When you see a map of Japan you discover an island country basically made up of four islands and ten major regions: Kanto, Kansai, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Okinawa, Shikoku, Chugoku, Tohoku and Chubu. Japanese culture developed preferentially in the surroundings of Tokyo and towards the south, leaving an icy and austere north that only saw a sustained development from the second half of the XNUMXth century.
Here is sapporo, the fifth largest city in the country and one of the fastest developing since in the nineteenth century it was inhabited by just seven people. Seven! Today the story is different but at the same time it does not receive as many tourists as it is far from all the most popular Japanese attractions. A shame, so if you are thinking of traveling to Japan in 2020, for the Olympics, I leave you information about Sapporo and its charms.
Sapporo
Hokkaido is one of the four Japanese islands and the least developed. It has very harsh winters and its summers are not as hot and humid as those in the rest of the country. But it's a charm for Nature lovers.
How do you link Tokyo with Sapporo? The fastest is the plane and the route is very active so there are several flights per hour operated by various companies, including JAL or ANA and the low-cost Vanilla Air or Jetstar, for example. In general, they link the Haneda airport with the New Chitose in Sapporo and the flight lasts just 90 minutes.
A common flight can cost 400 euros but do not be afraid that you can get cheaper with low cost companies or even buying the special JAL / ANA ticket that is like a Japan Rail Pass but for airplanes.
You may Go by train? If he JR Tohoku / Hokkaido Shinkansen (the bullet train), connects Tokyo with Shin Hakodate in four hours and from there you take an express train to Sapporo that takes about three and a half hours more. Calculate about 270 euros one way and others back and a trip of eight hours. Here everything is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. Also, if you are looking for something different you can go by ferry leaving from Nagoya, Sendai and other cities.
Ferries link ports between Honshu and Hokkaido and generally reach a city called Otaru half an hour from Sapporo or Tomakomai an hour or so. Once in the city, it is very easy to get around because, as it is new, it has the design of an American city, with a rectangular and simple layout. Have three metro lines, one tram and many buses. On the buses you can use the JRP.
What to see and do in Sapporo
First thing: the Sapporo Snow Festival. I would say that this festival alone is worth traveling to Sappooro in winter. It lasts for a week in February and has been celebrated since the 50s. Today it has three locations in the city and you will see snow sculptures that can easily measure 25 meters wide or 15 meters high. And until 10 at night they have lights so the view is even more beautiful. There are more than a hundred sculptures, events and concerts and the entrance costs 11 euros and lasts 24 hours.
The second is the Beer Museum. The Japanese have fallen in love with beer and there are many local brands but without a doubt the fascination was born here in Sapporo. The brand itself, Sappooro, is the oldest in the country, dating back to 1877. The museum opened in '87 and you can learn the history, try different varieties, and more. Nearby is a beer garden with restaurants.
The area of bars, karaoke rooms, shops, pachinko and restaurants itself is susukino. It is only three stops from the Sapporo Station of the Nanboku subway and the specialty you must try is the Yokocho ramen, the variety of local ramen. Another ideal place to try this specialty is the Sapporo Ramen Republic, on the 10th floor of the Esta shopping center. Sapporo Station: There are eight small restaurants.
Speaking of the station, it must be said that it is surrounded by many shops and is old, although the current building dates from 2003. It is worth visiting since there is a terrace on the terrace of the station. observation deck, T38 (on the 38th floor), 160 meters above the ground. The views are great and you can add them to the observatory of the TV tower from Odori Park. T38 is open from 10 am to 11 pm and costs 720 yen.
El Odori Park It is rather a wide boulevard that occupies the center of the city and runs from north to south for a kilometer and a half. It is a beautiful green space and it is here that in February some snow sculptures are put together and there is also the 150 meter high TV Tower. You get to the park in a ten minute walk from JR Sapporo Station. Entry to the tower costs 720 yen and it is open from 9 am to 10 pm.
To have a better or more complete panoramic view of the city, then you can go to Mount moiwa. You go up in a mini cableway and at the top there is a platform and a restaurant. The views are beautiful and there is even a planetarium and a theater. In winter there is also a small ski center.
We said at the beginning that Sapporo and its surroundings were a paradise for nature lovers so in the Day Trips you can fully enjoy it: there is the Niseko ski resort, the Rusutsu, the Noboribetsu thermal resort and that of Jozankei and lakes Shikotsu and Toya. A pearl in summer are the lavender fields of Furano, seas of lilac, yellow, pink, red and green everywhere.
A good plan might be to get to Tokyo, stay for about three days, and then catch a plane to Sapporo. The return to Tokyo can also be by plane or train, to enjoy the shinkansen in these northern places.