Overview
Settled and planned only in the nineteenth century, Sapporo grew fast into a city of nearly two million on a spacious American-style grid, unusual among older Japanese cities. Cold and snowy in winter and pleasantly cool in summer, it is a base for the whole of Hokkaido, from the nearby ski resorts to the national parks beyond. The city trades on its food and its seasons — the great February snow festival, the summer beer gardens and the produce of the northern land and sea.
Highlights
The Sapporo Snow Festival fills Odori Park with giant ice and snow sculptures each February, the city’s most famous event. Odori Park and the old Clock Tower anchor the centre, and the Susukino district holds the nightlife and the ramen alleys. Miso ramen and Sapporo beer, along with the seafood of the northern coast, are the tastes to seek out, with ski resorts an easy trip away in winter.