| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 12:00 13:00 - 16:00 |
| Closed | Weekends and public holidays |
| Contact | 011-261-7502 http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/about/region/sapporo/index.html |
| Notes | Free parking |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo by Odori Park on west 11. It is an easy walk from Nishi juitchome Station subway station (Tozai Line). Take exit 1 and walk diagonally across the park, past the fountain. The immigration bureau is on the 7th floor. 12 Chome Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042 |
For all foreigners living in Japan, you will inevitably come to the immigration bureau at some point. The main immigration bureau is in Sapporo but there are also immigration offices in Asahikawa, the New Chitose Airport, Tomakomai, and Kushiro. For visas it is juts a matter of checking off what’s needed and can take a few trips back and forth. It can either be an easy or difficult experience. In Sapporo, upon entering the building, you will need to sign in, get a badge and go through the security gate. Immigration is on the 7th floor. The staff here generally speak little English which can make things a little more difficult. There is a small help desk on the left hand side of the door and is manned by two old Japanese guys. They too, speak very little English but will help you with forms. All the visa forms here are here; student, work, spousal, permanent residence, and specialist visas.
The immigration bureau can get busy so be prepared to wait. They do close for lunch as well so early mornings are usually best to get there. Once you have all your forms ready take a ticket and wait (don’t forget to bring your passport and alien registration card). One convenient thing about the immigration building is that it is a short walk from the central city hall (if you live in the area) so any extra forms you may need, are a quick walk away. When picking up a new visa you need to pay for it. There is a convenience store on the B1 basement floor and it is here you will buy a stamp equivalent to your visa cost (usually from ¥3000 to ¥6000). Take the stamp back to the 7th floor and you are done. For more information on types of visas, click here.
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 19:00 |
| Closed | Wednesdays |
| Contact | 011-846-4557 https://www.eaglejp.co.jp/ |
| Rental Prices | ¥4700 - ¥30,500 per day (depending on bike class) *Credit card and valid drivers license needed Hourly rate also available. |
| Bike storage for winter | ¥20,000 from November to April |
| Notes | Motorbikes, snowmobiles, trikes, buggies, rental, new & second hand for sale, riding gear, parking available |
| Location / Getting There | Eagle Motorcycle is a 20 minute drive from central Sapporo. Located in Shiroishi. Drive east onto Ebetsu road, Eagle Motorcycle is on the left. For public transport, take the Tozai subway (orange) line to Nangojusan-chome station. Exit 3, turn right and 10 minute walk to Ebetsu road, and turn left. 12 Kita-1-15 Hondori, Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 003-0027 |
Touring around Hokkaido on two wheels is heaven. If you are looking for motorbikes, quad bikes, trikes, snow mobiles, or even snow blowers, Eagle Motorcycle is THE place! All these bikes, whether they be cruisers, sports bikes, tour bikes, trail bikes, or snow mobiles, are for sale or for rental. They have a huge selection plus a tonne of second hand bikes. They also have a garage for repairs, storage during winter, plus they can get your bike of choice ready for registration and on the road! The staff here are friendly and are keen to help with any enquiry. Depending on the season, their floor showroom changes to suit the need. Winter time will see mainly snowmobiles and snowblowers. Summer, everything else on two, three or four wheels.
Eagle Motorcycle is made up of primarily two floors, with a garage and rental gear next door. The first floor (or ground floor) has a showroom with the latest bikes on sale. They also have quad bikes and trikes here as well plus snowmobiles in the winter. Further back, you can find riding gear and accessories for your bike (their stock is limited, for more riding gear it is better to head further along Ebetsu Road). You can find the staff desk here too. On the second floor you can find all the second hand bikes. They have a huge selection of bikes from scooters to sports bikes to huge cruisers and touring bikes. You can definitely find something here in your price range! They also have rentals here too, just ask the staff! For the range of rental bikes click here. For general bike prices click here.
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 20:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-213-5088 |
| Notes | Tourist information centre, English speaking staff, ATM, money exchange, coffee shop, wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | Located at Sapporo station, across from the east exit. It is next to the Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza. 〒060-0806 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Kita Ward, Kita 6 Jonishi, 4 Chome, JR Sapporo Station West Concourse |
For those newly arrived in Sapporo, or Hokkaido for that matter, this centre is an extremely useful resource to have access to. The information centre is convenient to find and easily accessible. The centre is located across from the east exit at Sapporo Station and is part of the Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza. The large counter here is attended by helpful employees who can speak English. They are happy to assist you with any inquiries you may have whether it be for the JR train to bookings and hotels.. There are plenty of brochures with information not only of Sapporo, but of all the main sightseeing cities in Hokkaido.
The Sapporo Information Centre also has a money exchange machine which is very handy. This machine has ten different languages to choose from making it easy to use and about a dozen different currencies to exchange. For other quick money, there is an ATM on the premises. There are prepaid sim cards to use for your phone which are available here. Also for electrical appliances there are charging stations. So, for those just arriving and need some extra info, the Hokkaido Sapporo Information Centre is the perfect spot.
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 20:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-213-5053 http://www.dousanhin.com/shop/sapporo_jr |
| Notes | Hokkaido goods store, part of tourism information center, parking available; ¥340 per hour (Sapporo Station North Exit Underground Parking) |
| Getting There | The plaza is directly across the walkway from the Sapporo station west ticket gate. 060-0806 Sapporo Kita-ku Kita 6 Jo Nishi 4-chome JR Sapporo Station West Street north exit |
The Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza is part of the large tourism information center at Sapporo station. The information center not only has the Dosanko Plaza but also a cafe area and help desk. The Dosanko Plaza makes up the food section here. It is a small supermarket that sells over 2,000 specialty Hokkaido food products and souvenirs. All the items sold here can be found only in Hokkaido. It makes the perfect spot to pick up some souvenirs to take home with you. This store is not only a popular spot for tourists, but you will find many of the locals come here to pick up some specialty food items.
The Dosanko Plaza is full of delicious Hokkaido produce including items such as seafood, butters and cheese, meats, large crab, local vegetables, local liquor such as sake, wine and beer. They also have some nice sweets and confectionary here. Every three months, the store introduces a new item so keep an eye out. Apart from the food products, there are also handmade arts and crafts you can pick up as a souvenir. Some of these items include Ainu carvings and fabrics. The Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza is easily accessed as it is right by the western ticket gates at Sapporo station and is one of the first places you will see upon exiting the station.
| Opening Hours | JR call center 6:30 - 22:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Notes | Ticket counters, restaurants, tourist information center, lockers, wheelchair access, souvenir stores. JR Hakodate main line for Otaru, Niseko, Hakodate, and Asahikawa. Access to the subway Namboku, and Toho lines, Transport to Sapporo New Chitose Airport, Limited Express Lilac and Kamui for Sapporo & Asahikawa Limited Express Okhotsk for Sapporo, Asahikawa & Abashiri Limited Express Suzuran for Sapporo, Chitose, Noboribetsu, & Muroran. |
| Contact | 011-222-6131 011-222-7111 JR call center |
| Getting There | Located in the central Sapporo. A 40 minute express train ride from the New Chitose Airport. Or a 55 minute bus ride from New Chitose Airport 4 Chome Kita 6 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0806 |
Sapporo Station is the hub of the city of Sapporo. All travelers will pass through its gates before branching out to different parts of the city, or for most, different cities in Hokkaido. It originally opened in 1880 and was revamped in 2003. With its ten platforms, it is an easy station to use! From New Chitose Airport, it is a 40 minute express train ride or 55 minute bus ride. The JR train arrives on the elevated platform giving views over the south of Sapporo (which includes Odori park, and Susukino). Once arriving simply follow everyone down the stairs or escalators to the ground floor. From here, you can either head to the western exit or eastern ticket exit.
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The east exit leads to JR tower (the highest building in Sapporo), plus the Esta building and Bic Camera (a popular tourist spot for shopping) which is on the south east side of Sapporo station. On the west side of Sapporo station, the west exit leads to the Sapporo subway station. You can also find the Daimaru department store, plus the tourist information site, souvenir store, and JR ticket counter for Hokkaido travel, and Paseo West which has about twenty different restaurants! Also above the station there is the department store, Stellar Place. The west exit out of the gates is the main exit if you need to head into the heart of Sapporo. It is at Sapporo station, you can find JR Hakodate main line for Otaru, Niseko, Hakodate, and Asahikawa. There is access to the subway Namboku, and Toho lines, transport to Sapporo New Chitose Airport.
| Admission | Free entry Volcano Museum ¥600 Adults - ¥300 Children |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | December 31 to January 3 |
| Contact | 0142-75-2555 http://www.toyako-vc.jp/en/volcano/ |
| Notes | Museum, parking available, local information. Volcano Theater show times are held every 30 minutes from 9:30 to 16:30 |
| Location / Getting There | Located on the southern shore of Lake Toya. A 2 minute drive up the hill from central Toya Onsen district. 142-5 Toyakoonsen, Toyako, Abuta District, Hokkaido 049-5721 |
The Toyako Visitor center is a beautifully designed building that was established in May of 2007. The facility was made by the Ministry of the Environment. It is an information center that focuses on the environment and the interesting biodiversity of Lake Toya. Through exhibitions and displays, the facility helps visitors get in touch with the area, and introducing various eco-museum projects. There is also a fantastic Volcano Museum inside, which looks at the volcanic activity of the area, both past and present!
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The volcanic science museum can be found at the Toyako Visitor Center. It is an interesting small museum that focuses on the eruptions at Lake Toya that occurred in 1977, and in 2000. Through exhibitions, and experience devices you can get a real feel for the impact of these volcanic eruptions, and introduces the history of Mount Usu. There is a theatre inside which is fascinating and definitely worth a visit. The 13 minute documentary delves into the eruptions with sound and visuals which leave a strong impact. The audio device has translations into English, Korean, Chinese, and Thai.
