Sapporo

Japan’s fifth largest city, Sapporo, was once a small fishing town that has been developed into a significant tourist destination. The world took notice of Sapporo when it hosted the 1972 Olympic Winter Games, the first winter Olympics to be held in Asia. Now, the capital of Hokkaido is famous in the world for three reasons: its beer, fresh seafood, and miso-flavored ramen. Sapporo is also well known for its extreme winter season, which explains the popularity of the snow festival held every year in this city.

Sapporo is a clean and peaceful city that’s full of parks, streets lined with trees, and shopping arcades. Tourists have plenty of attractions to visit and activities to enjoy in Sapporo. One of the major attractions in the city is The Clock Tower (Tokeidai), which is the symbol and major landmark of Sapporo. A very interesting tourist spot in the city is the Sapporo Brewery building where visitors can take a tour of the Beer Museum and taste the world-famous Sapporo beer.

Mount Moiwa, also known as the backyard ski resort of Sapporo, is a favorite skiing venue for tourists. Jozankei Onsen is a unique natural attraction with its hot spring. The century-old botanical garden in the Batchelor Memorial Museum is worthy of visit as well. For families spending their holiday in Sapporo, the Maruyama Zoo offers a fun and memorable travel experience.

Sapporo Snow Festival
This annual event, which draws an increasing number of local and international visitors, is one of the largest winter activities in Japan and is popular internationally. Every February, Sapporo transforms into a winter wonderland with its white snow and crystal-clear ice. Millions of spectators line up in Sapporo to view the numerous lovely ice sculptures and snow statues along the major street in Susukino, Satoland grounds, and Odori Park.

Sapporo has an active nightlife, thanks to the myriad of nightclubs and bars in the entertainment district of Susukino. So if you are in for a night of partying and clubbing, Sapporo won’t disappoint you.

A striking thing about Sapporo is its contrasting temperature between summer and winter. Its winter season runs from December to March, while the wet and hot summer season is from June to September. This city has a higher snowfall than other cities in the world, which peaks to 72 inches in January. Its thick snow makes Sapporo an unbeatable winter sports destination, and visitors usually enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the city.