| Admission | Free Exhibition Room: Adults ¥200, High School Students ¥100, free for Junior High School Students or younger |
| Opening Hours | 8:45 - 22:00 (exhibition room and garden: 9:00 - 17:00) |
| Closed | Mondays, holidays, the last Tuesday of the month, year-end through New Year holidays |
| Contact | 011-596-5961 |
| Notes | Wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | Postal code061-2302 Sapporo, Hokkaido , Minami-ku, Koganeyu 27 45 minute drive from Sapporo From Sapporo Station, 60 minutes via Jotetsu Bus bound for Jozankei Onsen or Hokeikyo Onsen (Kaisoku 7/Kaisoku 8) From Makomanai Station, 38 minutes via Jotetsu Bus bound for Jozankei Onsen (12) Get off at "Koganeyu" bus stop and walk 6 minutes |
Sculpture at entrance
Traditional Ainu clothing
Embroidery
The Ainu Association of Hokkaido Sapporo Branch also holds workshops at the center that teaches Ainu embroidery and how to make the “Mukkuri” which is a traditional Ainu musical instrument. For reservations and fees required; contact Ainu Association of Hokkaido Sapporo Branch at 011-596-1610.
| Admission | Adults ¥500 High School and University Students ¥250 Elementary and Junior High School Students Free. |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 am to 5 pm daily |
| Closed | Mondays, December 27th to January 4th and occasional irregular closures |
| Contact | 011-511-7655 |
| Notes | Free parking (up to 7 spaces) Wheelchair access Exhibits are in Japanese only |
| Location / Getting There | Japan, 〒064-0931 Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Nakajimakōen, 1−4 北海道立文学館 Take the Nanboku subway (Green line) to the Nakajima Park station. The museum is in the middle of the park, on the west side. |
The Hokkaido Museum of Literature first opened in 1995, and is the first of its kind in Hokkaido. It is located on the grounds of Nakajima Park and is home to some 260,000 works. The collection includes works by and about authors associated with Hokkaido, such as Takeo Arishima, Takuboku Ishikawa, Takiji Kobayashi, and Ayako Miura. There is a permanent exhibition as well as temporary exhibitions.
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The permanent exhibition includes 1,300 items and provides an insight into the literature and authors throughout the history of Hokkaido. This permanent exhibition is currently only in Japanese. The collection is of works of Hokkaido literature dating back to the mid 19th century. These works includes novels, essays, poetry, tanka, haiku, senryu, children’s literature, works of criticism, and Ainu folklore.
| Admission | Adults : ￥520 (groups ￥470) Children: ￥300 (groups ￥270) |
| Opening Hours | May - June: 8:30 -18:00 July - August: 8:30 - 19:00 September: 8:30 - 18:00 October - April: 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-851-3080 |
| Notes | Buses available Wheelchair access Free parking for 150 vehicles Credit cards available |
| Location / Getting There | 1 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 062-0045 Hokkaido Chuo Bus: 10 minutes from Fukuzumi Station (Tōhō Line) to Hitsujigaoka Tenbodai Bus stop. |
Hitsujigaoka which literally means, “Hill of Sheep”, was first developed in 1906 as a cattle breeding station, and then sheep breeding was introduced in 1919. At its peak it was the home to 2,000 sheep. The hill now, is the home to the famous statue of Dr. William Clark, and commands a stunning view overlooking the Ishikari Plains, with Sapporo Dome in the foreground. The hill also has an “Austrian House” souvenir shop, a rest house & restaurant serving mutton, a wedding chapel, a lavender garden in summer and the Snow Festival Museum.
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The Austrian House has plenty of souvenirs to choose from, and has ice cream for those hot, sunny days. Around the back is a huge field and a beautiful lavender garden that is in full bloom in the summer. People visiting are allowed to cut the lavender into bouquets at the end of the season and take them home! Nearby is a white birch grove, where you can wander about. For lunch, at the Rest House, there is a restaurant that is set up for “Jingisukan” (a Hokkaido dish of grilled mutton cooked on a hotplate). The two floor restaurant also has venison, lamb chops, and there is an all you can eat & drink option. Prices range from ￥1200 – ￥2200.
The chapel
The chapel is a pristine white building, which is a great wedding spot, and has seen many wedding ceremonies over the years. It is equally beautiful in the winter! Behind the chapel is a charming white birch grove. Along with the chapel is the Snow Museum. This building contains information about all the Snow Festivals that have been held over the years. It contains miniatures of the giant sculptures of the Snow Festival from decades past. The museum also has an interesting image of one of the snow sculptures in the very first Snow Festival!
The most famous aspect of Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, is the statue of the Dr. William Smith Clark, the father of pioneers in Hokkaido and who left the famous words “boys be ambitious”. His right arm is raised in his characteristic pose as he points “toward the eternal truth which lies far in the distance”. Dr. William Smith Clark was the first “hired foreigner” and served as the vice-principal at the Sapporo Agricultural School (presently Hokkaido University) in 1876. Although he served for only 8 months he had a great influence on all the students. His statue was set up at the Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill as the university was being overwhelmed by tourists.
To get to Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, you need to take the subway to Fukuzumi station on the Toho Line (blue line). From there take the 84 bus (Fuku Hachiju yon, Hitsujigaoka sen). Get off at the last stop Hitsujigaoka observation hill (Hitsujigaoka tenboudai). If you are driving, it is a 25 minute drive from Sapporo station.
| 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!
