A small but delicious place to have lunch
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 1000 – 2000 yen |
| Opening Hours | Lunch 11:00 – 17:00 Dinner 17:00 – 23:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Foreign Language Ability: Limited. English menu provided |
| Location / Getting There | South 3 West 3 PARCO Building 8th floor |
This cosy eatery is located on the 8th Floor of Sapporo PARCO. The staff are polite and very friendly and speak limited English but they will provide an English Menu upon request. The menu includes a vegetable curry, vegetables with chicken, vegetables and pork, mushroom curry, and a seafood curry. The spiciness ranges from one to five. Two being mild, and a safe choice with a slight kick. Assorted vegetables and the selection of meat are in small pieces, and fried before being added to the soup curry in a bowl. Each dish comes with rice and is available in small, medium or large portions.
This soup curry restaurant also has an omelette with rice on the menu, and also a dry curry dish. The lunch time menu offers a set menu that comes with a drink, whether it be orange juice, coffee or tea. The drink can come with or after the meal. This soup curry shop is conveniently in the middle of town in the PARCO shopping building. Located on the 8th floor in the eatery section, there are a dozen or so other restaurants to choose from, but the soup curry restaurant is always a solid choice. Perfect after a days shopping around central ward. This is a non smoking establishment.
8th floor restaurants
Huge 3D or 2D movies
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | Around 2,000 yen |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 – 23:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | http://www.unitedcinemas.jp/sapporo/index.html +81 570-783-011 |
| Notes | Foreign Language Ability: Limited |
| Location | North 1 East 4. Sapporo Factory, 2nd floor Japan, 〒060-0031 Hokkaido Prefecture, Sapporo, 中央区北1条東4-1-1 サッポロファクトリー 一条館2F |
There are 2 major cinemas in Sapporo. United Cinemas and Cinema Frontier. United Cinemas contains 11 screens and is also home to the only IMAX screen in Hokkaido. United cinemas also has 4D for that extra movie experience. The IMAX screen is a whopping 16 by 22 metres and seats up to 450 people. The movies here can also be seen in 3D. 4D opened up in 2016 and can be viewed in screen 1. When buying the ticket, they will have a list of the movies so you can just point and choose. Seating also needs to be selected.
Important! When selecting your movie from the displayed movie list, there will be a small kanji (symbol) next to the title. This kanji will be telling you whether the movie is in English or if its dubbed in Japanese.
字 or 字幕 - this means subtitles (which means the film will be in ENGLISH or its original language and there will be Japanese subtitles).
吹 - this means dubbed over (which means the film will be in dubbed over in JAPANESE)
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Souvenirs from the current movies can be bought at a small shop. And like most cinemas around the world, food is sold at the snack shop. 3 kinds of popcorn, hotdogs and other fare you would you expect. In terms of refreshments, you are able to buy beer at the cinemas in Japan, as well as soft drinks.
Japan is usually the last country to release Hollywood blockbusters and is usually 6 months behind most countries. So if you have missed the movie you wanted to see back home you can always catch it down the track in Japan. So, sit back, have a snack and enjoy the movie.
Thumping IMAX sound
Easy to see the screen
Irashaimase!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 2000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | Open 7 days a week: Monday – Thursday: 5:30pm – 1am (Food and Drink last order: 12:30am) Friday, Saturday, Days preceding a holiday: 5:30pm – 2am (Food and Drink last order: 2am) Sunday: 5:30 – midnight (Food and Drink L.O. 11:30pm) 定休日 月-木、祝日: 17:30-翌1:00 （料理L.O. 翌0:30 ドリンクL.O. 翌0:30） 金、土、祝前日: 17:30-翌2:30 （料理L.O. 翌2:00 ドリンクL.O. 翌2:00） 日: 17:30-翌0:00 （料理L.O. 23:30 ドリンクL.O. 23:30） 17:30～翌1:00迄 |
| Closed | December 31 – January 3 |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | ￥300 charge for otooshi (お通し), a small dish of food / seating charge Capacity: 50 |
| Location / Getting There | Sapporo, Chuo-ku, South 6 Jyo, West 3 Choume Daiichi Susukino Building 3rd floor. 北海道札幌市中央区南６条西３第1すすきのビル3F |
Japan is an expensive country. But like all expensive countries, there are opportunities to enjoy the local fare on the cheap. One such chance to fill your belly is by having a meal at HANAYAGI, a small izakaya (traditional Japanese restaurant) located in the southeastern corner of Susukino.
Proudly serving Yebisu beer!
HANAYAGI has everything you’d expect a bare bones izakaya to have: something from the pickle jar, the deep fryer, the grill, the fish cooler and the fry pan. And a really, really cheap all-you-can-drink menu (nomihoudai/ 飲み放題). Enter through a corner door and you’ll be greeted by the chef busy doing what he does best. Shed your shoes and choose from one of the low tables situated on the hardwood floors. HANAYAGI only employs one other staff, so get your order in quickly. By 8pm the restaurant fills for a frenetic few hours with hungry 20 somethings. The drink menu is pretty standard: Yebisu beer on tap, bottled Heartland and a handful of premixed cocktails. As for food, consider your eating needs covered. With a wide variety of items listed on both the menu and on the walls, you’re guaranteed to find something to satisfy your hunger…providing you can read Japanese!
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Besides the chef, HANAYAGI only employs one other staff, so get your order in quickly. By 8pm the restaurant fills for a frenetic few hours with hungry 20 somethings. The drink menu is pretty standard: Yebisu beer on tap, bottled Heartland and a handful of premixed cocktails. As for food, consider your eating needs covered. With a wide variety of items listed on both the menu and on the walls, you’re guaranteed to find something to satisfy your hunger…providing you can read Japanese!
Just ask, and the staff will do their best to accommodate your illiteracy.
HANAYAGI is perfect for a busy night. You can be in and out in an hour, satisfied with a belly full of great local cooking. Or if you’re agenda is on the boozy end of the spectrum, consider this your best deal to prime the motor cheaply (think 2 hours of all the beer you can drink for under $10…). For the price, this place has it all: good food, good vibes and good value all in one place. Just remember to give your compliments to the chef directly – he’s a salt of the earth Sapporite, happy to serve the people.
Local youngsters readying for a big night out.
Grilled chicken breast with sinus-melting wasabi.
Fried oysters and mayonaise – heart attacks never tasted so good!
Grab a seat at the counter if the tables are taken.
は – HA, な – NA, や – YA, ぎ – GI = HANAYAGI in Japanese:
Nakajima Park during autumn
At one time Nakajima park was originally a lumber yard but after it stopped being used the locals put forth the notion that it be turned into a park so in 1887 Nakajima park was born. Covering 21 hectares Nakajima is one of the main parks situated in southern Sapporo. It’s a great place to experience all the seasons and there is a lot to do and see. In the snowy winter, the park offers a cross-country skiing course with free access to equipment, such as shoes, skis, and poles, so you don’t have to go all the way to the slopes to enjoy winter sports. In the spring Nakajima park has a large array of cherry blossoms and is a beautiful area to walk around and take photos.
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Beautiful cherry blossoms in early May
The park has about 5,000 trees, including the Japanese red spruce, yew, gingko Ezo mountain cherry, and the Japanese elm and wisteria. During summer Sapporo holds the Hokkaido Shrine Festival. The festival has events around Sapporo and Nakajima Park is no exception. Its walkways and roads are bustling with shops, and stalls, game stands and a couple of haunted houses and rides for the kids. It’s a busy time with throngs of people flocking to Nakajima Park to enjoy the festivities. Autumn, as with spring, is a good time to walk around the park and take in the amazing hue of the autumn leaves. Not a bad place for a picnic, or to relax by the large inner pond in the warm autumn sun.
Shobu Pond By spring after Shobu pond has opened up and the ice has melted, boats are available for rental to paddle around. For 40 minutes you can relax on the water. Great place for a date and to enjoy the spring air. Brinf some bread and feed the ducks. For more information, check out our boating article.
Hoheikan Building.This historical building and was built in 1880 and served as a guest house and hotel. Famous as it is the oldest wooden hotel in Japan and was opened to commemorate the arrival of Emperor Meiji. He stayed here for 4 nights. It now serves mainly as a wedding spot and is classed as an important cultural property. For more information check out Hoheikan Building
Japanese Garden.This was opened in 1963 and houses the Hassaon (literally meaning “the eight window hut”) tea house. The tea house was designed in the Edo period and was moved to Sapporo in 1919. Hassoan is opened from the end of April to the early part of November. Entry into the hut is not permitted but you are able to look into the house through three shoji that are kept opened. Tea ceremonies several times a year. For more information check out Japanese Garden & Tea House
Kitara Concert Hall The park contains the
Sapporo Concert Hall, also known as “Kitara”. Opened in 1997, it is the largest concert hall in Hokkaido, and houses a large main hall, small chamber music hall, and rehearsal rooms. A restaurant, nursery room, and museum shop are also located in the building.
| Admission | Ropeway + Morris Car (Round trip): Adults ¥1,700 Children ¥850 Road : Car ¥660 Motorbike ¥320 Mini Bus ¥1340 |
| Opening Hours | Summer: 10:30 – 22:00 (last departure 21:30) Winter: 11:00 – 22:00 (last departure 21:30) Sightseeing road: Summer Season 10:30 – 22:00 (last admission 21:30) |
| Closed | Sightseeing road: Closed Winter |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | - |
| Location / Getting There | 1 Moiwayama, Minami-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 005-0041, Japan |
Mt Moiwa reaches a height of 531 metres and is located on the south east range overlooking Sapporo. Its Ainu name is “Inkarushibe” and it was explored by Takeshiro Matsuura in the late-Edo period where he noted “Mt. Moiwa was not only a mountain upon which to command a view of the surroundings, but was also held as a sacred mountain where the gods dwell by the Ainu people.”
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Ropeway up!
The summit offers spectacular views of Sapporo and its outlying towns and the breathtaking night views of the illuminated cityscape below are not to be missed. From the base of the mountain the ropeway will steadily climb to the halfway point. From there visitors will change and take the “Morris Car”, the world’s first drive-type mini cable car to the summit.
For those wishing to wine and dine or even to have a special luncheon then JEWELS restaurant offers lunches and dinners on the summit. To make sure you get the best seats in the house with views through the floor to ceiling windows, booking in advance is a good idea. The halfway station has a souvenir shop and also houses a planetarium and theater. The planetarium holds nature documentaries that correspond with the seasons.
| ACCESS | |
| Subway | Take the JR bus Ropeway Sen from the 2nd exit of the Maruyama Park Station which is on the Tozai line (orange line), then get off at the stop Moiwa Sanroku Eki (Mt. Moiwa Base Station). |
| Streetcar | From Susukino or Odori stations, take the streetcar line to "Ropeway Iriguchi" station (25 minutes, 170 yen, frequent departures). From there, a free shuttle bus operates to the lower ropeway station (5 minutes, departs every 20 minutes). Alternatively, the Mount Moiwa Ropeway can be reached in a five minute walk from the Ropeway Iriguchi streetcar stop. (The streetcar comes at 6 minute intervals during the day, making it more convenient than the bus.) |
| Taxi | Approximately 1,500 yen from the city center to the Moiwa Sanroku Eki (Mt. Moiwa Base Station). |
| Parking | Sanroku Eki (Mt. Moiwa Base Station): 120 cars (Free) |
| Hiking | This mountain is a popular climbing destination for the citizens of Sapporo: the five mountain trails (shortest 2.4km; longest 4.5km) are hike-able in casual clothing and are popular with mountain climbers during the summer weekends. |
| Admission | Elevator fees : Adults ¥700 High School Students ¥600 Junior High School Students ¥400 Elementary School Students ¥300 Children ¥100 |
| Opening Hours | 9 am to 9 pm daily : late April to late October. 9 am to 10 pm daily : July to August. 9:30 pm to 9 pm daily : late October to late April. |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | - |
| Location / Getting There | Soseigawa Dori, 1 Chome Ōdōrinishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 060-0042, Japan |
The heart of SAPPORO is basically divided into three areas. Sapporo station to the north, Odori in the centre, and Susukino to the south. The central park of Sapporo, ODORI PARK, with its grass lawns, fountains, and benches runs through Sapporo east to west for 10 blocks. It is a popular spot throughout the year and is home to many of Sapporos seasonal festivals. At the eastern most side is TV TOWER which serves as a famous landmark in Sapporo. Built in 1957, the tower raises to a height of 142 metres.
Downtown Sapporo from the observation deck
Ate the base below the tower there is a large open courtyard which is used for events, mainly in the warmer seasons. The entrance has a game corner and a small souvenir shop. On the 1st floor there is a larger souvenir shop where mascot souvenir characters and other items of Hokkaido can be bought. There is also a restaurant on this level offering views over the park. It serves as a nice place to eat, relax, and enjoy the view of ODORI PARK. This floor has the ticket counter for purchasing tickets for the observatory floor 90 metres above. The staff are very friendly and speak English. The observation deck is 90 metres up and offers great views of Sapporo city in every direction. Winter is a particularly nice season to get great views of the winter festival. The tower is specially illuminated in blue from 6pm to 8pm.
Odori park