the Centennial Memorial Tower, which is a 10 minute walk away. The museum is also a 10 minute walk from the Hokkaido Historical Village, that is also a must see when in Nopporo Forest!
| Admission | - |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | November - April (winter) |
| Contact | 011-898-0455 http://www.kaitaku.or.jp |
| Notes | Free admission. Tower entry is closed to the public. This is due to awaiting renovations. 5 minute walk from the Hokkaido Historical Museum |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Nopporo Forest. Take the JR bus from Sapporo station or Shin Sapporo station, heading to Kaitaku-no-mura. Get off at Nopporo Forest Park. It's a 5 minute walk. Nopporo Forest Park, 53-2 Konopporo, Atsubetsu-cho, Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo 北海道札幌市厚別区厚別町小野幌53-2 (野幌森林公園) |
Nopporo Forest
The Centennial Memorial Tower was constructed in 1970. It was built as part of Hokkaido’s Centennial Project and was in honor of the people who built and turned Hokkaido into what it is today. It is also a symbol of future accomplishment. It is located in the vast Nopporo Forest park, which contains many trails and the Hokkaido Hokkaido Museum. The tower is 100 meters tall, in accordance with the Centennial Project and can be seen rising in the horizon from the train into Sapporo from the airport.
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You may be forgiven for thinking you had walked onto a set of ‘Lord of the Rings’ as this tower has a striking look to it. In the summer it is surrounded by huge fields of dandelions and is a beautiful place to walk around. Surrounding the fields is the dense Nopporo Forest. The shape of the tower is meant to imitate snow crystals, as it has a hexagonal base. The cross section of the tower represents the Chinese character ‘north’. The uneven walls are symbolic of the struggles the people of old had, during long hard winters, and the rising tower curving to the sky shows hope for the future. There is an observation deck 23 metres up on the 8th floor and there are stairs that continue all the way up to the roof. On top there are views of Sapporo and surrounding areas BUT unfortunately entry into the tower is prohibited!
Unfortunately, and very disappointingly, access into the tower is not allowed due to safety regulations. The tower has fallen into some disrepair over the years and is therefore unsafe to enter and climb up. Although you can’t enter the building it is still definitely worth going to see as it really is an interesting piece of architecture and Nopporo park itself is a great place to walk around, and its free!
