Best of Sapporo

Gain a broad overview of Sapporo by browsing a vibrant market, an open-air museum and a lookout that offers a spectacular panoramic view of the city.

Drive past Sapporo Odori Park to the Nijo Ichiba Market. Always busy and energetic, the market covers an entire city block where you can experience an authentic slice of daily life. While fruit and vegetables are abundant, seafood is the specialty that draws the locals. You can expect to see every imaginable type of sea creatures displayed on ice and looking like it was just plucked from the sea. All the while, aromas from the market restaurants waft through the air, whetting your appetite.

Lunch is served at the Sapporo Beer Garden, a brewery that occupies a former red-brick sugar factory built in 1890.

See dozens of other historical buildings in an open-air museum divided into themed sections such as a mountain hamlet and a fishing village. Exploring the exhibits will provide a window into the lifestyles of Japan's pioneers, further enhanced by folk art demonstrations and folkloric performances.

A different perspective of Sapporo awaits you atop Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, where you will enjoy sweeping views of the metropolis and the Ishikari Plains' pastureland. Be sure to see the statue of Dr. William Clark, an influential American educator who taught at what would become Hokkaido University.