[Jozankei Dam in Sapporo] Fresh Green and Fall Foliage Are Beautiful around Lake Sapporo

Jozankei Dam

Jozankei Dam (定山渓ダム) is a a concrete gravity dam with about 117.5m in height in Jozankei located in the southwest part of Sapporo city, and is near Jozankei Onsen. It was mainly built for the purposes of securing drinking water and electric power in 1989, and Lake Sapporo (さっぽろ湖), a man-made lake, was born. A canoe can be enjoyed on the surface of the lake, and Rainbow Trout (ニジマス), Whitespotted Char (アメマス) and Ito Fish (イトウ) are caught in a summer, and Japanese Pond Smelt (ワカサギ) is caught in a winter.

Movie of Lake Sapporo

There is Jozankei Dam Museum (定山渓ダム資料館) at the foot of the Jozankei Dam, so visitors can know about the dam. Because there is not a parking lot on the dam, the visitors must go up from Jozankei Dam Karyuenchi (定山渓ダム下流園地) to enjoy views from the dam. Hokkaido Road 1 Otaru Jozankei Line (北海道道1号小樽定山渓線 * Jozankei Lake Line (定山渓レイクライン)) is built along the lake, and there are 4 observation platforms, Sapporoko 1st Observation Platform (さっぽろ湖第一展望台), Sapporoko 2nd Observation Platform (さっぽろ湖第二展望台), Sapporoko 3rd Observation Platform (さっぽろ湖第三展望台) and Sapporoko 4th Observation Platform (さっぽろ湖第四展望台), along the road. Lake Saporo is famous for beautiful fall foliage, too. By the way, dam cards are distributed at Jozankei Dam Management Branch (定山渓ダム管理支所) and the Dam Museum.

Jozankei Onsen

Jozankei Onsen (定山渓温泉) is a famous hot-spring resort in Sapporo city suburbs, and one of the 3 major hot spring resorts in Hokkaido together with Noboribetsu Onsen (登別温泉) and Yunokawa Onsen (湯の川温泉). Jozankei is called a back room of Sapporo (札幌の奥座敷), and 2.4 million people per year visit the Jozankei Onsen that is near the center of Sapporo for about 60 minutes. Oversea visitors increased in hot spring boom recently, too. Article is here

SAPPORO

Sapporo (札幌) that about 1,960,000 people live is the largest city in Hokkaido. Although there are various theories, its origin of the name is "Dry Big River (乾いた大きな川)" in Ainu language. A population of the Sapporo is the 4th largest city after Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya in japan, and the population accounts for 36 % of Hokkaido's population! So the Sapporo has been flourished as the center of the Hokkaido. The area of the Sapporo is 1,121.26 km2, and is about as big as Hong Kong, and is the 7th largest city in the Hokkaido. The Sapporo is also famous as a tourist city, and about 15 million people come. As for a climate, it is hot that temperature rises to nearly 25 degrees in a summer, but it is easy to live without moisture. I always feel a little cool. It is cold that temperature falls to nearly -10 degrees in a winter, and amount of snowfall sometimes has more than 1 m. Article is here

Fall Foliage of Hokkaido

It is said that the Fall Foliage of the Hokkaido turns into red color at the earliest in Japan. The best time to see the fall foliage comes in Daisetsu-zan at high altitude, and it comes gradually in low areas. It comes in Mt. Asahidake (旭岳) and in Mt. Kurodake (黒岳) in mid September, and autumn leaves fall in early November. As for the highlight of the Fall Foliage of the Hokkaido, tourists are bowled over by vast nature with the fall foliage, or are bowled over by small space that goes well with the fall foliage. Except famous beauty spots for the fall foliage, there are less famous beauty spots for the fall foliage such usual mountains and rivers or gorges here and there. Article is here