Holidays in Sapporo

Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido. The city itself is not really beautiful, but is an excellent base for exploring the rest of the island. This is the place to arrange your trip end then head for places like Daisetsuzan national park, Akan or Rishirito Island.

As long as you are in Saporro you might as well enjoy yourself, and this is actually one of the specialities of the city. It has more nightlife than any other city north of Tokyo. The Susukino district has countless bars, nightclubs and hostess bars. To get some idea of where to head out for a night on the town try checking the bilingual website www.sappororestaurant.jp where you can sometimes find some cheap coupons and up to date information about special dining offers.They also have a good Japanese food section which introduces the main Japanese cuisines.

During daytime you should visit the Botanical Garden in the Batchelor Memorial Museum, the Clocktower -the major landmark of Sapporo- and the Beer Brewery, the first in Japan. The Geijitsu no mori(Art Park) located just outside of Makomanai is a great place to spend a sunny day wandering the outdoor sculpture garden(approx.600yen).You can take a bus from Bus-Centre Mae bus terminal.

During winter the Sapporo snow festival attracts visitors from all over the country to see the huge (15 to 20 meters high) snowsculptures that are on display all over Odori Park. You can rent cross country skis for free in Nakajima park.