Start Your Sapporo Walk Here! A Sightseeing Guide to Odori Park’s Highlights and Attractions

The International Exchange Zone is the area where the Sapporo TV Tower, one of Sapporo’s landmarks, rises above the park.
Scattered throughout the area are monuments donated by artists and companies connected to Sapporo, including Benson’s Bubbling Fountain, a gift from Portland, Oregon, one of Sapporo’s sister cities.
There is also the 33-meter-long, 1.8-meter-high Wall Fountain, whose gentle flowing water creates a calm atmosphere.

The Water and Light Zone is an area with beautiful scenery that truly feels like an urban oasis.
Statues are scattered throughout, and at the fountain in West 3-chome, a water performance themed around “the vitality of living things” is presented in one 15-minute cycle.
With the Sapporo TV Tower in the background, this water display is one of the signature scenes of Odori Park.
There is another fountain in West 4-chome within the Water and Light Zone.
This fountain, designed to resemble flower petals, features water spraying from four directions into a central aluminum basin.
Both fountains operate from late April to late October and are illuminated at night, creating a magical atmosphere with water and light.
The tourist information center and smoking area are also located in this zone.

The Play and Event Zone is a lively area where seasonal events are held throughout the year.
It also features unique play equipment, including the twisted Black Slide Mantra designed by sculptor Isamu Noguchi, and a play slope that looks like whales swimming.
At the Information Center & Official Shop, staff are available who can assist in English, Chinese, and Korean, so international visitors should feel free to stop by if they need help.

The History and Culture Zone, stretching across West 10-chome and 11-chome of Odori Park, features bronze statues of Kiyotaka Kuroda and Horace Capron, both of whom contributed greatly to the development of Hokkaido, making this an area where you can feel the history of Hokkaido’s pioneering days.
The 23-meter-tall pillar painted white and blue called Maibaum catches visitors’ eyes. It symbolizes the joy of spring and is decorated with motifs of folk dancing and musical performance. It was gifted by Munich, Germany, one of Sapporo’s sister cities.
There is also a fountain in West 11-chome, creating a relaxing place where visitors can spend time while taking in the area’s historical atmosphere.

The Sank Garden Zone is centered around a rose garden.
Approx. 60 varieties and over 1,100 rose bushes bloom in a range of colors from mid-June to October, delighting visitors.
At the center of the garden is an 82-meter-long waterway, with spring outlets at both ends and a fountain in the middle.
Water flows through it from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm from June 1 to around mid-September, creating a refreshing atmosphere.
The statue Young Woman by sculptor Churyo Sato also stands in the area, adding to the garden’s beauty.
The Sapporo City Archive Museum in this zone is a historic building originally constructed in 1926 as the Sapporo Court of Appeals, known for its stately stone exterior.
Here, seasonal flowers and historic architecture come together to create beautiful scenery.

The Sapporo Lilac Festival began in 1959 through a call from cultural figures.
Centered on the Odori venue, where Approx. 400 lilac trees bloom, the festival features concerts on the Lilac Spring Stage, lilac tree planting, nodate outdoor tea ceremonies, stamp rallies, and more.
During the festival, the Odori venue also has a café terrace, corners where visitors can try traditional games, and hands-on workshops, making it appealing not only for sightseeing but also for active participation. In addition, both the Odori and Kawashimo venues offer a limited number of lilac saplings free of charge.

Held every year from around mid-July to around mid-August, the Sapporo Summer Festival is one of the city’s biggest summer events.
Centered on Odori Park, events are also held in Tanukikoji Shopping Street and Susukino, where visitors can enjoy a variety of Sapporo’s traditional culture and food.
Odori Park hosts one of the largest beer gardens in Japan, where you can fully enjoy Sapporo food and beer.
The Hokkai Bon Odori, where visitors can join in a Bon dance beloved by locals, is also held at West 2-chome of Odori Park.
There are many other events as well, such as the Tanuki Festival and Susukino Festival, where you can experience Sapporo’s culture and traditions.

The YOSAKOI Soran Festival is held every June.
This popular Sapporo event was inspired by the Yosakoi Festival of Kochi Prefecture and created by combining the naruko clappers used in Yosakoi with Soran Bushi, a traditional folk song of Hokkaido.
The festival has only two rules: performers must carry naruko clappers and include a phrase from Soran Bushi in the music. Everything else is free. As a powerful early summer tradition in Hokkaido that draws 2 million spectators, it is well worth seeing.

Held every September, Sapporo Autumn Fest is an event with the main theme of “food from Hokkaido and Sapporo.”
Odori Park is divided into seven areas, lined with around 300 stalls.
You can enjoy food and local specialties unique to Hokkaido and Sapporo together with local sake, wine, whiskey, and other drinks.
Hokkaido and Sapporo specialties such as regional ramen and jingisukan all gather in one place, so anyone visiting Hokkaido for its food should definitely stop by.
Souvenirs from not only Sapporo but all around Hokkaido are also available, making souvenir shopping part of the fun.

Sapporo White Illumination began in 1981 as an event that lights up winter nights in Sapporo.
Elaborate illuminations are displayed at five venues, wrapping the whole city in a magical atmosphere.
At the main Odori venue, each area features a different symbolic object, including Wish Birds in front of the TV Tower with wings, Winter Blossoms inspired by flowers associated with Hokkaido such as lilac, lily of the valley, and rugosa rose, and Snow Fantasia, where visitors can walk through a corridor themed around snowflakes.

One of the world’s three major snow festivals, the Sapporo Snow Festival began in 1950 when local high school students created six snow statues in Odori Park.
Today it is held in early February at three venues, the Odori site, Susukino site, and Tsudome site, and has become one of Sapporo’s biggest winter events, attracting Approx. 2 million visitors from Japan and abroad.
At the Odori site, enormous snow sculptures as large as buildings appear, making for an overwhelming sight. There are also unique citizen-made snow statues, and visitors can vote for their favorites.

Built in 1956 in West 1-chome, the starting point of Odori Park, the Sapporo TV Tower has watched over the city’s development ever since and remains a beloved Sapporo landmark for both locals and visitors.
The observation deck, around 90 meters above ground, offers spectacular views not only over Sapporo city but, on clear days, out to the Ishikari Plain and the Sea of Japan.
In winter, it also becomes a prime viewing spot overlooking the Sapporo White Illumination and Snow Festival below. In addition, the deck can be reserved for private use for 30 minutes after closing, which is especially popular with couples and spouses (reservation required).

This building was originally the drill hall of Sapporo Agricultural College, constructed to train leaders for the development of Hokkaido.
Under the direction of Kiyotaka Kuroda, then chief of the Hokkaido Development Commission, who visited for the completion ceremony, the Sapporo Clock Tower was completed and is now loved as one of Sapporo’s landmarks.
Major preservation and restoration work was carried out from 1995 to 1998, and the building was developed into a museum. On the first floor, visitors can view exhibits related to Sapporo’s cultural properties and materials about the Clock Tower.

A popular underground shopping area in Sapporo, the center of tourism in Hokkaido, where many people stop by.
It offers easy access to routes leading to Odori Station, Susukino Station, and the famous sightseeing spot Sapporo TV Tower. It is also directly connected to commercial facilities above ground such as fashion buildings and department stores, making it very convenient.
A wide range of shops are lined up here, including drugstores, fashion stores, and variety shops, making it useful for all kinds of situations, including buying items you may need during your trip.

Tanukikoji Shopping Street is one of the oldest shopping streets in Hokkaido, with a history of over 145 years.
Located in central Sapporo, it stretches Approx. 900 meters from east to west and is lined with around 200 shops. Because it is covered by an arcade, visitors can enjoy shopping, strolling, and dining even in bad weather.
Long-established merchants, craft shops, and souvenir stores rooted in the area line the street, giving it a nostalgic atmosphere.

Sapporo Nijo Market is said to have begun in the early Meiji period, when fishermen from Ishikari Beach started selling fresh seafood there.
Today, not only fish shops but also produce stores and izakaya gather here. Loved not only by tourists but also by locals as Sapporo’s kitchen, the market stays lively every day, helped by its central location in the city.
There are also many places to eat inside the market, with plenty of shops where you can enjoy seafood such as sushi, seafood rice bowls, and grilled dishes.

The name Onigiri no Arinko comes from the shop’s founding days, when the store was only three tsubo in size and the staff bustled around the narrow space like ants.
Arinko’s onigiri are made one by one by hand without using a mold or shaping tool.
Because each rice ball is formed only after you order, you can enjoy the warmth and fluffy texture that only freshly made onigiri can offer.

Soup Curry GARAKU is such a popular soup curry restaurant that lines form every day and numbered tickets are handed out to waiting customers.
It is a specialty soup curry shop with extremely high name recognition among locals.
Its most distinctive feature is the soup. The owner’s creative idea of combining Japanese-style dashi, learned while working at a udon restaurant, with spices is said to be what made the restaurant so popular.

Beer Hall Lion Tanukikoji Branch opened in 1914.
What is now Beer Hall Lion was originally created so people could enjoy beer born in Sapporo, known as the place where beer was first made by Japanese people.
The shop’s symbol, Baron Lion, welcomes guests from the balcony, while the interior is filled with Taisho Roman charm in a stylish, old-fashioned design.
Fresh draft beer poured in the traditional single-pour style tastes exceptional in this space, where you can feel the long history of countless toasts made over the years.

Created by the UDS Group, ONSEN RYOKAN proposes a new way to experience a traditional Japanese inn.
Following its Tokyo Shinjuku opening in 2019, this hot spring ryokan with open-air baths opened in Sapporo in August 2020.
To help guests relax away from the noise of everyday life, the large bath for hotel guests uses Karurusu Onsen water brought from Noboribetsu City in its open-air bath.
Popular as a hot spring retreat, Noboribetsu’s Karurusu Onsen is colorless, clear, and odorless. Its gentle feel on the skin makes for a soothing bath experience, especially appreciated by female guests.

A hotel in Sapporo produced by the prestigious French hotel chain ACCOR.
Its exterior, inspired by Sapporo’s grid-like streets, is distinctive, but one of its biggest selling points is its excellent location.
It offers convenient access to Susukino, one of Hokkaido’s leading entertainment districts, nearby subway stations, and central Sapporo, making it ideal for both leisure and business.
The third-floor lobby, where the front desk is located, the elevator halls on each floor, and the guest rooms were all designed by a French designer, giving the interior a stylish atmosphere.

Hotel Monterey Edelhof Sapporo is located Approx. 7 minutes on foot from Sapporo Station and opened in March 2022.
The hotel name means “noble residence” in German, and guests can spend their stay in rooms designed with the image of late 19th-century Vienna.
In addition, the top 22nd floor offers a luxurious space that blends Japanese elements into its base design.
The bath area, with its Western-style atmosphere, uses natural hot spring water. It is fully equipped with a jet bath, sauna, open-air bath, and even a bedrock sauna, and has earned high praise from women.