By air
New Chitose (CTS), ~40 km
East Asia · Japan
Sapporo, Japan
Snow festivals, ramen and Hokkaido's wild north
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to February for snow; June to August for summer and Furano's lavender
Don't miss
Odori Park
The Clock Tower
Mount Moiwa
The Nijo Market
Things to do
The Snow Festival in February
Skiing at Niseko
Lavender fields at Furano in July
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: AlphaBetaGamma · CC BY 4.0
What to pack
Serious winter gear in winter
A quieter corner
Otaru's canal town, a short train ride away
Questions travellers ask
Should I visit Sapporo in winter or summer?
December to February for snow, with the Snow Festival in February, or June to August for summer and Furano's lavender fields in July. Winter calls for serious winter gear.
Which dishes should I try in Sapporo?
Miso ramen, soup curry and Hokkaido crab. The Nijo Market is a good place to browse.
How far is Sapporo from the airport?
New Chitose (CTS) is about 40 km away.
What's an easy side trip from Sapporo?
Otaru's canal town, a short train ride away. Skiers can head to Niseko.
About Sapporo
- Inland
Where it is
Sapporo, capital of Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's main islands, lies on the Ishikari Plain in the island's south-west, with Mount Moiwa and forested hills to the west and the port of Otaru on the Sea of Japan nearby.
History
Sapporo was laid out on a grid from 1869 by the Meiji government's Hokkaido Development Commission, on land long home to the Ainu, whose words gave the city its name. American advisers helped found the Sapporo Agricultural College, now Hokkaido University, and shaped the farming of the new settlement. The city hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1972.
People
Sapporo's people speak Japanese, and the city is the largest in Hokkaido. The Ainu, Hokkaido's indigenous people, keep their language, embroidery and dances alive, and local tables are known for crab, sea urchin, dairy and potatoes from the island's farms.
Known for
- The Sapporo Snow Festival in Odori Park
- Miso ramen
- Sapporo beer
- Jingisukan, grilled mutton
- Skiing in the mountains around the city
Did you know?
The Sapporo Snow Festival began in 1950, when local high-school students built six snow statues in Odori Park; it now draws visitors from around the world each February.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.