
- April 16th, 2016
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[Odori Park in Sapporo] Full of Events and Green Plants
CONTENTS
- Odori Park
- List of Odori Park Tourist Attractions
- List of Events in Odori Park
- List of Activities
- Buffet
- Sapporo One-Day Bus Tours
- Sightseeing Taxi
- Canoe Tour
- Outdoor Activities
- Horse Trekking and Horseback Riding
- Japanese Kimono Rental and Lolita Fashion
- Ninja Experience, Calligraphy Experience and Tea Ceremony Experience
- Pottery Experience and Craft Experience
- Flower Arrangement
- Airsoft
- Skiing and Cross-country Skiing
- List of Accommodations
Odori Park
Odori Park (大通公園) is in the very center of Sapporo city, and is located between Sapporo Station and Susukino. Offices and commercial facilities are built around the park, and it is just at very center of the big city. But 92 types 4,700 trees such as lilac, Japanese elm and cherry tree are planted, and fountains and flower beds are built, so the park is well-known as a place of relief for Sapporo citizens as well as tourists. The park has been chosen as one of The 100 Best Roads in Japan (日本の道100選), Japanese City Park Best 100 (日本の都市公園100選), The 100 Best Townscapes (都市景観100選) and Japan's Top 100 Historical Parks (日本の歴史公園100選), so it is one of the most famous parks in Japan.




A road named "Odori (* It means a large street in Japanese)" with 105 m width was built in 1871. Flowers were planted in 1875, flower beds were built by Mr. Jiro Ogawa (小川二郎) in 1907, and it is an origin of the Odori Park. The park with 65 m width stretches 1.5 km from east to west at present, Sapporo TV Tower (テレビ塔), a symbol of the Sapporo, is built at the easternmost tip of the Odori Park, and Sapporo Shiryokan (札幌市資料館 * a former court house) is built at the westernmost tip of the Odori Park.



Various events use the Odori Park as a venue, and I suppose some kind of events are held throughout the year. Famous evets are Sapporo Snow Festival (札幌雪まつり) from early February to mid February, Sapporo Lilac Festival (さっぽろライラックまつり) in late May, YOSAKOI Soran Festival (YOSAKOIソーラン祭り) in early June, Flower Fest (花フェスタ) from late June to early July, SAPPORO CITY JAZZ from early July to early August, Sapporo Odori Beer Garden (さっぽろ大通ビアガーデン) from late July to mid August, Sapporo Autumn Fest (さっぽろオータムフェスト) from early September to late September and German Christmas Market (ュンヘンクリスマス市) and Sapporo White Illumination (ホワイトイルミネーション) from late November to late December. In addition, the park is famous as a beauty spot for fall foliage, too.






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

List of Odori Park Tourist Attractions
Odori Park is roughly divided into 5 zones, International Exchange Zone (国際交流ゾーン * West 1-Chome and West 2-Chome) near the Sapporo TV Tower, Water and Light Zone (水と光のゾーン * West 3-Chome, West 4-Chome and West 5-Chome) with fountains, Play and Event Zone (遊び・イベントゾーン * West 6-Chome, West 7-Chome, West 8-Chome and West 9-Chome) with an outdoor stage, History and Culture Zone (建つ歴史・文化ゾーン * West 10-Chome and West 11-Chome) with sculptures, Sunk Garden Zone (サンクガーデンゾーン * West 12-Chome) near the Sapporo Shiryokan.
Odori Park
The International Exchange Zone at the easternmost tip of the Odori Park has the Sapporo TV Tower, Wall Fountain (壁泉), Water Gauge Tower (水位表示塔), Benson Fountain (ベンソンの水飲み) and sculptures. The zone is at the foot of the TV Tower, so it looks very large. By the way, the Benson Fountain is a bronze drinking fountain presented by Portland City in America, a friendship town of the Sapporo city.


The Water and Light Zone across Sapporo Ekimae-dori Street (札幌駅前通り) has Seionhi (聖恩碑 * a Monument of Thanks to Emperor Showa), fountains, a tourist information center, a smoking area and sculptures. In a summer, tables and chairs are set around 2 fountains, and visitors can take a break or eat a soft serve ice cream or drink a beer. In addition, grilled corn seasoned soy sauce or boiled corn are sold at a corn wagon, and those are famous as the Odori Park speciality food. By the way, around here is a photogenic place, so I think that it is pleasure to find the best angle.









The Play and Event Zone has a sundial, a fountain, Information Center and Official Shop, Black Slide Mantra, an outdoor stage, Play Slope and a splash pad. The fountain and playground equipments are built, so family visitors come to play. Here is a children's playground for the Sapporo citizens and tourists.






The History and Culture Zone across Ishiyama street (石山通り) has Maibaum Sapporo (マイバウム), a fountain, an universal public restroomu and sculptures. The Maibaum is a decoration pole of a festival in Germany, and was presented by Munich city, a friendship town of the Sapporo city. The height is 25 m.

The Sunk Garden Zone at the westernmost tip of the Odori Park has the Sapporo Shiryokan, a rose garden, a waterway and a sculpture. About 55 types of the rose are planted, sceneries of a stone building or the TV Tower go well with the rose, and here is a photogenic place. The rose with the waterway and Young Lady Statue (若い女) reminds me of a residence of a sovereign or nobleman in Europe.



Atmosphere of Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower Can Be Watched on Youtube
Moive of Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower
Admission fee | Free of charge |
---|---|
Parking lot | Pay parking is provided |
Business hour | Open 24 hours |
Regular closing day | Open year all round |
Telephone number | +81-11-251-0438 |
Home page | Home page is here |
Mapcode | 9 492 816*64 |
Sapporo TV Tower
Sapporo TV Tower (札幌テレビ塔) is a tower for broadcasting in the east end of Odori Park, Sapporo city, and was built for TV waves of NHK (日本放送協会) adjacent to the Sapporo TV Tower in 1956. Mr. Tachu Naito (内藤多仲) that designed Tokyo Tower (東京タワー) and Nagoya TV Tower designed the tower. Its height is 147.2 m, and it is well-known as the 2nd highest building in Hokkaido after JR Tower. The tower has been famous as a symbol of the Sapporo since a long time ago, and is one of famous school trip spots. About 360,000 tourists come. Read More

Sapporo Shiryokan (Former Sapporo Court of Appeals)
Sapporo Shiryokan is a former court house at the west end of the Odori Park, and is a stone house built in 1926, and has been designed as a registered tangible cultural property. Admission free. Visitors can see an old criminal court. A cafe and galleries are at the building, too, and a photo exhibition or an one‐man exhibition are held, too. By the way, the rose garden are maintained in front of the building. The garden is beautiful, and the visitors can relax.










Admission fee | Free of charge |
---|---|
Parking lot | Pay parking is provided |
Business hour | 09:00-19:30 |
Regular closing day | Monday and Year-end and New Year holidays |
Telephone number | +81-11-251-0731 |
Home page | Home page is here |
Mapcode | 9 490 688*86 |
List of Events in Odori Park
Nothging is held in January, Sapporo Snow Festival (札幌雪まつり) is held in February, Playing on a sled is held from the February to March, Nothing is held in April, Sapporo Ramen Show (札幌ラーメンショー), Sapporo Lilac Festival (札幌ライラックまつり), Odori Nigiwai Fest (大通地区にぎわいフェスタ) are held in May, Yosakoi Soran Festival (YOSAKOIソーラン祭り), Sapporo Flower Festival (花フェスタ), Fair Trade Festival (フェアトレードフェスタ) and Odori Park Rose Festival (大通公園バラフェスタ) are held in June, Sapporo Summer Festival (札幌夏まつり) and Sapporo Odori Beer Garden (さっぽろ大通ビアガーデン) are held from July to August, Hokkaido Bon Festival (北海盆踊り) and Hokkaido Marathon (北海道マラソン) are held in the August, Sapporo Autumn Fest (オータムフェスト) is held in September, Nothing is held in October, and German Christmas Market (ミュンヘンクリスマス市) and Sapporo White Illumination (ホワイトイルミネーション) are held from November to December. My visited events are as follows.
Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo Snow Festival (札幌雪まつり) is a snow event held in Sapporo city, and has been held since 1950, and the biggest snow festival event in Hokkaido, and one of 3 major snow festivals in the world together with Québec Winter Carnival in Canada and Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China. Open period is only about one week in early February, and more than 2 million people visit here during the time. In the daytime, snow sculptures look only white, but those turn into colourful themselves according to illumination or projection mapping in the evening, and more and more tourists gather. Concerts and jumping performance of snowboarding are held, too, and the tourists get excited. By the way, the Sapporo is very cold in the February, so you had better wear a warm outfit. Especially, you had better wear a warm outfit carefully in the evening. Read More

Yosakoi Soran Festival
Yosakoi Soran Festival (YOSAKOIソーラン祭り) in Sapporo is a dance event mixed "Yosakoi Festival (よさこい祭)" in Kochi with a song of the herring fishing "Soran Bushi (ソーラン節 * Folk Tune Interjected as the Refrain of Soran)" familiar to Hokkaido people. Mr. Gaku Hasegawa (長谷川岳) was moved by the vibtrant Yosakoi Festival in the Kochi, and planned and designed the same dance event in the Hokkaido. The event was held for the first time in 1992, and audience was about 20,000. But it becomes a big event that about 2 million tourists visit the Sapporo at present. Open period is early June, and about 300 dance teams dance to win Yosakoi Soran Champion (YOSAKOIソーラン大賞) during 5 days in about 20 venues including Odori Park (大通公園), a main venue, in the Sapporo. Read More

Sapporo Lilac Festival
Sapporo Lilac Festival is held from mid May to late May at Odori Park. The lilac was ever said to be a tree of the Sapporo, and is a familiar tree for the Sapporo citizen. About 400 lilac trees are planted at the park, and blossoms are in full bloom in mid May. Purple blossoms bloom as well as Red blossoms and white blossoms, and Tourists can enjoy eating and drinking, too. Lilac Music festival (ライラック音楽祭) and Ramen Show (ラーメンショー) is held at the same time, too.
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Atmosphere of Lilac Festival Can Be Watched on Youtube
Moive of Lilac Festival
Sapporo Odori Beer Garden
Sapporo Odori Beer Garden is a summer event held from mid July to mid August, and is started in 1959. 4 major Japanese beer companies (Kirin Beer, Asahi Beer, Suntory and Sapporo Beer) gather in the Odori Park, and each beer companies set up beer garden venues, and sell their beers and dishes. Except Japanese beer, World's Beer Square (世界のビール広場) and Sapporo Germany Village (札幌ドイツ村) are held, too, and visitors can savor world beer. The total number of seats is 13,000 seats, too, and the Sapporo Odori Beer Garden is the largest beer garden in Japan. Admission free. But there are charged for drinking and eating.














Odori Park with Fall Foliage
The Odori Park is famous as a beauty spot for the fall foliage, too. 92 types of 4700 trees such as cherry trees, Japanese zelkova trees, ginkgo trees and maple trees are planted. Not only tourists but also sapporo people feel like taking a photo, and a lot of people come to enjoy the fall foliage. The best time to see is from early October to mid October.
















German Christmas Market and Sapporo White Illumination
German Christmas Market and Sapporo White Illumination are held from late November to late December. Those are different events, but tourists can enjoy 2 events at the same time because those are held at about the same time. The Sapporo White Illumination is in particular popular, and the tourists can watch at a beautiful night scenery. Crystal River and Spark Fountain are amazing.





The Sapporo White Illumination is an illumination event strated in 1981, and has some venues in the Sapporo, and the Odori Park is a main venue. Blue, Yellow, White LED and illumination of the TV Tower are beautiful, so the event is suitable for couples.


















Atmosphere of German Christmas Market and Sapporo White Illumination Can Be Watched on Youtube
Moive of German Christmas Market and Sapporo White Illumination
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Chuo Ward. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
A page of Sapporo is here
Sapporo
A page of Hokkaido Fall Foliage is here
Hokkaido Fall Foliage
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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