Sapporo is the largest city on Japan’s northern
island of Hokkaido, home to the world-renowned
Sapporo
Beer and February’s Sapporo Snow Festival.
Sapporo is the largest city on the island of
Hokkaido, and
the fifth largest in Japan. First settled by the indigenous
Ainu people, the city was fully developed by Emperor
Meiji
in 1868 into the modern city it is today. Many of the
historic
elements of Hokkaido are preserved in the city,
especially
in the Historic Village, which has sections dedicated to
different eras of history. Ever since Sapporo hosted
Asia’s
first Winter Olympics in 1972, the ski resorts on the
city’s
outskirts beckon to winter sports enthusiasts who yearn
to
brave an Olympic-level slope. Sapporo beer is one of
the
oldest in the country, and has been made in breweries
there since 1877. Many come to the brewery to drink at
the Beer Garden, or to visit the Beer Museum and hear
of
the history of Japanese beer within a Meiji-era brewery.
Shiroi Koibito Park is a theme park about sweets
sponsored by Ishiya, a local chocolate company. The
Shiroi Koibito cookie is highly sought after as a souvenir
from Hokkaido.
Sapporo becomes a winter wonderland every February
during the Sapporo Snow Festival, attracting millions of
visitors from around the world. The festival is centered
around three main sites in the city including the main
thoroughfare at Odori Park, and the large entertainment
district in Susukino.
Please see
below
for tours that include Sapporo:
