Sapporo, Hokkaido
Encyclopedia
is the fourth-largest city
in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido
. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture
, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan.
Sapporo is known outside Japan for hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics
, the first ever held in Asia, and for the annual Yuki Matsuri in the city, internationally referred to as the Sapporo Snow Festival
, which draws more than 2 million tourists from around the world. The city is also home to Sapporo Brewery and the famous white chocolate biscuits , exclusively sold in Hokkaido.
settlements. In 1866 at the end of the Edo Period
construction began on a canal through the area, encouraging a number of early settlers to establish Sapporo village. The settlement's name was taken from the Ainu language
sat poro pet, and can be translated as "dry, great river".
In 1868, the officially recognised year celebrated as the 'birth' of Sapporo, the new Meiji
government concluded that the existing administrative center of Hokkaidō, which at the time was the port of Hakodate, was in an unsuitable location for defense and further development of the island. As a result it was determined that a new capital on the Ishikari Plain should be established. The plain itself provided an unusually large expanse of flat, well drained land which is relatively uncommon in the otherwise mountainous geography of Hokkaidō.
During 1870-1871, Kuroda Kiyotaka
, vice-chairman of the Hokkaido Development Commission (Kaitaku-shi) approached the American government for assistance in developing the land. As a result, Horace Capron
, Secretary of Agriculture
under President Ulysses S. Grant
, became a oyatoi gaikokujin and was appointed as a special advisor to the commission. Construction began around a Odori Park
, which still remains as a green ribbon of recreational land bisecting the central area of the city. The city closely followed the American-style grid plan
with streets at right-angles to form city blocks.
The continuing expansion of the Japanese into Hokkaido continued, mainly due to migration from the main island of Honshu
immediately to the south, and the prosperity of Hokkaidō and particularly its capital grew to the point that the Development Commission was deemed unnecessary and was abolished in 1882.
Edwin Dun
(O-yatoi gaikokujin) came to Sapporo to establish sheep and cattle ranches in 1876. He also demonstrated pig raising and the making of butter, cheese, ham and sausage. He married a Japanese woman. He once went back to the States in 1883 but returned to Japan as a secretary of government.
William S. Clark
(O-yatoi gaikokujin) who was the president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now the University of Massachusetts Amherst
) came to be the founding vice-president of Sapporo Agricultural College
(now Hokkaido University
) for only eight months from 1876 to 1877. He taught academic subjects in science and lectured on the Bible as an "ethics" course, introducing Christian principles to the first entering class of the College.
In 1880, the entire area of Sapporo was renamed as "Sapporo-ku" (Sapporo Ward), and a railroad between Sapporo and Temiya, Otaru was laid. The Hōheikan
, a hotel and reception facility for the very important person, was erected adjacent to the Odori Park, which was moved and is now located in Nakajima Park. Two years later, with the abolition of the Kaitaku-shi, Hokkaidō was divided into three prefectures: Hakodate, Sapporo, and Nemuro. The name of the urban district in Sapporo remained Sapporo-ku, while the rest of the area in Sapporo-ku was changed to Sapporo-gun
. The office building of Sapporo-ku was also located in the urban district.
Sapporo, Hakodate, and Nemuro Prefectures were abolished in 1886, and Hokkaidō government office building
, an American-neo-baroque
-style structure with red bricks, constructed in 1888. The last squad of the Tonden-hei, the soldier pioneering Hokkaidō, settled in the place where the area of Tonden in Kita-ku, Sapporo
is currently located.
Sapporo-ku administered surrounding Sapporo-gun until 1899, when the new district system was announced. After that year, Sapporo-ku was away from the control of Sapporo-gun. The "ku" (district) enforced from 1899 was an autonomy which was a little bigger than towns, and smaller than cities. In Hokkaido at that time, Hakodate-ku and Otaru-ku also existed.
, and Sapporo Agricultural College
was controlled by the University. Parts of neighbouring villages including Sapporo Village, Naebo Village, Kami Shiroishi Village, and districts where Tonden-hei has settled, were integrated into Sapporo-ku in 1910.
The Sapporo Street Car
was opened in 1918, and Hokkaido Imperial University was established in Sapporo-ku, as the fifth Imperial University
in Japan. Another railroad operated in Sapporo, the Jōzankei Railroad, which was ultimately abolished in 1969.
In 1922, the new city system was announced by the Tokyo government, and Sapporo-ku was officially transferred to the Sapporo City. The Sapporo Municipal Bus System was started in 1930. In 1937, Sapporo was chosen as the site of 1940 Winter Olympics
, but due to the outbreak of Second Sino-Japanese War
, this was canceled in the next year. Maruyama Town was integrated into a part of the Chūō-ku in 1940, and the Okadama Airport
was constructed in 1942.
During the last days of World War II
, on July 14 and 15, 1945, 30 B-29 Superfortress
bombers dropped 889 tons of E-46 500 lbs incendiary cluster bombs and 500 lbs T4E4 fragmentation cluster bombs into Sapporo at lunchtime, this and others led in a resulting firestorm killing, 190 civilians, 6,788 injured, 78,000 others remained homeless and many structures burned for a total of 17.5 percent of an area destroyed as a part of an allied air raid on Hokkaido
. The city however, was reconstructed after the war.
The first Sapporo Snow Festival
was held in 1950. In the same year, adjacent Shiroishi Village was integrated into Sapporo City, rendered as a part of Shiroishi-ku, and Atsubetsu-ku. In 1955, Kotoni Town, the entire Sapporo Village, and Shinoro Village were merged into Sapporo, becoming a part of the current Chūō-ku, Kita-ku, Higashi-ku, Nishi-ku, and Teine-ku. The expansion of Sapporo continued, with the merger of Toyohira Town in 1961, and Teine Town in 1967, each became as a part of Toyohira-ku, Kiyota-ku, and Teine-ku.
The ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Sapporo and Hokkaido was held in 1968. The Sapporo Municipal Subway
system was inaugurated in 1971, which made Sapporo the fourth city in Japan to have a subway system. From February 3 to 13, 1972, the 1972 Winter Olympics
were held, the first Winter Olympics held in Asia. On April 1 of the same year, Sapporo was designated as one of the cities designated by government ordinance, and seven wards were established. The last ever public performance by the opera singer, Maria Callas
, was in Sapporo at the Hokkaido Koseinenkin Kaikan on 11 November 1974. The Sapporo Municipal Subway was expanded when the Tōzai line started its operation in 1976, and Tōho line was opened in 1988. In 1989, Atsubetsu-ku and Teine-ku were separated from Shiroishi-ku and Nishi-ku. Annual events in Sapporo were started, such as the Pacific Music Festival in 1990, and Yosakoi Sōran Festival in 1992. A professional football club, Consadole Sapporo
, was established in 1996. In 1997, Kiyota-ku was separated from Toyohira-ku. In the same year, Hokkaidō Takushoku Bank
, a Hokkaidō based bank with headquarters in Odori, went bankrupt.
In 2001 the construction of the Sapporo Dome
was completed, and in 2002 the Dome hosted three games during the 2002 FIFA World Cup
; Germany vs Saudi Arabia, Argentina vs England and Italy vs Ecuador, all of which were in the first round. The present mayor of Sapporo, Fumio Ueda, was elected as the mayor for the first time in 2003. Sapporo became the home to a Nippon Professional Baseball team, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, in 2004, which won the 2006 Japan Series
, and the victory parade was held on Ekimae-Dōri (a street in front of Sapporo Station
) in February 2007.
The 34th G8 summit
took place in Tōyako
in 2008, and a number of people including anti-globalisation activists and marched in the heart of the city to protest. Police officers were gathered in Sapporo from all over Japan, and the news reported that four people were arrested in the demonstrations. The Hokkaidō Shinkansen
line, which is currently under construction to Hakodate
through the Seikan Tunnel
, is planned to link to Sapporo.
of the Toyohira River
, a tributary stream of the Ishikari River
. Roadways in the urban district are laid to make grid plan road. The western and southern part of Sapporo are occupied by a number of mountains including Mount Teine, Maruyama, and Mount Moiwa, as well as a lot of rivers including the Ishikari River, Toyohira River, and Sōsei River.
Sapporo has many parks, including Odori Park which is located in the heart of the city and hosts a number of annual events and festivals throughout the year. Moerenuma Park
is also one of the largest parks in Sapporo, and was constructed under the plan of Isamu Noguchi
, a Japanese-American artist and landscape architect.
Neighbouring cities are Ishikari
, Ebetsu
, Kitahiroshima
, Eniwa
, Chitose
, Otaru
, Date
, and towns are Tōbetsu
, Kimobetsu
, Kyōgoku
.
(Koppen
Dfa/Dfb), with a wide range of temperature between the summer and winter. Summers are generally warm but not humid, and winters quite cold and snowy. With an average snowfall of 630 cm (248 inches), 気象庁 | 平年値（年・月ごとの値） it is one of the few metropolises in the world with such heavy snowfall,Sapporto.jp enabling it to hold events and festivals with snow statues and objects. The city's annual average precipitation is around 1,100 mm (43 inches), and the mean annual temperature is 8.5 °C (47 °F).
Color shows the location of each ku in the map above.
The city is also the manufacturing center of Hokkaido, manufacturing various goods such as food and related products, fabricated metal products, steel, machinery, beverages, and pulp and paper.
Hokkaido International Airlines
(Air Do) is headquartered in Chūō-ku
. In April 2004, Air Nippon Network
was headquartered in Higashi-ku
.
noodle dish using miso
, and Sapporo ramen is also widely known. The Kouraku Ramen Meitengai, an alley lined with many ramen restaurants, was established in 1951 in Susukino district, and after its demolition due to plans for the Sapporo Olympics, the Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho was established in the same place. It currently attracts many tourists throughout the year. From the year 1966, a food company named Sanyo Foods began to sell instant ramen under the brand name "Sapporo Ichiban
". In 2001, Sapporo Ramen was listed as one of the Hokkaido Heritage along with other ramen in Hokkaido such as Asahikawa Ramen and Hakodate Ramen. On October 1, 2004, The Sapporo Ramen Republic, a theme park focused on ramen, was opened at the 10th floor of Sapporo Esta, a commercial complex located in front of the Sapporo Station.
Soup curry, a liquid curry
with vegetables and chicken, is also one of the specialties in Sapporo, and currently plenty of soup curry restaurants are located in the cities and towns in Hokkaido. Sapporo Sweets, a confectionery using many ingredients from Hokkaido, is also popular, and the Sapporo Sweets Competition is held annually.
A lamb barbecue
style dish called jingisukan
(named for Genghis Khan
) is another popular local specialty.
Sapporo is also famed for fresh seafood such as, salmon
, sea urchin
and crab
in particular. It is also noted for Haskup, a local variety of blueberry
and water melon.
is the main musical venue in Sapporo, located in Nakajima Park in Chuo-ku. It is home to the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
, a local professional orchestra organized in 1961, and their regular concerts are held in this hall. The open-air stage in Sapporo Artpark is another one of the music venues in Sapporo. The Pacific Music Festival (PMF), an event started with the idea of Leonard Bernstein
in 1990, is held in both places. The Sapporo Artpark, located in Minami-ku, also contains public art
s, an art museum, and the old house of Takeo Arishima. Other art museums in Sapporo include The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, the Sapporo Museum of Sculpture, and the Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art, Hokkaido. The Hokkaido Museum of Literature, located in Nakajima Park, has hosted many exhibitions, seminars, and other educational activities. The Sapporo Convention Center is located in Shiroishi-ku, and a number of forums and events are held in the building. The Sapporo Salmon Museum is located in Minami-ku, and displays mainly materials related to the ecology of salmon. The Sunpiazza Aquarium is located close to the Sapporo Science Center in Atsubetsu-
Many historical buildings, as well as shopping malls and parks, are located in Sapporo, and draw many tourists in every year. Historic landmarks include the Former Hokkaidō government office building
, the Sapporo Clock Tower
, the Hokkaido Shrine
(Hokkaidō Jingū), and the Sapporo TV Tower
. The Sapporo Factory
was a former brewery
of the Sapporo Beer, and is currently a huge shopping mall with many restaurants, offices, and the multiplex movie theatres
. Another former brewery of the Sapporo Beer is the Sapporo Beer Museum
, which is currently a part of the Sapporo Garden Park, and houses the . The Sapporo City Archive Museum, The Edwin Dun
Memorial Hall, and some old buildings in the Hokkaido University
are also historically important in Sapporo, and each was listed in the Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.
There are two art museums in Sapporo. The Miyanomori Art Museum
has the largest collection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude
in Asia and Oceania. The museum collection also include artist works as Lucio Fontana
, Frank Stella
, Jasper Johns
, Lee Ufan
, Guillaume Bottazzi
, Kumi Sugai. The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art represents Hokkaido artists like Eien Iwahashi, Kinjiro Kida, Nissho Kanda, Tamako Kataoka, and especially glass objects of Ecole de Paris.
The Sapporo JR Tower
, a complex building houses the Tower 38 and department store, is located adjacent to the Sapporo Station
. Being close to the main station of Sapporo, the Sapporo JR Tower has been visited by many tourists, and the number of visitors of the Tower 38, the tower with an observation deck
, recorded 311,815 in 2006. The Sapporo TV Tower
, located at the eastern end of the Odori Park, is one of more modern architectures, and has also an observation deck viewing the entire Odori Park and Sapporo City. Susukino
is a district having the main nightlife scene in Sapporo, Sapporo Ramen Yokocho, Norubesa (a building with a huge Ferris wheel
) which are located in this district as well as many restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and adult entertainments. The district also has the Tanuki Kōji Shopping Arcade, the oldest shopping mall in the City. In Minami-ku, the district of Jōzankei is a site that has many hotels with steam baths and hot springs, and that many visitors also have visited.
Sapporo also offers many parks and gardens. The Odori Park
houses buildings such as the Sapporo TV Tower, and hosts many events including Yosakoi Soran Festival, Sapporo Lilac Festival, Sapporo White Illumination, and the Sapporo Snow Festival. In the Nakajima Park, there are some landmarks including Hōheikan
, an old hotel building moved from the Odori Park, and the Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara. The Maruyama Park is located next to the Hokkaido Shrine, and houses the Maruyama Zoo. The Moerenuma Park
is located in Higashi-ku, and houses many open-air art compositions including the Glass Pyramid, planned by Isamu Noguchi. One of the gardens in Sapporo, the Chizaki Rose Garden provides various kinds of rose
s, and the Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens
has also many types of plants and historically important buildings. The Hitsujigaoka observation hill
has a farm with sheep, and attracts visitors with a statue of William S. Clark
.
is annually held. The main site is the Odori Park, and other sites include Susukino (known as the Susukino Ice Festival), and the Sapporo Satoland
. Once Makomanai area in Minami-ku was one of the festival sites, but it was abolished and moved to the Satoland site in 2006. Many of the snow and ice statues in the sites are built by the armies of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
. In 2006, the number of visitors at the Sapporo Snow Festival marked 1,985,000 in total.
Every May, the Sapporo Lilac Festval is held. Lilac was brought to Sapporo in 1889 by an American educator, Ms. Sarah Clara Smith. At the festival, people enjoy the flower and wine with concerts.
Every June, the Yosakoi Soran Festival is held. The sites of the festival are centered in the Odori Park and the street leading to Susukino, but other festival sites also exist. In the festival, many dance teams dance to their music which are composed based on a Japanese traditional song, Sōran Bushi
. Members of the teams wear special costumes, and compete their dancing skills on the roads or stages constructed on the festival sites. In 2006, 350 teams were organized with around 45,000 dancers, and over 1,860,000 people visited at the festival sites.
During the summer, the Sapporo Summer Festival takes place in the heart of the city, and people enjoy drinking beer in the beer garden
s constructed in the Odori Park and on the streets of Susukino district. This festival consists of a number of fairs such as Tanuki Festival and Susukino Festival as well as the Odori Park site.
Every September and August, the Sapporo Autumn Fest is held. The fest is kind of similar to Oktoberfest
in Munich
.
From November through January, many citizens enjoy the Sapporo White Illumination.
The Sapporo Dome
was constructed in 2001, and currently is the host to the local football team, Consadole Sapporo
, and the baseball team, Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters
. Once Sapporo was selected to be the host of the 5th Winter Olympics scheduled on February 3 to 12, 1940, but Japan had to give the Games back to the IOC, after the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937. In 1972, Sapporo hosted the 11th Winter Olympics
. Some structures built for Olympic events remain in use today, including the ski jumps at Miyanomori and Okurayama
. In 2002, Sapporo hosted three group matches of the FIFA World Cup
at the Sapporo Dome
.
In 2006, Sapporo hosted some games of the FIBA World Championships, and in 2007, Sapporo hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
at the Sapporo Dome, Miyanomori ski jump, Okurayama ski jump, and the Shirahatayama cross country course.
Skiing remains a major sport in Sapporo with almost all school children skiing as a part of the school curriculum. Okurayama Elementary School is unusual in having its own ski hill and ski jumping hill on the school grounds, and within the city are a number of commercial ski hills including Moiwayama, Bankeiyama, KobaWorld, Sapporo Teine and Fu's.
Many sports stadiums and domes are located in Sapporo, and some of them have been designated as venues of sports competitions. The Sapporo Community Dome
, also known by its nickname "Tsu-Dome", has hosted to the Golden Market, a huge flea market
event which is usually held twice in a year, along with some sports events. The Makomanai Ice Arena
, located in the Makomanai Park, was used to be one of the venues of Sapporo Olympics in 1972. It was renamed to the "Makomanai Sekisuiheim Ice Arena" in 2007, when a real estate company, Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., acquired its naming rights
and renamed the arena after their real estate brand. Other large sports venues include the Makomanai Open Stadium
, the Tsukisamu Green Dome
, the Maruyama Stadium
, and the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center.
The Toyota Big Air
is a major international snowboarding event held annually in Sapporo's Makomanai Ice Arena. As one of the richest events of its kind in the world it draws many of the world's best riders.
of 1,686 persons per km² (4,367 persons per mi²). The total area is 1,121.12 km² (432.87 mi²).
Sapporo has one streetcar line, three JR Hokkaido
lines, three subway lines and JR-bus, Chuo-bus and other bus lines. Sapporo Subway trains have rubber-tyred wheels.
, which serves regional flights within Hokkaido, and New Chitose Airport
, a larger, international airport located in the city of Chitose
.
See Japanese national university
, United States, since 1959 Munich
, Germany, since 1972 Shenyang
, China, since 1980 Novosibirsk
, Russia, since 1990 Daejeon
, South Korea, since 2010
The Sapporo Sister Cities Association Office is in Sapporo International Communication Plaza Foundation
.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture
Ishikari Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō prefecture, Japan, located in the western part of the island. Its population in 2003 was 2,279,943.There are 6 cities, three towns, and one village under its jurisdiction. The subprefectural capital is Sapporo, also the capital of Hokkaidō prefecture...
, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan.
Sapporo is known outside Japan for hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
, the first ever held in Asia, and for the annual Yuki Matsuri in the city, internationally referred to as the Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo Snow Festival
The is a famous festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan over seven days in February. Currently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival. The 2012 Yuki-matsuri dates are February 6 to 12.-Overview:...
, which draws more than 2 million tourists from around the world. The city is also home to Sapporo Brewery and the famous white chocolate biscuits , exclusively sold in Hokkaido.
Early history
Prior to its establishment, the area occupied by Sapporo (known as the Ishikari Plain) was home to a number of indigenous AinuAinu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
settlements. In 1866 at the end of the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
construction began on a canal through the area, encouraging a number of early settlers to establish Sapporo village. The settlement's name was taken from the Ainu language
Ainu language
Ainu is one of the Ainu languages, spoken by members of the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō....
sat poro pet, and can be translated as "dry, great river".
In 1868, the officially recognised year celebrated as the 'birth' of Sapporo, the new Meiji
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
government concluded that the existing administrative center of Hokkaidō, which at the time was the port of Hakodate, was in an unsuitable location for defense and further development of the island. As a result it was determined that a new capital on the Ishikari Plain should be established. The plain itself provided an unusually large expanse of flat, well drained land which is relatively uncommon in the otherwise mountainous geography of Hokkaidō.
During 1870-1871, Kuroda Kiyotaka
Kuroda Kiyotaka
, also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was the second Prime Minister of Japan from 30 April 1888 to 25 October 1889.-As a Satsuma samurai:...
, vice-chairman of the Hokkaido Development Commission (Kaitaku-shi) approached the American government for assistance in developing the land. As a result, Horace Capron
Horace Capron
Horace Capron was an American businessman and agriculturalist, a founder of Laurel, Maryland, a Union officer in the American Civil War, the United States Commissioner of Agriculture under U.S. Presidents Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S...
, Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
under President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, became a oyatoi gaikokujin and was appointed as a special advisor to the commission. Construction began around a Odori Park
Odori Park
is a park located in the heart of Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Odori means "large street" in Japanese. It stretches east to west through Nishi 1 chōme, Ōdōri to Nishi 12 chōme, Ōdōri , and divides the city into north and south sections. Odori Park spans about 1.5 km and covers 78,901 m²...
, which still remains as a green ribbon of recreational land bisecting the central area of the city. The city closely followed the American-style grid plan
Grid plan
The grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid...
with streets at right-angles to form city blocks.
The continuing expansion of the Japanese into Hokkaido continued, mainly due to migration from the main island of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
immediately to the south, and the prosperity of Hokkaidō and particularly its capital grew to the point that the Development Commission was deemed unnecessary and was abolished in 1882.
Edwin Dun
Edwin Dun
Edwin Dun was a rancher from Ohio who was employed as an o-yatoi gaikokujin in Hokkaidō by the Hokkaidō Development Commission and advised the Japanese government on modernizing agricultural techniques during the Meiji modernization period.Dun was a native of Chillicothe, Ohio and had studied at...
(O-yatoi gaikokujin) came to Sapporo to establish sheep and cattle ranches in 1876. He also demonstrated pig raising and the making of butter, cheese, ham and sausage. He married a Japanese woman. He once went back to the States in 1883 but returned to Japan as a secretary of government.
William S. Clark
William S. Clark
William Smith Clark was a professor of chemistry, botany and zoology, a colonel during the American Civil War, and a leader in agricultural education. Raised and schooled in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Clark spent most of his adult life in Amherst, Massachusetts...
(O-yatoi gaikokujin) who was the president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
) came to be the founding vice-president of Sapporo Agricultural College
Sapporo Agricultural College
was a school in Sapporo established in the purpose of education of student who would pioneer Hokkaidō by Kaitakushi, the local government of Hokkaidō in those days...
(now Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
) for only eight months from 1876 to 1877. He taught academic subjects in science and lectured on the Bible as an "ethics" course, introducing Christian principles to the first entering class of the College.
In 1880, the entire area of Sapporo was renamed as "Sapporo-ku" (Sapporo Ward), and a railroad between Sapporo and Temiya, Otaru was laid. The Hōheikan
Hoheikan
The is a historical building and a wedding venue, located in Nakajima Park, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The building has previously been a hotel, guest house, event venue, and military camp. Currently, the Hōheikan is registered as one of the National Important Cultural Properties, and used...
, a hotel and reception facility for the very important person, was erected adjacent to the Odori Park, which was moved and is now located in Nakajima Park. Two years later, with the abolition of the Kaitaku-shi, Hokkaidō was divided into three prefectures: Hakodate, Sapporo, and Nemuro. The name of the urban district in Sapporo remained Sapporo-ku, while the rest of the area in Sapporo-ku was changed to Sapporo-gun
Districts of Japan
The was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...
. The office building of Sapporo-ku was also located in the urban district.
Sapporo, Hakodate, and Nemuro Prefectures were abolished in 1886, and Hokkaidō government office building
Former Hokkaido government office building
is an American-neo-baroque structure constructed in 1888 as a base of the Hokkaidō administration. The nickname is Akarenga or "Red Brick." It is the symbol of Hokkaidō and was designated a Japanese Important Cultural Property in 1969...
, an American-neo-baroque
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
-style structure with red bricks, constructed in 1888. The last squad of the Tonden-hei, the soldier pioneering Hokkaidō, settled in the place where the area of Tonden in Kita-ku, Sapporo
Kita-ku, Sapporo
is a ward of Sapporo composed of residential neighborhoods mostly arranged in grid patterns, and each built surrounding a train station, broken up by areas of farmland and some light-industrial areas. Kita-ku is located in the northern part of Sapporo. With 260,000 people, it is the most...
is currently located.
Sapporo-ku administered surrounding Sapporo-gun until 1899, when the new district system was announced. After that year, Sapporo-ku was away from the control of Sapporo-gun. The "ku" (district) enforced from 1899 was an autonomy which was a little bigger than towns, and smaller than cities. In Hokkaido at that time, Hakodate-ku and Otaru-ku also existed.
Modern History (20th century)
In 1907, the Tohoku Imperial University was established in Sendai Miyagi PrefectureMiyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, and Sapporo Agricultural College
Sapporo Agricultural College
was a school in Sapporo established in the purpose of education of student who would pioneer Hokkaidō by Kaitakushi, the local government of Hokkaidō in those days...
was controlled by the University. Parts of neighbouring villages including Sapporo Village, Naebo Village, Kami Shiroishi Village, and districts where Tonden-hei has settled, were integrated into Sapporo-ku in 1910.
The Sapporo Street Car
Sapporo Street Car
The is a tram network located in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau. The system is sometimes referred to by residents as simply the . The first section of the network opened in 1909 as the ; it was electrified in 1918. The Transportation Bureau took...
was opened in 1918, and Hokkaido Imperial University was established in Sapporo-ku, as the fifth Imperial University
Imperial university
-France:Imperial University or University of France refers to the French university re-organisation initiated by Napoleon.-Japan:...
in Japan. Another railroad operated in Sapporo, the Jōzankei Railroad, which was ultimately abolished in 1969.
In 1922, the new city system was announced by the Tokyo government, and Sapporo-ku was officially transferred to the Sapporo City. The Sapporo Municipal Bus System was started in 1930. In 1937, Sapporo was chosen as the site of 1940 Winter Olympics
1940 Winter Olympics
The anticipated 1940 Winter Olympics, which would have been officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, were to be celebrated in 1940 in Sapporo, Japan.The games were cancelled due to the onset of World War II...
, but due to the outbreak of Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, this was canceled in the next year. Maruyama Town was integrated into a part of the Chūō-ku in 1940, and the Okadama Airport
Okadama Airport
is an airport located in Okadamachō, Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, north of the city center of Sapporo. Its scheduled airline service is limited to turboprop flights to other cities in Hokkaidō: larger aircraft use New Chitose Airport, south of the city...
was constructed in 1942.
During the last days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, on July 14 and 15, 1945, 30 B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bombers dropped 889 tons of E-46 500 lbs incendiary cluster bombs and 500 lbs T4E4 fragmentation cluster bombs into Sapporo at lunchtime, this and others led in a resulting firestorm killing, 190 civilians, 6,788 injured, 78,000 others remained homeless and many structures burned for a total of 17.5 percent of an area destroyed as a part of an allied air raid on Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. The city however, was reconstructed after the war.
The first Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo Snow Festival
The is a famous festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan over seven days in February. Currently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival. The 2012 Yuki-matsuri dates are February 6 to 12.-Overview:...
was held in 1950. In the same year, adjacent Shiroishi Village was integrated into Sapporo City, rendered as a part of Shiroishi-ku, and Atsubetsu-ku. In 1955, Kotoni Town, the entire Sapporo Village, and Shinoro Village were merged into Sapporo, becoming a part of the current Chūō-ku, Kita-ku, Higashi-ku, Nishi-ku, and Teine-ku. The expansion of Sapporo continued, with the merger of Toyohira Town in 1961, and Teine Town in 1967, each became as a part of Toyohira-ku, Kiyota-ku, and Teine-ku.
The ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Sapporo and Hokkaido was held in 1968. The Sapporo Municipal Subway
Sapporo Municipal Subway
The is an underground rapid transit system in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau.-Lines:The system has 3 lines; the first, the Namboku Line, was opened in 1971 prior to the 1972 Winter Olympics.-Technology:...
system was inaugurated in 1971, which made Sapporo the fourth city in Japan to have a subway system. From February 3 to 13, 1972, the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
were held, the first Winter Olympics held in Asia. On April 1 of the same year, Sapporo was designated as one of the cities designated by government ordinance, and seven wards were established. The last ever public performance by the opera singer, Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
, was in Sapporo at the Hokkaido Koseinenkin Kaikan on 11 November 1974. The Sapporo Municipal Subway was expanded when the Tōzai line started its operation in 1976, and Tōho line was opened in 1988. In 1989, Atsubetsu-ku and Teine-ku were separated from Shiroishi-ku and Nishi-ku. Annual events in Sapporo were started, such as the Pacific Music Festival in 1990, and Yosakoi Sōran Festival in 1992. A professional football club, Consadole Sapporo
Consadole Sapporo
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaidō....
, was established in 1996. In 1997, Kiyota-ku was separated from Toyohira-ku. In the same year, Hokkaidō Takushoku Bank
Hokkaido Takushoku Bank
, literally Hokkaidō Exploitation Bank, was one of major commercial banks in Japan, founded in 1899 as a "Special Bank" to promote capitalization on the island of Hokkaidō. Its nickname was ; it was also known in the media and business world as...
, a Hokkaidō based bank with headquarters in Odori, went bankrupt.
21st Century
Sapporo Dome
The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:...
was completed, and in 2002 the Dome hosted three games during the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
; Germany vs Saudi Arabia, Argentina vs England and Italy vs Ecuador, all of which were in the first round. The present mayor of Sapporo, Fumio Ueda, was elected as the mayor for the first time in 2003. Sapporo became the home to a Nippon Professional Baseball team, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, in 2004, which won the 2006 Japan Series
2006 Japan Series
The Japan Series, the 57th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 26, and matched the Central League champion Chunichi Dragons against the Pacific League champion, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters...
, and the victory parade was held on Ekimae-Dōri (a street in front of Sapporo Station
Sapporo Station
is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...
) in February 2007.
The 34th G8 summit
34th G8 summit
The 34th G8 summit took place in on the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan from July 7–9, 2008. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Japan include: Tokyo ; and Nago, Okinawa . The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders...
took place in Tōyako
Toyako, Hokkaido
is a town in Abuta District, Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. This town was formed on 23 March 2006 through the merger of the town Abuta and the village of Tōya...
in 2008, and a number of people including anti-globalisation activists and marched in the heart of the city to protest. Police officers were gathered in Sapporo from all over Japan, and the news reported that four people were arrested in the demonstrations. The Hokkaidō Shinkansen
Hokkaido Shinkansen
The is a high-speed rail line currently under construction between Aomori and Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May 2005, and the initial Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate section is projected to open in 2015. There are long-term plans to extend the line to Sapporo...
line, which is currently under construction to Hakodate
Hakodate, Hokkaido
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.Hakodate was Japan's first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 as a result of Convention of Kanagawa, and used to be the most important port in northern Japan...
through the Seikan Tunnel
Seikan Tunnel
The Seikan Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Japan, with a long portion under the seabed. Track level is about below seabed and below sea level. It travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait—connecting Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido—as part of the Kaikyo Line...
, is planned to link to Sapporo.
Geography
Sapporo is a city located in the southwest part of Ishikari Plain and the alluvial fanAlluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
of the Toyohira River
Toyohira River
The Toyohira River is a river in Hokkaidō prefecture, Japan. It is 72.5km in length and has drainage area of 959km². It is a tributary of the Ishikari River....
, a tributary stream of the Ishikari River
Ishikari River
is a river in Hokkaidō, Japan. At in length, the river is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. The river has a drainage area of , making it the second largest in Japan, as is its total discharge of around per year....
. Roadways in the urban district are laid to make grid plan road. The western and southern part of Sapporo are occupied by a number of mountains including Mount Teine, Maruyama, and Mount Moiwa, as well as a lot of rivers including the Ishikari River, Toyohira River, and Sōsei River.
Sapporo has many parks, including Odori Park which is located in the heart of the city and hosts a number of annual events and festivals throughout the year. Moerenuma Park
Moerenuma Park
is a municipal park located in Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Japan. The park has some playground equipment, outdoor sports fields, and objects which are designed by Isamu Noguchi, a Japanese American artist. Visitors can enter the park and use the parking lot for free. Construction of the park was begun in...
is also one of the largest parks in Sapporo, and was constructed under the plan of Isamu Noguchi
Isamu Noguchi
was a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces,...
, a Japanese-American artist and landscape architect.
Neighbouring cities are Ishikari
Ishikari, Hokkaido
is a city located in Ishikari Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan.The city was born out of Ishikari Town on September 1, 1996.On October 1, 2005, the village of Atsuta, from Atsuta District, and the village of Hamamasu, from Hamamasu District, merged into Ishikari.As of March 1, 2008, the city has an...
, Ebetsu
Ebetsu, Hokkaido
is a city located in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan.- History :Ebetsu was settled originally by Japanese people in 1871, that came from the Miyagi Prefecture on Honshu Island. In 1878, militia men began moving into the area. When the Meiji Government, in 1878, designated Hokkaido as part of Japan,...
, Kitahiroshima
Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido
is a city located in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan. Its name, Kitahiroshima-shi, is translated as "North-Hiroshima city", or, more loosely, "city of North-Hiroshima", for 'kita' and 'shi' are the Japanese words for 'north' and 'city', respectively...
, Eniwa
Eniwa, Hokkaido
-External links:...
, Chitose
Chitose, Hokkaido
-Economy:China Airlines operates its Sapporo office on the third floor of the airport building.The airline Hokkaido Air System was at one time headquartered at the New Chitose Airport in Chitose...
, Otaru
Otaru, Hokkaido
is a city and port in Shiribeshi, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces the Ishikari Bay, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination...
, Date
Date, Hokkaido
is a city located in Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan.Date was established around 1869 and became a city on April 1, 1972.Date lies at the conjunction of National Highway Route 37 and Route 453....
, and towns are Tōbetsu
Tobetsu, Hokkaido
is a town located in Ishikari District, Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 19,330 and a density of 47.69 persons per km². The total area is 422.71 km²....
, Kimobetsu
Kimobetsu, Hokkaido
is a town located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 2,580 and a density of 14.26 persons per km²...
, Kyōgoku
Kyogoku, Hokkaido
is a town located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan, at the foot of Mount Yōtei. The town borders the south ward of Sapporo, but car traffic from Kyogoku must drive over an hour through the Nakayama Toge mountain pass due to the terrain of the area.Tourists visit the town to drink...
.
Climate
Sapporo has a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfa/Dfb), with a wide range of temperature between the summer and winter. Summers are generally warm but not humid, and winters quite cold and snowy. With an average snowfall of 630 cm (248 inches), 気象庁 | 平年値（年・月ごとの値） it is one of the few metropolises in the world with such heavy snowfall,Sapporto.jp enabling it to hold events and festivals with snow statues and objects. The city's annual average precipitation is around 1,100 mm (43 inches), and the mean annual temperature is 8.5 °C (47 °F).
Wards
Sapporo has ten :| (purple) |
| (blue) - administrative center |
| (skyblue) |
| (orange-red) |
| (green) |
| (red) |
| (orange) |
| (brown) |
| (forest green) |
| (pink) |
Color shows the location of each ku in the map above.
Economy
The tertiary sector dominates Sapporo's industry. Major industries include information technology, retail, and tourism, as Sapporo is a destination for winter sports and events and summer activities due to its cool climate.The city is also the manufacturing center of Hokkaido, manufacturing various goods such as food and related products, fabricated metal products, steel, machinery, beverages, and pulp and paper.
Hokkaido International Airlines
Hokkaido International Airlines
, also known as is a Japanese low-cost airline operating scheduled service between Tokyo and cities in Hokkaidō. It is headquartered in the in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, and its main base of operations is Tokyo International Airport in Ōta, Tokyo...
(Air Do) is headquartered in Chūō-ku
Chūō-ku, Sapporo
is one of the ten wards in Sapporo city, Japan. Chūō-ku means "central ward" in Japanese. As its name suggests, city administration and entertainment facilities are centred in this ward.- History :...
. In April 2004, Air Nippon Network
Air Nippon Network
, or A-net, was an airline based on the grounds of Tokyo International Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.It operated feeder services for parent Air Nippon, itself a subsidiary of All Nippon Airways . Its main base was New Chitose Airport...
was headquartered in Higashi-ku
Higashi-ku, Sapporo
is one of the 10 wards in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is directly translated as "east ward", and is neighboured to Kita-ku, Chūō-ku, Shiroishi-ku, Ebetsu, Tōbetsu.- Overview :...
.
Culture and entertainment
Sapporo is one of the popular tourist attractions in Japan, and as of 2006, the annual number of tourists had reached 14,104,000, which was an increase of 5.9% over the previous year (13,323,000 in 2005) . 2006 was also the first year for Sapporo when the number of tourists exceeded 14 million, in its history of tourism.Cuisine
Sapporo is known as the birthplace of miso ramen, a ramenRamen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
noodle dish using miso
Miso
is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...
, and Sapporo ramen is also widely known. The Kouraku Ramen Meitengai, an alley lined with many ramen restaurants, was established in 1951 in Susukino district, and after its demolition due to plans for the Sapporo Olympics, the Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho was established in the same place. It currently attracts many tourists throughout the year. From the year 1966, a food company named Sanyo Foods began to sell instant ramen under the brand name "Sapporo Ichiban
Sapporo Ichiban
is a brand of instant noodles made by Sanyo Foods, and rivals to other Japanese ramen brands like Nissin and Maruchan.Sapporo Ichiban has found a market outside of Japan, most notably with consumers in Hong Kong, The United States, Mexico and Canada.Sapporo Ichiban literally means, "Sapporo's...
". In 2001, Sapporo Ramen was listed as one of the Hokkaido Heritage along with other ramen in Hokkaido such as Asahikawa Ramen and Hakodate Ramen. On October 1, 2004, The Sapporo Ramen Republic, a theme park focused on ramen, was opened at the 10th floor of Sapporo Esta, a commercial complex located in front of the Sapporo Station.
Soup curry, a liquid curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
with vegetables and chicken, is also one of the specialties in Sapporo, and currently plenty of soup curry restaurants are located in the cities and towns in Hokkaido. Sapporo Sweets, a confectionery using many ingredients from Hokkaido, is also popular, and the Sapporo Sweets Competition is held annually.
A lamb barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
style dish called jingisukan
Jingisukan
is a Japanese grilled mutton dish prepared on a convex metal skillet or other grill. The dish is particularly popular on the northern island of Hokkaidō and Thailand.-Etymology:...
(named for Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
) is another popular local specialty.
Sapporo is also famed for fresh seafood such as, salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, sea urchin
Sea urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
and crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
in particular. It is also noted for Haskup, a local variety of blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
and water melon.
Entertainment and performing arts
The Sapporo Concert Hall KitaraSapporo Concert Hall
, also known as its nickname , is a municipal musical venue located in Nakajima Park, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Japan. Established in 1997, the building is owned by Sapporo City, known for having a huge organ built by Alfred Kern & Fils Manufacture D'Orgues in the main music hall.- Overview :The building...
is the main musical venue in Sapporo, located in Nakajima Park in Chuo-ku. It is home to the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
The Sapporo Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Sapporo, Japan. The Orchestra has its nickname “Sakkyo” and is a full member of “Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras.”-Outline:...
, a local professional orchestra organized in 1961, and their regular concerts are held in this hall. The open-air stage in Sapporo Artpark is another one of the music venues in Sapporo. The Pacific Music Festival (PMF), an event started with the idea of Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
in 1990, is held in both places. The Sapporo Artpark, located in Minami-ku, also contains public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
s, an art museum, and the old house of Takeo Arishima. Other art museums in Sapporo include The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, the Sapporo Museum of Sculpture, and the Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art, Hokkaido. The Hokkaido Museum of Literature, located in Nakajima Park, has hosted many exhibitions, seminars, and other educational activities. The Sapporo Convention Center is located in Shiroishi-ku, and a number of forums and events are held in the building. The Sapporo Salmon Museum is located in Minami-ku, and displays mainly materials related to the ecology of salmon. The Sunpiazza Aquarium is located close to the Sapporo Science Center in Atsubetsu-
Points of interest
Former Hokkaido government office building
is an American-neo-baroque structure constructed in 1888 as a base of the Hokkaidō administration. The nickname is Akarenga or "Red Brick." It is the symbol of Hokkaidō and was designated a Japanese Important Cultural Property in 1969...
, the Sapporo Clock Tower
Sapporo Clock Tower
Sapporo Clock Tower is a wooden structure and well-known local tourist attraction, located at North 1 West 2, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, the largest city on the island of Hokkaidō, northern Japan....
, the Hokkaido Shrine
Hokkaido Shrine
The is a Shinto shrine located in Sapporo, Japan. Sited in Maruyama Park, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, the Hokkaido Shrine enshrines four kami including the soul of the Emperor Meiji...
(Hokkaidō Jingū), and the Sapporo TV Tower
Sapporo TV Tower
The , built in 1957, is a 147.2 metre high TV Tower with an observation deck at a height of 90.38 metres. Located on the ground of Odori Park, in the northern city of Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, the tower is open to tourists...
. The Sapporo Factory
Sapporo Factory
The is a complex that includes a shopping mall, office, multiplex movie theaters, and museum, located in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The building was formerly a brewery that belonged to the Kaitakushi, the old government of Hokkaidō prefecture, and later owned by the Sapporo Beer Company,...
was a former brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
of the Sapporo Beer, and is currently a huge shopping mall with many restaurants, offices, and the multiplex movie theatres
Multiplex (movie theater)
A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens, typically three or more. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an...
. Another former brewery of the Sapporo Beer is the Sapporo Beer Museum
Sapporo Beer Museum
The is a museum located in the Sapporo Garden Park in Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Registered as one of the Hokkaidō Heritage sites in 2004, the museum is the only beer museum in Japan. The red-brick building was erected originally as a factory of the Sapporo Sugar Company in 1890, and...
, which is currently a part of the Sapporo Garden Park, and houses the . The Sapporo City Archive Museum, The Edwin Dun
Edwin Dun
Edwin Dun was a rancher from Ohio who was employed as an o-yatoi gaikokujin in Hokkaidō by the Hokkaidō Development Commission and advised the Japanese government on modernizing agricultural techniques during the Meiji modernization period.Dun was a native of Chillicothe, Ohio and had studied at...
Memorial Hall, and some old buildings in the Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
are also historically important in Sapporo, and each was listed in the Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.
There are two art museums in Sapporo. The Miyanomori Art Museum
Miyanomori Art Museum
is a museum of contemporary art located in Sapporo, Japan, that was established in April 2006.- Presentation :The Miyanomori Art Museum is the main contemporary art museum in Hokkaido. It presents works from the contemporary international and Japanese art scene.- Collection :The collection features...
has the largest collection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Christo and Jeanne-Claude were a married couple who created environmental works of art...
in Asia and Oceania. The museum collection also include artist works as Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana was an Italian painter, sculptor and theorist of Argentine birth. He was mostly known as the founder of Spatialism and his ties to Arte Povera.-Early life:...
, Frank Stella
Frank Stella
Frank Stella is an American painter and printmaker, significant within the art movements of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction.-Biography:...
, Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns, Jr. is an American contemporary artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking.-Life:Born in Augusta, Georgia, Jasper Johns spent his early life in Allendale, South Carolina with his paternal grandparents after his parents' marriage failed...
, Lee Ufan
Lee Ufan
Lee Ufan is a Korean artist and academic, honored by the government of Japan for having "Contributed to the development ofcontemporary art in Japan."-Career:...
, Guillaume Bottazzi
Guillaume Bottazzi
Guillaume Bottazzi is a French artist.He started his professional artist career in 1990 in Italy. In 1994, he received a government grant from direction régionale des Affaires culturelles with the attribution of a government art studio...
, Kumi Sugai. The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art represents Hokkaido artists like Eien Iwahashi, Kinjiro Kida, Nissho Kanda, Tamako Kataoka, and especially glass objects of Ecole de Paris.
The Sapporo JR Tower
Sapporo JR Tower
Sapporo JR Tower is a skyscraper, shopping mall and office complex in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The Tower is located above JR Sapporo Station South entrance, and the height of the tower is 173 m with 38 stories...
, a complex building houses the Tower 38 and department store, is located adjacent to the Sapporo Station
Sapporo Station
is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...
. Being close to the main station of Sapporo, the Sapporo JR Tower has been visited by many tourists, and the number of visitors of the Tower 38, the tower with an observation deck
Observation deck
__FORCETOC__ An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower...
, recorded 311,815 in 2006. The Sapporo TV Tower
Sapporo TV Tower
The , built in 1957, is a 147.2 metre high TV Tower with an observation deck at a height of 90.38 metres. Located on the ground of Odori Park, in the northern city of Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, the tower is open to tourists...
, located at the eastern end of the Odori Park, is one of more modern architectures, and has also an observation deck viewing the entire Odori Park and Sapporo City. Susukino
Susukino
is a red-light district located in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is one of the major red-light districts in Japan along with Kabukichō, Tokyo, and Nakasu, Fukuoka. Currently, the district is congested with many restaurants, bars, hotels, and adult-entertainment establishments...
is a district having the main nightlife scene in Sapporo, Sapporo Ramen Yokocho, Norubesa (a building with a huge Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
) which are located in this district as well as many restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and adult entertainments. The district also has the Tanuki Kōji Shopping Arcade, the oldest shopping mall in the City. In Minami-ku, the district of Jōzankei is a site that has many hotels with steam baths and hot springs, and that many visitors also have visited.
Sapporo also offers many parks and gardens. The Odori Park
Odori Park
is a park located in the heart of Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Odori means "large street" in Japanese. It stretches east to west through Nishi 1 chōme, Ōdōri to Nishi 12 chōme, Ōdōri , and divides the city into north and south sections. Odori Park spans about 1.5 km and covers 78,901 m²...
houses buildings such as the Sapporo TV Tower, and hosts many events including Yosakoi Soran Festival, Sapporo Lilac Festival, Sapporo White Illumination, and the Sapporo Snow Festival. In the Nakajima Park, there are some landmarks including Hōheikan
Hoheikan
The is a historical building and a wedding venue, located in Nakajima Park, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The building has previously been a hotel, guest house, event venue, and military camp. Currently, the Hōheikan is registered as one of the National Important Cultural Properties, and used...
, an old hotel building moved from the Odori Park, and the Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara. The Maruyama Park is located next to the Hokkaido Shrine, and houses the Maruyama Zoo. The Moerenuma Park
Moerenuma Park
is a municipal park located in Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Japan. The park has some playground equipment, outdoor sports fields, and objects which are designed by Isamu Noguchi, a Japanese American artist. Visitors can enter the park and use the parking lot for free. Construction of the park was begun in...
is located in Higashi-ku, and houses many open-air art compositions including the Glass Pyramid, planned by Isamu Noguchi. One of the gardens in Sapporo, the Chizaki Rose Garden provides various kinds of rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s, and the Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens
Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens
The are botanical gardens operated by Hokkaido University. They are located at North 3, West 8, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, and open daily; an admission fee is charged....
has also many types of plants and historically important buildings. The Hitsujigaoka observation hill
Hitsujigaoka observation hill
is the scenic spot located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan.The bronze statue of Dr. William S. Clark, which stands on the hill, is well-known as the symbol of frontier spirit of Hokkaidō.- History :...
has a farm with sheep, and attracts visitors with a statue of William S. Clark
William S. Clark
William Smith Clark was a professor of chemistry, botany and zoology, a colonel during the American Civil War, and a leader in agricultural education. Raised and schooled in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Clark spent most of his adult life in Amherst, Massachusetts...
.
Events
In February, the Sapporo Snow FestivalSapporo Snow Festival
The is a famous festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan over seven days in February. Currently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival. The 2012 Yuki-matsuri dates are February 6 to 12.-Overview:...
is annually held. The main site is the Odori Park, and other sites include Susukino (known as the Susukino Ice Festival), and the Sapporo Satoland
Sapporo Satoland
is an amusement park located in Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Having an agricultural theme, Sapporo Satolando was opened in 1995. The official name of the Satoland is .- History :...
. Once Makomanai area in Minami-ku was one of the festival sites, but it was abolished and moved to the Satoland site in 2006. Many of the snow and ice statues in the sites are built by the armies of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
. In 2006, the number of visitors at the Sapporo Snow Festival marked 1,985,000 in total.
Every May, the Sapporo Lilac Festval is held. Lilac was brought to Sapporo in 1889 by an American educator, Ms. Sarah Clara Smith. At the festival, people enjoy the flower and wine with concerts.
Every June, the Yosakoi Soran Festival is held. The sites of the festival are centered in the Odori Park and the street leading to Susukino, but other festival sites also exist. In the festival, many dance teams dance to their music which are composed based on a Japanese traditional song, Sōran Bushi
Soran Bushi
Sōran Bushi is one of the most famous traditional songs in Japan. It is a Japanese sea shanty that is said to have been first sung by the fishermen of Hokkaidō, northern Japan....
. Members of the teams wear special costumes, and compete their dancing skills on the roads or stages constructed on the festival sites. In 2006, 350 teams were organized with around 45,000 dancers, and over 1,860,000 people visited at the festival sites.
During the summer, the Sapporo Summer Festival takes place in the heart of the city, and people enjoy drinking beer in the beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
s constructed in the Odori Park and on the streets of Susukino district. This festival consists of a number of fairs such as Tanuki Festival and Susukino Festival as well as the Odori Park site.
Every September and August, the Sapporo Autumn Fest is held. The fest is kind of similar to Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
From November through January, many citizens enjoy the Sapporo White Illumination.
Sports
Sapporo Dome
The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:...
was constructed in 2001, and currently is the host to the local football team, Consadole Sapporo
Consadole Sapporo
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaidō....
, and the baseball team, Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,...
. Once Sapporo was selected to be the host of the 5th Winter Olympics scheduled on February 3 to 12, 1940, but Japan had to give the Games back to the IOC, after the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937. In 1972, Sapporo hosted the 11th Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
. Some structures built for Olympic events remain in use today, including the ski jumps at Miyanomori and Okurayama
Mt. Okura Ski Jump Stadium
The , also known as the is a ski jumping venue located in the Miyanomori area in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Owned mostly by Sapporo City, the ski jump is placed on the eastern slope of the Mt. Okura. The stadium has hosted a number of winter sports events including 1972 Winter Olympics and...
. In 2002, Sapporo hosted three group matches of the FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
at the Sapporo Dome
Sapporo Dome
The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:...
.
In 2006, Sapporo hosted some games of the FIBA World Championships, and in 2007, Sapporo hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 took place February 22 - March 4, 2007 in Sapporo, Japan. This was the second time this city has hosted these championships, doing so previously at the 1972 Winter Olympics, having been voted at the 43rd FIS World Congress in Portorož, Slovenia on June 6,...
at the Sapporo Dome, Miyanomori ski jump, Okurayama ski jump, and the Shirahatayama cross country course.
Skiing remains a major sport in Sapporo with almost all school children skiing as a part of the school curriculum. Okurayama Elementary School is unusual in having its own ski hill and ski jumping hill on the school grounds, and within the city are a number of commercial ski hills including Moiwayama, Bankeiyama, KobaWorld, Sapporo Teine and Fu's.
Many sports stadiums and domes are located in Sapporo, and some of them have been designated as venues of sports competitions. The Sapporo Community Dome
Sapporo Community Dome
, widely known for its nickname , is a multi-purpose hall located in Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Owned by Sapporo city, the dome is run by the Sapporo Health Sports Foundation.- Overview :...
, also known by its nickname "Tsu-Dome", has hosted to the Golden Market, a huge flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
event which is usually held twice in a year, along with some sports events. The Makomanai Ice Arena
Makomanai Ice Arena
is an indoor ice hockey arena in Minami-ku, Sapporo, Japan. It was built in December, 1970, and holds 11,500 people and has an area of 10,133 m² in total...
, located in the Makomanai Park, was used to be one of the venues of Sapporo Olympics in 1972. It was renamed to the "Makomanai Sekisuiheim Ice Arena" in 2007, when a real estate company, Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., acquired its naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
and renamed the arena after their real estate brand. Other large sports venues include the Makomanai Open Stadium
Makomanai Open Stadium
The Makomanai Open Stadium is a football stadium in Sapporo, Japan. During the 1972 Winter Olympics, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and the speed skating events. The stadium holds 30,000 people.-External links:*...
, the Tsukisamu Green Dome
Tsukisamu Green Dome
Tsukisamu Green Dome is an indoor sporting arena located in Sapporo, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 5,000. It hosted some of the ice hockey event at the 1972 Winter Olympics.-External links:*...
, the Maruyama Stadium
Maruyama Stadium
Maruyama Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Sapporo, Japan. It is currently used mostly for baseball and football matches. The stadium holds 25,000 people. The stadium was built in 1935.-External links:*...
, and the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center.
The Toyota Big Air
Toyota Big Air
Toyota Big Air is a Japanese snowboarding contest. This contest has been held in the Makomanai Open Stadium, Sapporo, Hokkaido since 1997.- Winners :...
is a major international snowboarding event held annually in Sapporo's Makomanai Ice Arena. As one of the richest events of its kind in the world it draws many of the world's best riders.
Professional sport teams
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
NPB Pacific League Pacific League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series... |
Sapporo Dome Sapporo Dome The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:... |
2004 |
| Consadole Sapporo Consadole Sapporo is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaidō.... |
Football (soccer) Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
J. League Division 2 J. League Division 2 The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J... |
Sapporo Atsubetsu Park Stadium Sapporo Atsubetsu Park Stadium Sapporo Atsubetsu Park Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Sapporo, Japan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It serves as a home ground of Consadole Sapporo in addition to the Sapporo Dome. The stadium holds 20,005 people and was built in 1980.... , Sapporo Dome Sapporo Dome The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:... |
1996 |
| Rera Kamuy Hokkaido Rera Kamuy Hokkaido -External links:**... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
Japan Basketball League Japan Basketball League The Japan Basketball League is a professional basketball league in Japan. It lies below the bj league, which is Japan's top basketball competition, but there is no promotion and relegation between bj and the JBL.... |
Tsukisamu Alpha Court Dome | 2007 |
- J. LeagueJ. LeagueThe or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
- Consadole SapporoConsadole Sapporois a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaidō....
(J1 in 1998, 2001-2002, 2008; J2 in 1999-2000, 2003-2007, 2009-2011) . - NPB - Hokkaido Nippon Ham FightersHokkaido Nippon Ham FightersThe are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,...
in Pacific LeaguePacific LeagueThe or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
Demographics
The city has an estimated population of 1,890,561 as of March 2007 and a population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,686 persons per km² (4,367 persons per mi²). The total area is 1,121.12 km² (432.87 mi²).
Transportation
Hokkaido Railway Company
The is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group , and thus often known as . It operates intercity rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, from autumn 2008....
lines, three subway lines and JR-bus, Chuo-bus and other bus lines. Sapporo Subway trains have rubber-tyred wheels.
Rapid Transit
- Sapporo Municipal SubwaySapporo Municipal SubwayThe is an underground rapid transit system in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau.-Lines:The system has 3 lines; the first, the Namboku Line, was opened in 1971 prior to the 1972 Winter Olympics.-Technology:...
- Sapporo Streetcar
- Mt. Moiwa RopewayMt. Moiwa RopewayThe is Japanese aerial lift line in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. This is the only line operates, while the company also operates a ski jumping course and an amusement park. Opened in 1958, the line climbs . The observatory is built for the panoramic view of the city...
- Teineyama RopewayTeineyama RopewayThe is Japanese aerial lift line in Teine, Sapporo, Hokkaidō. The line is operated by Kamori Kankō, which also operates resort around the line, including ski areas, an amusement park, and golf courses. Opened in 1974, the line mainly transports skiers in "winter"...
Rail
- JR Hokkaido Stations in Sapporo
- Hakodate LineHakodate Main Lineis a railway line between the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company ....
: (Zenibako) - Hoshimi - Hoshioki - Inaho - Teine - Inazumi Kōen - Hassamu - Hassamu Chūō - Kotoni - Sōen - Sapporo - Naebo - Shiroishi - Heiwa - Atsubetsu - Shinrin Kōen - (Ōasa) - Chitose LineChitose Lineis a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by JR Hokkaidō, between Numanohata, Tomakomai and Shiroishi Station, Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo, linking Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line. There also is a branch line to New Chitose Airport.-Basic Data:...
: Heiwa - Shin Sapporo - Kami Nopporo - (Kita-Hiroshima) - Sasshō LineSasshō LineThe is a railway line in Japan operated by Hokkaido Railway Company , which runs between in Sapporo and in Shintotsukawa, Hokkaidō. Its name comes from and , the latter of which was terminus of the line until it was truncated at Shin-Totsukawa in 1972.-Stations:...
(Gakuentoshi Line): Sōen - Hachiken - Shinkawa - Shinkotoni - Taihei - Yurigahara - Shinoro - Takuhoku - Ainosato Kyōikudai - Ainosato Kōen - (Ishikari Futomi)
- Hakodate Line
Air
The Sapporo area is served by two airports: Okadama AirportOkadama Airport
is an airport located in Okadamachō, Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, north of the city center of Sapporo. Its scheduled airline service is limited to turboprop flights to other cities in Hokkaidō: larger aircraft use New Chitose Airport, south of the city...
, which serves regional flights within Hokkaido, and New Chitose Airport
New Chitose Airport
, is an airport located south southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō....
, a larger, international airport located in the city of Chitose
Chitose, Hokkaido
-Economy:China Airlines operates its Sapporo office on the third floor of the airport building.The airline Hokkaido Air System was at one time headquartered at the New Chitose Airport in Chitose...
.
Airport shuttle, tour and charter bus service
An airport shuttle bus servicing all hotels in Sapporo operates every day of the year. Skybus was founded in 2005 and also provides transport to and from various ski resorts throughout Hokkaido, including Niseko.Universities
Public
- Hokkaido UniversityHokkaido UniversityHokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
- Hokkaido University of EducationHokkaido University of EducationHokkaido University of Education has 5 campuses located around Hokkaidō, Japan. It is a national, public university, administered by the government of Japan. The main campus is located on the outskirts of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaidō...
See Japanese national university
Japanese national university
As of 2008, there were 87 , 89 public universities and 580 private universities in Japan. National universities, tend to be held in higher regard in higher education in Japan than private or public universities....
- Sapporo Medical UniversitySapporo Medical Universityis a public university in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The precursor of the school was founded in 1945, and it was chartered as a university in 1950.- History :The , the precursor of the university, was founded in 1945...
- Sapporo City UniversitySapporo City Universityis a public university with campuses in Chuo-ku and Minami-ku, Sapporo, Japan. The predecessor of the school was established in 1991, and it was chartered as a university in 2006 when it merged with a nursing school.-External links:*...
Private
- Sapporo UniversitySapporo University, also known as 札大 for an abbreviation, is a private university in Sapporo, Japan. It was founded in 1967.-Teaching staff:*Yūtokutaishi Akiyama, artist*Carlo Forlivesi, composer*Tama Morita, writer-Alumni:*Kazuya Kawabata, footballer...
- Hokusei Gakuen UniversityHokusei Gakuen Universityis a four-year private university located in Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The university is run by Hokusei Gakuen School System, whose educational philosophy is based on Christianity...
- Hokkai School of CommerceHokkai School of Commerceis a private university in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It was originally set up in 1977 as the Commerce Faculty of the Kitami campus of Hokkai Gakuen University; it was spun off as a separate university in April 2006, at which point it moved to Sapporo...
- Hokkai Gakuen UniversityHokkai Gakuen Universityis a private university in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The precursor of the school was founded in 1885, and it was chartered as a university in 1952.- External links :*...
- Fuji Women's UniversityFuji Women's Universityis a private university at Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1925, and it was chartered as a university in 1961.-External links:*...
- Sapporo International UniversitySapporo International Universityis a private university in Kiyota-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, established in 1993. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1969. The junior college division of the school is not coeducational but a women's college.-External links:*...
- Tenshi CollegeTenshi Collegeis a private university in Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. The predecessor of the school, a women's vocational school, was founded in 1947. It was chartered as a junior college in 1950...
- Health Sciences University of HokkaidoHealth Sciences University of Hokkaidois a private university in Tobetsu, Hokkaido, Japan, established in 1994. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1974.-External links:*...
- Sapporo Otani UniversitySapporo Otani Universityis a private university in Higashi-ku, Sapporo Hokkaidō, Japan, established in 2006. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1906.-External links:*...
- Hokkaido Tokai University
- Hokkaido Musashi Women's Junior CollegeHokkaido Musashi Women's Junior Collegeis a private junior women's college in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, established in 1967.-External links:*...
- Hokkaido Bunkyo UniversityHokkaido Bunkyo Universityis a private university in Hokkaido, Japan, established in 1999. It has campuses in Eniwa and Sapporo. Its junior college division is coeducational. The predecessor of the school, a women's school, was founded in 1942.-External links:*...
- Koen Gakuen Women's Junior CollegeKoen Gakuen Women's Junior Collegeis a private junior women's college in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, established in 1967.-External links:*...
- Hokkaido Institute of TechnologyHokkaido Institute of Technology, or HIT, is a private university in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, established in 1967. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1924....
Sister cities
Sapporo has relationships with several cities worldwide. Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States, since 1959 Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany, since 1972 Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
, China, since 1980 Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
, Russia, since 1990 Daejeon
Daejeon
Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...
, South Korea, since 2010
The Sapporo Sister Cities Association
The Sapporo Sister Cities Association was founded in April 1986 to foster friendly relations between Sapporo and its sister cities by promoting a wide range of exchange activities. Specifically, the association organizes various exchanges related to education, science, the arts, economics, technology and sports.The Sapporo Sister Cities Association Office is in Sapporo International Communication Plaza Foundation
Sapporo International Communication Plaza Foundation
The is a foundation to promote international events and projects in order to activate local economy. The headquarters is located in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan.-Basic Information:...
.
See also
- Sapporo Breweries Limited
- Wonder Land Sapporo Co ltd / Snowmobile land Sapporo