| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 18:00 - 21:00 |
| Dates | October 25 - November 3 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Parking available, food stalls are available |
| Location / Getting There | It is located in Nakajima Park so simply take the subway station to Nakajima Koen subway station. 1 Nakajimakoen, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0931 |
Nakajima Park is an extremely popular park in Sapporo. It one of the main three. The other two being Odori Park, and Maruyama Park. Since 2004, a new festival has started in Sapporo, that being the Autumn Illumination Festival. It is held in Nakajima Park in the evening and is truly stunning. During the day there is a Red Terrace Event on, in one section of the park. This has a dozen stalls and an eating area. They sell mainly sweet potato dishes. During the evening, it is lit up with hanging lights and is quite romantic. At 18:00 is when the real magic happens. Places in strategic spots around the park, the trees are lit with colored lights. Red, yellows, and greens. What makes it particularly beautiful is the reflection on the water from the central pond in the middle of the park. The Japanese Gardens inside the park are also illuminated and are a must see.
There are some events that are held out through the park to add to the experience. At the Hoheikan Hall building, there is the Meigren Dance Performance. This is a traditional geiko dance and is performed by geisha in their beautiful kimonos. Each dance goes for 15 minutes. There is also a tea ceremony at Hoheikan Hall where you an enjoy Japanese tea and sweets. There is also a tea ceremony in the Japanese gardens by the Hasso-an (Tea House). Oshiruko is sold here. Oshiruko is a traditional Japanese dessert made from sweet red bean paste and mochi.
| Meigrien Dance Performance | Free | October 25, 26, 30 November 2 1st performance: from 6:30 p.m. 2nd performance: from 7:00 p.m. 3rd performance: from 7:30 p.m. 4th performance: from 8:00 p.m. |
| Tea Ceremony and Japanese Sweets | ¥1000 | October 27, 28, 29, 31, November 1, 3 1st performance: from 6:30 p.m. 2nd performance: from 7:00 p.m. 3rd performance: from 7:30 p.m. 4th performance: from 8:00 p.m. |
| Japanese Garden Open-air Tea Ceremony | ¥500 | October 25 - November 3 |
| Dates | October 27 - November 5 |
| Opening times | 12:00-20:00 weekdays 10:00-20:00 Saturdays 10:00-18:00 Sundays |
| Contact | https://sapporo-yakiimoterrace.com/ |
| Location / Getting There | The festival is held in Nakajima Park and is right near the park entrance in Sapporo. Simply take the subway to Nakajima Koen subway station. Alternatively, you can simply walk to the park if you are staying in Sapporo. 1 Nakajimakoen, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0931 |
This is a new brand new festival that started in 2023. The festival is focused on the humble sweet potato, and runs for a week from the end of October to the beginning of November in Nakajima Park. The park at this time of year is particularly beautiful with the autumn leaves. It does get chilly around this time of year. What’s better than a crispy, piping hot potato with a soft center to warm up. There is also hot coffee or a glass of wine to be had. A great pairing. There is a surprisingly large variety of sweet potatos that can be found here. You are looking anywhere from ¥500 to ¥1000 per potato.
Some of the varieties include the ‘Sweet White Potato’ which has a white center or the ‘Musume Beni Potato’ which has an orange center. The white potato is from Kagoshima and has distinct sweetness. Other types of potato are from around Hokkaido. You can find sweet potatoes that have been fried and sprinkled with caramel sugar. Other types have been peeled and fried. There are many to choose from, though be warned, the lines are long especially for the more uncommon sweet potatoes. And of course, they have desserts as well as savory. Sweet Potato Pudding, Sweet Potato Cream Puff’ and a Sweet Potato Parfait can all be enjoyed here. There are tents and seating to sit and eat here, plus of it gets too busy, you can wander through the park and find a nice spot!
| Dates | First Sunday of October |
| Starting time | All events 9:00 - 13:40 Half marathon 9:30 |
| Entry price | ￥1020 to ￥3600 (depending on event & age) Half marathon ￥5140 (adults) Half marathon ￥1640 (high school students) |
| Contact | http://satumara.shsf.jp/ |
| Location / Getting There | Start & finish is at Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena (inside Makomanai Park in Minami-ku, Sapporo) Course runs along Toyohira river and Odori park |
First held in 1958, the Sapporo Marathon originally started out as a full marathon. From 1986, the race was turned into the half marathon, where it remains as one of the most famous sporting events in Sapporo. There are around 15,000 participants. The half marathon starts and finishes in Makomanai park and follows the banks of Toyohira river. The race winds its way to Odori park where the runners then make their journey back.
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Along with the half marathon course, there is a 10km course, a 5km, 3km, and a 2km course. The shorter courses are all held within Makomanai park. The 2km and 3km race is a “fun pair” race, matching adults with children (pre-elementary school age), so there are many grandparents who take part to run alongside their grandchildren. The half marathon and 10 km run are both official courses sanctioned by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations.
