| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0136-22-0352 https://konpirajikuchan.jimdofree.com/ |
| Notes | - |
| Location / Getting There | Located at the north end of the town of Kutchan. It's a 15 minute wlka from the centre of town or a 20 minute walk from Kutchan train station. 〒044-0057 Hokkaido, Abuta District, Kutchan, Kita 7 Jonishi, 1 Chome−８ |
Konpira Temple (or better known as ‘Konpiraji’ in Japanese) is a buddhist temple. It is the main temple in Kutchan and is a good place to visit while in town. It makes for a good spot to get some photos or to experience a little of the Japanese culture. A statue of the founding priest was constructed at the foot of Mt. Konpira which can be found at Lake Toya. Every year, at the temple, the annual Konpira Temple Festival is held. This festival celebrates Autumn and heralds the coming of winter. It is a three day festival and is held on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of October.
Being a buddhist temple, they have many statues around the grounds. The most common being the Ojizo-sama. These are usually small statues that have a child like appearance. They are often dressed in a red bib. This practice is believed to have begun when grieving parents who had lost a child put the deceased child’s bib on a Jizo statue in the hope their child would be protected in the other world. To get to the temple it is a fifteen minute walk from centre of Kutchan, or a five minute drive.It is located just to the north of central Kutchan. It is easily accessed as it lies at the end of the main street that runs through the town.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0142-82-5076 |
| Notes | Buddhist temple, sightseeing spot, photography spot, historical landmark |
| Location / Getting There | Located on the northern shore of Lake Toya. Can be found just above the road located north of Route 132 23 Toyamachi, Toyako, Abuta District, Hokkaido 049-5802 |
On the northern shore of Lake Toya you can find Toya Temple and a scenic monument of Hokkaido. They are both just off route 132 and there is a road leading up where you can find parking. Toya Temple is a Shinto shrine that offers scenic views over the lake. The public are welcome to walk around the small grounds here where you can appreciate the statues, architecture, and wooden carvings that surround the temple. The doors to the temple itself are often closed but it’s still a nice area to check out. The temple makes for a nice look in if you are taking a stroll around the path that follows the shore.
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The path that winds around the northern part of the lake that includes sightseeing spots such as Ukimido Park, and Toyako Art Museum & park plus the Ko Park Camping Ground. The whole area is dotted with beautiful sculptures. Along the small access road that leads to Toya Temple, you can also find one of the ‘scenic monuments of Hokkaido’. There are three scenic monuments in Hokkaido, with the other two being in Jozankei, and on the small island of Rishiri. These three scenic monuments were selected in 1923 by the Otaru Newspaper which was one of three main papers in Hokkaido at the time.
| Admission | Free |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-511-0262 |
| Notes | Buddhist temple |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo, 2 minute walk from Hosuisusukino subway station. 6 minute walk from Susukino & Nakajima park subway station. 1-chōme-2 Minami 6 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0806 |
Nice little garden inside the walls
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Beautiful Japanese style garden
The temple of Shinzenko has over a hundred years of history, being built in 1884. It is here, the teaching of the jodo sect focuses on the “ritual recitation of the Nembutsu” (meaning the follower is opening themselves up to light and salvation). Followers believe this recitation benefits not just the speaker, but the entire world as well. There are three floors inside the temple itself and include up to one thousand burial urns. Throughout the year, the temple has special Buddhist ceremonies on their calendar. Being in the entertainment district, the temple is not a far walk from the Susukino and Nakajima Koen subway stations making it an easy place to access.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-621-0453 |
| Notes | Various shrines in park, restrooms in park, sightseeing spot, Hokkaido Shrine, parking available |
| Location / Getting There | Located in west Sapporo. 5 minute walk from Maruyama subway station 3 Miyagaoka, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0959 |
Kaitaku Shrine
There are three main parks in the city of Sapporo, Odori park, Nakajima park, and Maruyama Park. Completed in 1957, Maruyama Park (known as Maruyama Koen) is a popular park, and is a great sightseeing spot, as it is home to almost a dozen shrines of various sizes. The largest and most popular of these being Hokkaido Shrine. In its large area of 68 hectares, you can also find Maruyama Zoo plus Maruyama sports stadium and baseball field. The entrance to the hiking track up Maruyama can be found across from Maruyama Park.
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Cherry blossom season
The park is beautiful in all seasons, though it is most popular during the cherry blossom season at the start of May. With over 1500 sakura trees, thousands of locals flock to the park and enjoy the hanami (cherry blossom festival). The park is divided into two main parts, the main entrance can be found at the lower section. Taking the stone stairways up and under the huge torii (Japanese gate) will bring you to most of the shrines, the cherry blossom trees during spring, and Hokkaido Shrine, and Maruyama Zoo.
The park is a great spot to take a stroll, have a picnic, and take in the sights.The park contains virgin forest of various trees including Oak, Magnolia, Maple and Katsura (Japanese Judas tree). The park is a designated natural monument. and on the hillside of the park, there are giant Elm and Cypress trees.
| Admission | Free admission |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0139-42-2275 |
| Notes | Parking available 175 cars, Toilets, Wheelchair access & toilets. Matsumae Sakura Festival (late April-mid May) Matsumae Ajisa Festival (early August) |
| Location / Getting There | 6 hour drive from Sapporo or 2 hour bus ride from Hakadote, get off at "Matsujo Bus Stop", 7 minutes on foot. Matsujo, Matsumae-cho, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 049-1511 |
The extensive Matsumae Park
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The path running through the park
Besides the cherry blossoms the park has other flowers that bloom throughout the summer and spring. Camellias come out from April to May, dandelions & azaleas in mid-May. In early June, wisterias are in bloom, and from July you can see hydrangeas & roses in the park. There is a path that runs through all the way up to a second park at the back and to the base of the mountains. It is well worth a walk up as at the top you can enjoy great views looking over the whole of Matsumae Park and the Strait of Tsugaru. There are two festivals held in Matsumae park, the first is the Matsumae Sakura Festival which is held from late April to mid May. The second is the Matsumae Ajisa Festival in early August.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0139-42-2449 |
| Notes | Photography spot |
| Location / Getting There | 6 hour drive from Sapporo or 2 hour bus ride from Hakadote. Matsujo, Matsumae-cho, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 049-1511 |
Peaceful
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Graveyard of the Matsumae Lords
Walking among the stone pathways and moss covered gardens is a real treat. Another feature of this area is the graveyard of the local Matsumae Lords. The trees surrounding the headstones and tombs make for a fantastic setting, with which to wander and take the quiet beauty of the graveyard. There is also a fantastic 200 year old Kechimyaku Sakura (bloodline cherry). The temples are especially beautiful during late April and early May, as the cherry blossoms (with which Matsumae is famous) are in full bloom. Make sure to bring your camera as you stroll through the historic buildings and paths.
