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| Sapporo |
Sapporo in western Hokkaido is divided up in a grid pattern, and is the largest city on the island. Odori Avenue Park stretches from east to west in the center of the city, and is a symbol of the city - full of art objects, fountains, lilac and acacia plants and lots of flowerbeds. To the north stand trading companies, financial institutions and local government offices, while to the south is a large underground shopping mall, which is always busy as the city's main shopping center. It is directly connected to Sapporo Station, which is the transport hub for all Hokkaido and is the place to board JR Lines, the subway, and both local and tourist buses.
The city contains many essential sights, such as the Sapporo City Clock, which has been marking time for over a century; the old Hokkaido government building, a neo-baroque building known as "Red Brick" that is lit up after dark; and the poplars outside Hokkaido University (formerly the Hokkaido Agricultural College).
Odori Avenue Park is more than 1,400 meters long. In summer it is full of beer gardens, while in winter it forms the location for the Yuki-matsuri (snow festival) Festival. During the Snow Festival, this big park is lined with magnificent snow statues and beautiful ice statues.
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| Otaru |
The retro town and the canal create a nostalgic mood.
Otaru is situated in the western part of Hokkaido, facing Ishikari-wan Bay. It has developed and prospered as "the sea entrance of Hokkaido" over the last 100 years and it has gained the nickname "Wall Street of the north." The glassworks shops, coffee shops, restaurants and shopping malls along the canal have been converted from stone-built or brick-built warehouses, which were used for storage when the canal was crowded with jostling barges in former flourishing days of commerce. When night falls, oil lamps on the cobbled streets are lit. The town gently evokes a nostalgic mood.
Otaru's nickname is "the town of hills" as there are so many hills including Jigoku-zaka (the hill from hell) - a very steep slope - and the long-winding Funami-zaka. Mt. Tengu-yama that towers behind Otaru becomes a popular ski resort in winter. There is an observation point on Mt. Tengu-yama and the panoramic view including the whole of Otaru and its port is absolutely wonderful. There are also cable cars to the mountaintop.
The coastal area in the suburb of Otaru belongs to the Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru-Beach Quasi-National Park and beauty spots including Otamoi Cliffs attract many visitors especially in summer.
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| Hakodate |
 Morning market for a rich variety of seafood, City architecture with a harmonious blend of Japanese and Western cultures
Located in the southwest of Hokkaido and facing the Tsugaru Strait, Hakodate developed as a port town for trading with foreign countries at the end of the 19th century, and is a gateway of Hokkaido connected with Honshu (the main island of Japan) Island by the Seikan Tunnel.
At the bay area near the railway station, a morning fair is held where more than 360 stalls packed tightly together attract shoppers with freshly caught squid, scallops, salmon eggs, Atka mackerels, and many other fishes and shellfishes. Five minute's walk will take you to the moored Seikan Strait ferryboat named Mashu Maru Memorial Ship, which used to link Aomori in Honshu with Hokkaido. There is a restaurant and a coffee shop at the bow where you can spend a nice, relaxing time viewing the scenery around the port.
The area around Motomachi maintains a congenial blend of Japanese and Western cultures in the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward, an important cultural property, as well as the old British Consulate with its tea lounge, Haristo Sei-kyokai or the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Higashi-Hongan-ji branch temple. At the waterfront overlooking the Hakodate Port, there is a shopping mall of remodeled red brick warehouses, the Old Kanamori Haberdashery Museum and Hakodate Beer Hall.
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| # All infomation from Japan National Tourist organizations (http://www.jnto.go.jp) |
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