Sapporo

Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido. It’s well known for ramen, beer, snow, and being home to some of Japan’s most spectacular festivals. The most impressive is the Sapporo Snow Festival, held annually in Odori Park with huge scenes and structures constructed entirely out of ice. It overlaps with the Sapporo White Illumination, when strings of white lights adorn Odori Park creating a truly magical scene.

The extraordinary countryside lying outside the city is idyllic for nature lovers – the Hokkaido landscape presents wonderful opportunities for hiking, camping during the warmer months, and exhilarating skiing conditions during winter. The former Olympic ski jump stadium is a popular photo opportunity, and the Sapporo Beer Museum is a favourite for obvious reasons. The open-air Historic Village depicts life in days gone by.

What to see & do in Sapporo

Where & what to eat in Sapporo

Sapporo is famed for the quality of its seafood, which is caught in the cold waters off the Hokkaido coast. Crab is probably the most prized, but shrimps and cold-water fish are also packed full of flavour. In winter, you can try a unique Sapporo dish, soup curry! It’s packed full of vegetable and roast chicken, with varying levels of spice for you to choose from. For the biggest collection of...

10 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in Sapporo
In a city as large and cosmopolitan as Sapporo, it really isn’t that hard to find good international food or traditional local cuisine. Variations, of course, abound and you’ll be able to pick and choose between pan-Asian, European, Japanese and...
10 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in Sapporo
10 Best Local Dishes from Sapporo
Hokkaido is arguably the best fishing zone in the world. Surrounded on 3 sides by the Sea of Japan, the...
10 Best Local Dishes from Sapporo
10 Best Foodie Areas in Sapporo
The vast city of Sapporo, the prefectural capital of Hokkaido, covers an area about twice the size of Tokyo. An...
10 Best Foodie Areas in Sapporo

Where to shop & what to buy in Sapporo

Shopping in Sapporo is concentrated in 2 main districts of the city, and each offers options to soothe your shopping bug, from indie boutique shops to vast shopping centres. In front of Sapporo Station, you’ll find one of the largest commercial districts in the city. Some of the most popular complexes here include Sapporo Esta, which is famed for its electronics shops; Sapporo Stellar Place, which is among Japan’s largest...

10 Best Shopping Experiences in Sapporo
As in most large Japanese cities, shopping malls are the most popular places to shop in Sapporo. You'll find all manner of goods inside, from souvenirs and bargains, to exclusive, designer goods. There's no such thing as a typical mall, however, and the...
10 Best Shopping Experiences in Sapporo
9 Best Markets in Sapporo
Sapporo is known for its rich food culture and at its best markets you can find fresh seafood, vegetables, and fruits from around Hokkaido. From famous restaurants that bring in the tourists to hidden gems where the locals dine, Sapporo...
9 Best Markets in Sapporo

Where to go & what to do at night in Sapporo

Nightlife in Sapporo is alive and kicking in Susukino, the city’s own dedicated entertainment area just south of Odori Park that has a good concentration of bars. Evening walks around downtown Sapporo are set against an array of colourful neon lights – it can be magical during snowfall. You won’t find any shortage of great Japanese beer in Sapporo. As snowy Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo is also a beer capital. After all,...

10 Best Bars, Live Music, and Nightclubs in Sapporo
Many nightlife lovers see Sapporo as a more laid-back and relaxed destination than equivalent-sized cities in Japan. The main nightlife centre is Susukino – the largest north of Tokyo – with many 24-hour bars, restaurants, pubs. It's estimated there are more than 4,000 venues within this loosely-defined...
10 Best Bars, Live Music, and Nightclubs in Sapporo
9 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Sapporo
The best things to do after dinner in Sapporo include endless fun nightspots, especially in the entertainment district of Susukino. Make the most of your Sapporo nightlife by barhopping or dancing all night at a dance club. The night view...
9 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Sapporo

Useful information

Sapporo Travel Essentials
Our Sapporo Travel Essentials lays out the essential information you need to help you plan your trip to one of the most popular destinations in Japan. No matter how frequently you travel, some questions will always need answers: What’s the weather like? How can I get from New Chitose Airport to my hotel? What currency and type of plug do...
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