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Sapporo

(札幌市, -shi?) listen (help·info) is the fifth-largest in Japan by population. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated of Japan.

is best known outside Japan for hosting the , and the annual in the , internationally referred to as the Snow Festival, which draws more than 2 million tourists from around the world. The is also home to the eponymous Breweries.
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History

Early history

Prior to its establishment, the area occupied by (known as the Ishikari Plain) was home to a number of indigenous Ainu settlements. In 1866 at the end of the Edo began on a canal through the area, encouraging a number of to establish village.[1] The settlement’s name was taken from the , and can be translated as “large river running through a plain”.

In 1868 (the officially recognised year celebrated as the ‘birth’ of ), the new Meiji government concluded that the existing administrative center of Hokkaidō, which at the time was the port of , 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 Hokkaidō Development Commission (Kaitaku-shi) approached the American government for assistance in developing the land resulting in Horace Capron (O-yatoi ), under President Ulysses S. Grant being appointed as a special advisor to the commission. Construction began around a park, Odori Koen, which still remains as a green ribbon of recreational land bisecting the central area of the . The closely followed the American-style grid plan with streets at right-angles to form blocks.

The continuing expansion of the into Hokkaidō continued, mainly due to migration from the main island of Honshū 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 ) came to to make farms of sheep and cattle in 1876. He also demonstrated pig farming and the making of butter, cheese, ham and sausage. He married a woman. He once went back to the States in 1883 but returned to Japan as a secretary of government.

William Smith Clark (O-yatoi ) who was the president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now The University of Massachusetts Amherst) came to be the founding vice-president of Agricultural College (now 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 was renamed as “-ku” ( Ward) ,[2] and a railroad between 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 . Two years later, with the abolition of the Kaitaku-shi, Hokkaidō was divided into three prefectures: , , and Nemuro. The name of the urban district in remained -ku, while the rest of the area in -ku was changed to -gun. The office building of -ku was also located in the urban district.[2]

, , 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, is currently located.

-ku has administered surrounding -gun until 1899, when the new district system was announced. After that year, -ku was away from the control of -gun.[2] The “ku” (district) enforced from 1899 was an autonomy which was a little bigger than towns, and smaller than cities. In Hokkaidō at that time, -ku and Otaru-ku also existed.

[edit] Modern History (20th century)
The Former Government Office Building
The Former Government Office Building
Dancers in the Yosakoi Sōran Festival
Dancers in the Yosakoi Sōran Festival

In 1907, the Tohoku Imperial University was established in Sendai Miyagi Prefecture, and Agricultural College was controlled by the University. Parts of neighbouring villages including Village, Naebo Village, Kami Shiroishi Village, and districts where Tonden-hei has settled, were integrated into -ku in 1910.

The Street Car was opened in 1918, and Hokkaidō Imperial University was established in -ku, as the fifth Imperial University in Japan. The another railroad operated in , Jōzankei Railroad was also opened, which was ultimately abolished in 1969.

In 1922, the new system was announced by the Tokyo government, and -ku was officially transferred to the .[1] The Municipal Bus System was started in 1930. In 1937, was chosen as the site of 1940 Winter Olympics, but due to the outbreak of Second Sino- War, this was cancelled 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. The first Snow Festival was held in 1950. In the same year, adjacent Shiroishi Village was integrated into , rendered as a part of Shiroishi-ku, and Atsubetsu-ku.[3] In 1955, Kotoni Town, the entire Village, and Shinoro Village were merged into , becoming a part of the current Chūō-ku, Kita-ku, Higashi-ku, Nishi-ku, and Teine-ku.[3] The expansion of 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.[3]

The ceremony commemorating 100th anniversary of the foundation of and Hokkaidō was held in 1968. The Municipal Subway system was inaugurated in 1971, which made the fourth having subway system in Japan. On February 3rd to 13th, 1972, was held, which was the first Winter Olympics held in Asia,[1] and on April 1st of the same year, was designated as one of the cities designated by government ordinance, and seven wards were established.[3] The Municipal Subway was expanded when the Tōzai line was 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 were started, such as the Pacific Festival in 1990, and Yosakoi Sōran Festival in 1992. A professional football club, Consadole , was established in 1996. In 1997, Kiyota-ku was separated from Toyohira-ku. In the same year, Hokkaidō Takushoku Bank, a Hokkaidō based bank that placed its headquarter in Odori, went bankrupt.[4]

[edit] Modern History (21st century)

In 2001, the construction of the Dome was completed, and in the year of 2002, the Dome hosted 3 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 , Fumio Ueda, was elected as the mayor for the first time in 2003. became the home to a baseball team, Nippon Ham Fighters, in 2004, which won the championship in 2006, and the victory parade was held on Ekimae-Dōri (a street in front of Station) in February 2007.

[edit] Geography
The TV Tower is located west of the Sousei River.
The TV Tower is located west of the Sousei River.

is a located in the southwest part of Ishikari Plain and the alluvial fan of the , a tributary stream of the Ishikari River.[5] Roadways in the urban district are laid to make grid plan road. The western and southern part of are occupied by a number of mountains including , Maruyama, and Mount Moiwa, as well as a lot of rivers including the Ishikari River, , and Sousei River.

has many parks, and among them, Odori Park is located in the heart of the and is one of the places that a number of annual events and festivals are held throughout the year. Moerenuma Park is also one of the largest parks in , and was constructed under the plan of Isamu Noguchi, a -American artist and landscape architect.

Neighbouring cities are Ishikari, Ebetsu, , Eniwa, Chitose, Otaru, Date, and towns are Tō, , Kyō, and a village is .

[edit] Climate

has a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfa), with a wide range of temperature between the summer and winter. Summers are generally hot but not humid, and winters quite cold and snowy. It snows a lot in winter, enabling it to hold events and festivals with snow statues and objects. Boasting 630 cm ( 248 inches) on average,[6], one of the few metropolises in the world with such heavy snowfall.[7] The ’s annual average precipitation is around 1,100 mm (43 inches), and the mean annual temperature is 8.5°C (47°F).[5]

[edit] Wards
Odori Park
Odori Park

Color shows the location of each ku in the map above.

[edit] Economy

is home to Breweries Limited, the famous maker of beer.

[edit] Culture and entertainment

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) .[8] 2006 was also the first year for when the number of tourists exceeded 14 million, in its history of tourism.

[edit] Cuisine
The Soup Curry
The Soup Curry

is known as the birthplace of Miso ,[9] a rāmen noodle using miso, and is also widely known. The Kouraku Meitengai, an alley lined with many restaurants, was established in 1951 in Susukino district, and after its demolition due to plans for the Olympics, the Ganso Yokocho was established in the same place. It currently attracts many tourists throughout the year.[9] From the year 1966, a food company named Sanyo Foods began to sell instant ramens under the brand name “ Ichiban”. In 2001, was listed as one of the Heritage along with other ramens in such as Asahikawa and . On October 1, 2004, The Republic, a theme park focused on rāmens, was opened at the 10th floor of the ESTA, a commercial complex located in front of the Station.

Soup Curry, a liquid curry with vegetables and rice, is also one of the specialties in , and currently plenty of soup curry restaurants are located in the cities and towns in . Sweets, a confectionery using many ingredients from , is also popular, and the Sweets Competition is held annually.[10]

A lamb barbecue style dish called jingisukan (named for Ghengis Khan) is another popular local specialty.

is also famed for fresh seafood, salmon, sea urchin and crab in particular. It is also noted for Haskup, a local variety of blueberry.

[edit] Entertainment and performing arts

The Concert Hall Kitara is the main musical venue in , located in in Chuo-ku. It is home to the Symphony , a local professional organized in 1961, and their regular concerts are held in this hall. The open-air stage in Artpark is another one of the venues in . The Pacific Festival (PMF), an event started with the idea of Leonard Bernstein in 1990, is held in both places. The Artpark, located in Minami-ku, also contains public arts, an art museum, and the old house of Takeo Arishima. Other art museums in include The Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Sculpture, and the Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art, . The Museum of Literature, located in , has hosted many exhibitions, seminars, and other educational activities. The Convention Center is located in Shiroishi-ku, and a number of forums and events are held in the building. The 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 Science Center in Atsubetsu-ku.

[edit] Points of interest
the Beer Museum
the Beer Museum
Susukino, the center of in
Susukino, the center of in

A lot of historical buildings, as well as shopping malls and parks, are located in , and draw many tourists in every year. Historic landmarks include the Former Hokkaidō government office building, the Clock Tower, the Shrine (Hokkaidō Jingū), and the TV Tower. The Factory was a former brewery of the Beer, and is currently a huge shopping mall with many restaurants, offices, and the multiplex movie theatres. Another former brewery of the Beer is the Beer Museum, which is currently a part of the , and houses the Beer Gardens (サッポロビール園, Bi-ru En?). The Archive Museum, The Edwin Dun Memorial Hall, and some old buildings in the University are also historically important in , and each was listed in the Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.[11]

The JR Tower, a complex building houses the Tower 38 and department store, is located adjacent to the Station. Being close to the main station of , the 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.[12] The 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 . Susukino is a district having the main scene in , 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 Koji Shopping Arcade, the oldest shopping mall in the . 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.

also offers many parks and gardens. The Odori Park houses buildings such as the TV Tower, and hosts many events including Yosakoi Soran Festival, Lilac Festival, White Illumination, and the Snow Festival. In the , there are some landmarks including Hōheikan, an old hotel building moved from the Odori Park, and the Concert Hall Kitara. The Maruyama Park is located next to the 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 , the Chizaki Rose Garden provides various kinds of roses, and the University Botanical Gardens has also many types of plants and historically important buildings. The Hitsujigaoka observation hill has a farm with sheeps, and is attracting visitors with a statue of William S. Clark.

[edit] Events
Snow statues of giant dinosaurs at the Snow Festival
Snow statues of giant dinosaurs at the Snow Festival

In February, the Snow Festival is annually held. The main site is the Odori Park, and other sites include Susukino (known as the Susukino Snow Festival) , and the 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 in the Snow Festival marked 1,985,000 in total.[13]

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 which are composed based on a 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.[13]

During the summer, the Summer Festival takes place in the heart of the , and people enjoy drinking beer in the beer gardens 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. [13]

[edit] Sports
The Dome in winter
The Dome in winter

The Dome was constructed in 2001, and currently is the host to the local football team, Consadole , and the baseball team, Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters. Once 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- War broke out in 1937. In 1972, 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, hosted three group matches of the FIFA World Cup at the Dome. In 2006, hosted some games of the FIBA World Championships, and in 2007, hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships at the Dome, Miyanomori ski jump, Okurayama ski jump, and the Shirahatayama cross country course.

Many sports stadiums and domes are located in , and some of them have been designated as venues of sports competitions. The Community Dome, also known as 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 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 brand name of the real estate.[14] Other large sports venues include the Makomanai Open Stadium, the Tsukisamu Green Dome, the Maruyama Stadium, and the Prefectural Sports Center.

There are some places you can enjoy the marvelous view of autumnal leaves in the .
How about visiting these spots on clear autumn day ?
See more pictures of autumn leaves
Clothes

October’s climate Average temp. 11.3 Average lowest 6.9 Average highest 15.8

12 beautiful months, 4 seasons in
Climate and Clothes What to wear? Greatly different from other cities!
Some places very unique to
Style
Designs and products of the individualistic style of . A good idea for presents or souvenirs.
Going down canyon by canoe
A pleasant Canadian canoe ride in cool water.
Enjoying forests and water
Nature walk and waterfalls
Campsites inside
Brown bears live in the mountains of a big
Salmon came back again to !
In , in the middle of the , we see salmon coming back from the ocean after the long voyage, to lay eggs.
You can observe the coming back of salmon close at hand
The taste of Fall, Salmon
Fruits Fruits-country in Autumn

See more pictures of autumn leaves
Octopuses sold at Central Wholesale Market Enjoying an early morning
Visit of Central Wholesale Market

“Ichiba” “Market“ The kitchen for the citizen
’s history
Thanks to its high quality water, life is easy in the of .
’s water
Delicious sake, thanks to the snow
A with a national park
Jingisukan

Why so delicious?

Jingisukan, mutton barbecue
noodle
Big Electrical Appliance shops Shopping Odori
In downtown areas, there are many big stores where you can enjoy shopping, ranging from fresh food, clothing, books, electronics, etc. Let us introduce here the main shops of different areas.
Big Electrical Appliance shops About Department Stores in Japan
Ichiba”Market“ The kitchen for the citizen
Museum of Sculpture - In Memory of Shin Hongoh- Museum of Sculpture - In Memory of Shin Hongoh-
The works of Shin Hongoh are exhibited permanently and other displays are changed at regular intervals. Various meetings and lectures are held to develop and share the culture and art reflected in the personality and works of Shin Hongoh.
Seinen Zazou blonze Hanataba(esquisse)
Pirka Kotan Pirka Kotan Ainu Culture Promotion Center
Visitors can enjoy learning about the livelihood, history and art of the Ainu, who lived indigenously on northern lands and fostered a unique culture.
This is Japan’s first facility featuring indigenous peoples, where visitors can watch, touch and experience numerous traditional Ainu handicrafts made by Ainu living in .
Useful Links
Citizen Contact Center (011) 222-4894
Is there anything you would like to know about ? Call the number above.
English assistance available from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (open year-round).
Convention Bureau
Information for convention organizers. Why ? Visit the site and find out more about the ’s charm and its many convention facilities and accommodations. Visitor information on dining and public transportation, etc. is also available.
International Communication Plaza Foundation

Pacific Festival (Annual event for classical founded by Leonard Bernstein)
Concert Hall Kitara World-renowned concert hall in downtown
Traffic Net (Road traffic information, of )
Airlines, Airport | ANA, JAL, New Chitose International Airport

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