Odori Park

大通公園
AdmissionFree
Opening HoursOpen 24 hours
Contact011-1251-0438
https://odori-park.jp/
NotesSightseeing spot, paid parking underground, festivals throughout the year (see below), toilets at park
Location /
Getting There
Odori Park runs horizontally right through the middle of Sapporo. It is a 10 minute walk from Sapporo Station. It is also directly above Odori Subway station. The park can be easily accessed from 3 subway stations along the Tozai Line (subway orange line).
7 Chome Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042

Odori Park is the most famous park in Sapporo, if not Hokkaido. It runs through the heart of Sapporo and is home to the some of the biggest festivals throughout the year. The park runs for twelve blocks and separates the city into north and south. At the eastern most end you can find the iconic TV Tower which has great views overlooking the park. The park was originally constructed  as a large street, which also served as a firebreak in 1871. In 1872, the street was named ‘Shiribeshi Dōri’  but this name was not popular so it was renamed ‘Odōri’ in June 1881. Odori meaning ‘large street’ in English. The park itself didn’t become a park until 1909. 

Annual Events at Odori Park

February (2nd week)Sapporo Snow Festival
May (middle of the month)Lilac Festival.
June (2nd week)Yosakoi Soran Festival
July (from mid July)Sapporo Beer Garden
Jazz Festival
August (to mid August)Sapporo Beer Garden
SeptemberSapporo Autumn Festival
November (end of month)Sapporo White Illumination

The park is hugely popular especially during the warmer months. There are benches that line the park, and the grass areas throughout the park are a great spot to sit and have lunch, or a drink, and relax. There are numerous fountains to admire and to dip your feet in the hotter months. Swings, slides, a stage for performances, and beautiful flower gardens can be found throughout the park. On the western most block are the rose gardens and the Sapporo City Museum. Big events are held at Odori Park. The biggest being the Summer Beer Garden and the Snow Festival are at this park.

Ika Square & Seaport Park

イカ広場
AdmissionFree
Opening HoursOpen 24 hours
Closed-
Contact-
NotesSightseeing spot, walking spot
Location /
Getting There
The park and square are located on the eastern harbor, on the pier of Hakodate. It's only a 4 minute walk from Hakodate station. It's also a 10 minute walk from the Red Brick Warehouses
22-22 Otemachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0064

Hakodate is a coastal city. There are many piers and waterside promenades to casually stroll along and enjoy the views. On the western harbor you can find a nice small park appropriately named Seaport Park, plus Ika Square. The park is accessed via a circular walkway that surrounds the park and leads on to the well known Tomoe Big Bridge. The park has some small seating areas, has a view of the water, and views down onto Ika Square and the plaza there. This plaza is where tourists can access the decommissioned ship turned museum, the Mashu Maru.

Hakodate has a long and thriving squid fishing industry. It is one of the most popular seafood in Hakodate for the locals. In 1989 the city of Hakodate designated the squid as the city’s official fish. Squid is called ‘Ika’ in Japanese. Ika Square was created in honor of this event. The large monument located at the centre of the square represents a swarming school of squid. There are other statues in the plaza including an old anchor plus a young girl waving off departing ships from the port. 

Ishiyama Green Space

石山緑地
Opening Hours7:00 - 21:00
Closed
Contact011-578-3361
http://www.mit-ueki.com/ishiyama_shisetu.html
NotesAutumn is best time, parking available for 46 cars, walking paths, sculptures, restrooms on site, car needed, wheelchair access, tennis courts, gateball field,
Location /
Getting There
The park is a 25 minute drive south from Sapporo. On the east side of Toyohira, take route 453 and it's on the right after crossing over the overhead bridge.
Take the Chuo Bus Karumanuma Line (Shin-101) or Takino Line (Shin-102) from the Subway Namboku Line "Makomanai Station" and
get off at "Ishiyama Higashi 3-chome". 4 minutes on foot
78 Ishiyama, Minami Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 005-0849

Ishiyama Green Space is a fantastic area to walk around, explore and relax. It has a real unearthly feel to it as the park is surrounded by sheer, white rock topped with overhanging trees. There are also beautiful and interesting sculptures placed around the park and are built into the landscape, adding to the mystique and beauty.  The park was originally a soft rock mining site and in 1993 it was transformed into its current look. This park is definitely a must see during the autumn as the changing leaves add a vibrant color in contrast to the white cliffs!

The park is split into two sections with a small road dissecting the space. There is parking on both sides. The northern park has a lookout point which offers great views down the valley that leads to Jozankei. It is also on this side you can find a play area for the kids, plus there are tennis courts that can be rented out for ¥620 per hour. There is also a gateball (a kind of croquet style game) field here. The southern section of Ishiyama Green Space has paths and sculptures that wind around by ten meter white rock cliffs. This space has areas to sit, to walk around and explore this amazing space. 

Chikaho Tunnel Walkway

札幌駅前通地下歩行空間
Admission-
Opening Hours5:45 - 12:20
Closed-
Contact011-211-6406
https://www.sapporo-chikamichi.jp/
NotesShops, restaurants, and events are along this walkway, convenient especially during the winter, no parking
Location /
Getting There
The large underground walkway runs from Sapporo subway station through to Odori subway station which links to Pole Town underground walkway
〒060-0003 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Kita 1jo

札幌駅前通地下歩行空間The Sapporo Ekimae-dori Underground Pedestrian Space also known as Chikaho, opened on March 12, 2011. The underground walkway runs for 520 meters and is a huge space.  This walkway has a few restaurants along its path, a couple of coffee shops, art & event spaces. There are two toilet facilities and numerous rest stops and places to sit down. The underground walkway is particularly useful and popular during the cold winter months. This in turn connects with other underground shopping areas, so you can easily access most of downtown Sapporo without walking through the winter snow and cold. 

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札幌駅前通地下歩行空間The walkway has many spaces that can be rented out for use, so throughout the year there is always something going on in the tunnel. To rent out a space, then you can contact them directly via their website. There are four spaces that are available to rent. The cheapest which is 24 square meters costs ¥7200 per weekday and ¥20,000 per weekend. The largest space is 300 square meters and that costs ¥150,000 per weekday, and ¥360,000 for the weekend. With the amount of people walking by, its a great way to exhibit or promote an event! The walkway connect to Pole Town which continues all the way Susukino subway station. The other walk way, called Aurora Town, branches off to the east leads to the TV Tower and clock tower

札幌駅前通地下歩行空間