Sapporo Introduction

As a metropolis in Japan’s Hokkaido region, Sapporo is the political, economic and cultural center of Hokkaido and also Japan’s fifth largest city.

Release time : 2016-10-09 10:23:08

source : WTCF

tourism with attractions such as the “Sapporo Snow Festival” which began in 1950, the “YOSOKOI Soran Festival” which began in 1992 and the “Sapporo International Art Festival” took place in 2014.

Odori Park is the most famous attraction in Sapporo. It is called a park, but it’s really a street. Odori Park, which is usually a very calm and relaxed space, is also used for many of Hokkaido’s best-known seasonal events, such as the Lilac Festival in spring, YOSAKOI Soran Festival and beer garden in summer, and Food Festival in autumn and the Snow Festival in winter. It shows varied charming in every season. Besides, the Snow Festival held in early February every year, is the grandest festival in Sapporo. At that time, huge snow sculptures and ice sculptures are displayed in the venue of Odori Park, attracting more than 2 million visitors all over the world to come here.

Sapporo Clock Tower is a landmark of Sapporo. Built in 1878, it has a history of about 130 years until now. It is the field for practicing martial arts of Sapporo agricultural school — the predecessor of Hokkaido University. The ringing bell of hourly chime has been accompanying Sapporo citizens for more than one hundred years.

History and culture

In 1869, Japan renamed Ezo as Hokkaido, and set Hokkaido Development Commission to be responsible for the development of Hokkaido and began the construction of Sapporo. The judge, Shima Yoshitake planned totally new streets in the eastern of hills named Maruyama with modern urban planning concept, which formed the tidy blocks in Sapporo today. In 1875 the initial Tondenhei joined the ranks of development in Sapporo. Then, the pavement of railway, the development of industrial and commercial industry also successively began.

In 1882 Japan abolished Hokkaido Development Commission, and set Hakodate County, Sapporo County and Nemuro County according to the administrative division of other areas in Japan