[Maeda Forest Park in Sapporo] Beautiful Canal, Rows of Poplar Trees and Cherry Blossom Spot

Maeda Forest Park

Maeda Forest Park (前田森林公園) is a comprehensive park of 597,258 m2 in Teine-Maeda, Teine ward, Sapporo city, and has opened since 1987. It is famous as a park with a canal like a pond of a Western-style palace, and has literally rich nature. Here is also well-known as a good place to see cherry blossoms in a spring, wisteria blooms in a summer and fall foliage in an autumn, and is a peaceful place for Sapporo citizens. The best time to see the cherry blossoms is about late April to mid May. The best time to see the wisteria blooms is about late May to early June. The best time to see the fall foliage is about from mid October to late October. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge.
Park Guide Brochure

The vast park is divinded into divided into 2 parts, North Area and South Area by a road. The North Area has the Canal, Wall Fountain, Rows of Poplar Trees, Lawn Area, Sunk Garden, Big Pergola, Flower and Tree Garden, Szekely Square, baseball grounds, a soccer field, a tennis court, Tower of Sprouting Shoot (めばえの塔), Lookout Lounge, Rest Station, public restrooms, a parking lot, Forest of Wild Bird (野鳥の森), Forest of Memorial Tree (記念樹の森), Forest of Hometown (ふるさとの森), Forest for Gatherings (つどいの森) and Forest of Broad-leaved Trees (広葉樹の森), and the South Area has a park golf course, Barbecue Area, Wide Grass Area and Hill for Splendid Views (ひろびろ原っぱ＆ながめの丘), Swampy Biotope (湿地ビオトープ), public restrooms and a parking lot.

Look of Maeda Forest Park

As for the beautiful rows of the Poplar Trees, about 240 poplar trees are planted in 4 rows along the canal. Those make visitors feel a typical scenery of Hokkaido, so famous Japanese television drama series "Massan (マッサン)" in 2014 used here as a shooting place. In addition, a music video of JKT48 So Long! used the canal as a shooting place, too. By the way, some events are held, and Maeda Forest Park Wisteria Festival (前田森林公園ふじまつり) is held between 2days in early June.

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

Cherry Blossoms of Hokkaido

Cherry blossoms begin to bloom from late April in Hokkaido. The cherry blossoms in the Southern Hokkaido including Hakodate begin to bloom from late April, and in case of late blooming, the cherry blossoms in the Eastern Hokkaido and the Northern Hokkaido seem to bloom in early June. The cherry blossoms in Honshu (the main island of Japan) begin to bloom from mid March, and tourists can enjoy the cherry blossoms until too late season. If everybody forget to see the cherry blossoms in the Honshu, please visit the Hokkaido to savor the cherry blossoms. Article is here