[Moerenuma Park in Sapporo] Engraving Earth and Cherry Blossoms Can Be Enjoyed in Children's Playground

Moerenuma Park

Moerenuma Park (モエレ沼公園) is a comprehensive park in Higashi ward, Sapporo city. Moerenuma is a marsh, and Moere Marsh (モエレ沼) is a crescentic lake caused by river-improvement of Ishikari River (石狩川), and is named after “A slow‐flowing river” in Ainu language. The Moere Marsh used to be a waste disposal site, and it was developed as the park, and the park was established in 1998. Mr. Isamu Noguchi, a famous sculptor, designed the park, and facilities are built to harmonize nature with artifacts at the grounds of 1,888,000 m2. He reflected an image of engraving grounds. This park got the Good Design Award in 2002. Cheery blossoms can be enjoyed in a spring, playing in the water can be enjoyed in a summer, fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, and cross country skiing and snow sled can be enjoyed in a winter, and the park is well-known as a peaceful place for Sapporo citizens. The best time to see the cherry blossoms is about early May. 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.

Movie of Moerenuma Park

Japanese film “Leonie” that illustrates life of Ms. Leonie Gilmour, mother of the Isamu Noguchi, and Music Video “Supernova Express 2016” of Glay, a famous Japanese rock band, and album “Kazeyomi (かぜよみ)” of Ms. Maaya Sakamoto, a famous Japanese voice actress, used the Moerenuma Park as a shooting place. Some events are held in the the Moerenuma Park. Mt. Moere Snow Sled Tournament (モエレ山爆走そり大会) is held only in a day, mid February, and Sapporo Running Festival (札幌ランニングフェスティバル) is held only in a day, late May, and Hokkaido Endurance Relay Race of City Bike (HOKKAIDO　ママチャリ耐久リレー大会) is held only in a day, late June, and Moerenuma Artistic Fireworks (モエレ沼芸術花火) is held only in a day, early September.

Movie of Leonie

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. Read More

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. Read More

List of Facilities

Forest of Cherry Trees (サクラの森), Moere Beach (モエレビーチ), Play Mountain (プレイマウンテン), Tetra Mound (テトラマウンド), Music Shell (ミュージックシェル), Aqua Plaza and Canal (アクアプラザとカナール), Sea Fountain (海の噴水), Glass Pyramid “HIDAMARI”, an athletic field, an outdoor stage, Mt. Moere (モエレ山), a baseball ground, a field house, a tennis court, 4 parking lots and Rent-a-Cycle are built at the site. The site is large, so I suppose that it takes about 2 hours to look around on foot. In case of walking, visitors may get tired very much. So a lot of the visitors ride the rental bikes to look around. In the winter, a cross country ski, snow shoes, a snow sled and rain boots can be rented.

Atmosphere of Moerenuma Park Can Be Watched on Youtube

Moive of Moerenuma Park

Glass Pyramid

The Glass Pyramid “HIDAMARI” is 3-storey glass building with 32 m in heigh, and the appearance is outstanding. An atrium, Restraunt “L’enfant qui rêve” and a shop are on the 1st floor, and a soft serve ice cream is sold at the shop. An atrium and an exhibition hall are on the 2nd floor, and Isamu Noguchi Gallery is on the 3rd floor. A rooftop is an observation deck. Sun-soaked atriums are very warm, so I often see family visitors eating lunch. Some events such as a concert are held on weekends.

Mt. Moere

The Mt. Moere of 62 m elevation is the largest art work made from non-burnable refuse in the park, and has 5 trailheads to the mountaintop. I think that it is easy to go up the mountain. The site of the park and Sapporo city area can be viewed from an observation deck at the mountaintop. The views are so good. In the winter, children play the snow sleds.

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Play Mountain

The Play Mountain is one of the two greatest mountains together with the Mt. Moere in the park. The elevation is 37 m, and it is lower than the Mt. Moere. But views are as good as the views from the Mt. Moere. It is easy to walk because gentle 99 steps are built on the mountain. An observation deck is built on the mountaintop, so visitors take a photo as they like. The mountain covered with green grass and the white steps are photogenic, so it is fun to take a photo from both of upper or lower.

Aqua Plaza and Canal

The Aqua Plaza is a stone square with water. Water flow from a fountain of about 1.7 m tall, and collects in the canal. Water depth of the canal is 20-40 cm, and it is shallow, so children play relatively safely in the water. An operating period is from June to late September.

Sea Fountain

The Sea Fountain is a fountain at a circular larch forest. The diameter of the fountain is 48 m. It is called “A moving water sculpture”, and they perform Long Program for 40 minutes and Short Program for 15 minutes several times a day. The water can reach 25 m at the maximum height, so it is very impressive. The fountain is lit up in the evening, too. An operating period is from late April to late October.

Forest of Cherry Trees

About 1,900 cherry trees such as Yezo Mountain Cherry Tree (エゾヤマザクラ), Korean Hill Cherry Tree (カスミザクラ) and Chishima Cherry Tree (チシマザクラ) are planted at the Forest of Cherry Trees. This place is famous as a good place to see the cherry blossoms in the Sapporo, and around here turns into pink world in the spring. 7 playground equipment zones are built, too, and children can play in the cherry blossoms. In the cherry blossom season, Guided tours of the cherry blossoms is held.

List of Events

The events such as the Mt. Moere Snow Sled Tournament, the Sapporo Running Festival, the Hokkaido Endurance Relay Race of City Bike and the Moerenuma Artistic Fireworks are held. The Moerenuma Artistic Fireworks is charged.

Movie of Moerenuma Artistic Fireworks

Movie of Mt. Moere Snow Sled Tournament

Movie of Hokkaido Endurance Relay Race of City Bike

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Higashi Ward. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

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Hotel Yukita(ホテルユキタ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Moere Nature Onsen Tamayura-no-Mori(モエレ天然温泉たまゆらの杜)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Urban Hotel Maruko Sapporo(アーバンホテルマルコー札幌)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
SAKURA207(SAKURA207)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pirka Sapporo(ピリカ Sapporo)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten