Sapporo City “Medical Communication Hotline ” (medical support for foreign tourists)
The City of Sapporo provides a Medical Communication Hotline to support foreign residents, including tourists, when they visit medical institutions.
After registering the necessary information via the application form or phone call, a representative will make an appointment at the hospital and provide an interpreter on the day of the visit. This service is free of charge and does not require registration, so please take advantage of this service for emergency support at accommodations and tourist facilities.
■Contents of services ・Interpreter operators will interpret reservations and inquiries to hospitals in Sapporo. ・Telephone interpretation service is available when you visit a hospital. ・Volunteer interpreters in English or Chinese can accompany you to the hospital. ※This service is available only for hospitals in Sapporo City.
The “National Highway 230 Outing Map” created by the National Highway 230 Collaborative Road Management Study Group has been updated. Please check below.
【For inquiries, please contact:】 Hokkaido Development Bureau Sapporo Development and Construction Department TEL: 011-611-0111
Sapporo and Shakotan Visit Campaign (The campaign duration has been extended until October 31th, 2023!)
Check in with your smartphone to receive a gift!
◆Event Date
Sep.12th (Tue) – Oct.31th (Tue), 2023
*We have extended the duration.
◆Gift Check Point
Check in with your smartphone at each location to receive a gift!
Hokkaido Sapporo Tourist Information Center 【Address】JR Sapporo West Concourse, Kita 6-jyo Nishi 4-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, at the Hokkaido Sapporo Food & Tourism Information Center 【Business Hours】8:30 to 20:00 ★Gift 100 yen discount coupon for Shakotan Blend Coffee (Available for use at the Hokkaido Sapporo Tourist Information Center and Shakotan Produce Market) 【Pickup Location】Hokkaido Sapporo Tourist Information Center
Kamui Banya 【Address】Kamui Banya Restaurant, 92 kozakicho Shakotan, Shakotan District, Hokkaido 【Business Hours】11:00 to 17:00 【Parking】Available ★Gift Arrival certificate Folding fan *limited to the first 20 people 【Pickup Location】Shakotan Gift Shop and Kamui Banya Restaurant
Shakotan Sightseeing Association 【Address】Funama-380-6 Bikunicho, Shakotan, Shakotan District, at the Shakotan Tourism Center 【Business Hours】8:00 to 17:00 【Parking】Available ★Gift Arrival certificate Blue soft serve ice cream *limited to the first 20 people 【Pickup Location】Shakotan Sightseeing Association
Shokudo Rinkou 【Address】209 Irikachō, Shakotan, Shakotan District, Hokkaido 【Business Hours】7:00 to 18:00 【Parking】Available ★Gift Arrival certificate Reusable bag *limited to the first 20 people 【Pickup Location】Shokudo Rinko
（2）Go to pick up location and show your smartphone to the staff.
（3）Receive a great gift at each location!
◆Contact us
Shakotan Sightseeing Association 0135-44-3715
The Gem of the North ～Sapporo Media Library
Sapporo, a city where rich nature and urban functionality are in harmony
Sapporo, the host city for the Tokyo Olympic Marathon ,race walk and football, is a city with abundant nature in every season, a comfortable urban environment, and a cultured, sophisticated lifestyle. Residents and visitors are enchanted by Sapporo, with this popular city ranked as one of the top 3 most attractive cities in Japan.
●Aug.7(Sat) 7:00～ Women’s Final ＠ Sapporo Odori Park
●Aug.8(Sun) 7:00～ Men’s Final ＠ Sapporo Odori Park
The marathon course is a mostly flat, irregular circuit course that starts and finishes at Odori Park in the city center, and includes sightseeing spots throughout Sapporo. After the start, it makes a large 20km north to south lap around Odori Park, and then two 10 km laps of the north side of the course including Hokkaido University. Then, return to Odori Park to finish the race.
【Odori Park】An urban oasis surrounded by 5,000 trees in the city center
Odori Park, the start-finish point of the Marathon, is an urban oasis home to approximately 5,000 trees that stretches 1.5km east to west through the city center. Various events, such as the world-famous Sapporo Snow Festival, are hosted in this park all year round.
【Sapporo Clock Tower】The Clock Tower that continues to mark the history of Sapporo
Just off the course is Sapporo’s most famous tourist spot, the Sapporo Clock Tower. Built in 1878 as a military drill hall for the Sapporo Agricultural College, the predecessor of Hokkaido University, the clock tower has been used for various purposes over the years, but today, as the oldest existing clock tower in Japan, it rings every hour of the day on the hour in Sapporo.
【Susukino】The largest entertainment district in northern Japan
Athletes will run through the center of Susukino, the largest entertainment district in northern Japan, filled with about 3,500 restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities.
【Nakajima Park】Sapporo’s Historical and Cultural Center
After passing through Susukino, you will come across Nakajima Park, surrounded by rich nature with a different look every season. The park has a Japanese garden with a teahouse and a concert hall that is the pride of Sapporo, making it a cultural center in the city. The runners will continue southward along the park.
【Toyohira River】Sapporo’s mother river where salmon come to spawn
The Toyohira River, known as the river where salmon return to every fall, serves as a valuable example of the harmonious combination of rich nature and urban functionality. The riverside path is also a popular running course for local runners.
【Soseigawa-dori Avenue】Highway that runs north-south through the city center
Soseigawa-dori, which runs north to south through the city center, is a 3-kilometer long straight road. In the median strip, there is an 820-meter-long promenade with art works, making it a place of relaxation like an open-air museum.
【Sapporo TV Tower】Sapporo’s Landmark Tower
The Sapporo TV Tower is a 147.2m tall radio tower built in 1956 to mark the start of TV broadcasting in Sapporo. From the observation deck, which is about 90 meters off the ground, you can enjoy a spectacular view of Odori Park, which changes its appearance with each season and event, making it a popular tourist attraction in Sapporo.
【Hokkaido University】National University with a beautiful verdant campus
First opened in 1876 as the Sapporo Agricultural College, Hokkaido University is a national university with a long history. Athletes will run in the shade of trees such as elm and ginkgo while looking at the historic buildings and museums that still exist today on the vast and beautiful campus, providing them with the best competition environment.
【Former Hokkaido Government Office Building】A symbol of Hokkaido popular as a tourist spot
A brick building built in 1888 as the government office of Hokkaido, the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building is a symbol of Hokkaido that has been designated as a national important cultural property. This point, where athletes will run against the backdrop of the red brick, will be one of the main spots for Sapporo scenery in the course. After this, runners will head to the finish point at Odori Park.
Race Walk
●Aug.5(Thu) 16:30～ Men’s 20km Final ＠ Sapporo Odori Park
●Aug.6(Fri) 5:30～ Men’s 50km Final ＠ Sapporo Odori Park
●Aug.6(Fri) 16:30～ Women’s 20km Final ＠ Sapporo Odori Park
The race walk will go around main street “Ekimae-dori”, the face of Sapporo. The race will be held in the city center where Sapporo’s charms are concentrated, such as areas lined with commercial facilities and office buildings, Odori Park filled with greenery, and the lively entertainment district, Susukino.
Marathon and Race Walk Course Introduction
Football
The Sapporo Dome, the venue of football competition in Sapporo, serves as a year-round, all-purpose space for sporting and various events. The world’s first “special hovering technology” allows natural and artificial turf to be easily interchanged to accommodate a variety of large-scale of events, such as Rugby World Cup 2019TM and the 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games. It is also home to a pro football team and a pro baseball team.
Sapporo Olympic Winter Games (1972)
We follow the trajectory of the Sapporo Olympic Winter Games. The Olympic facilities inside Sapporo city retain the atmosphere of the time.
The Sapporo Olympics (The 11th Winter Olympiad) was held from February 3 to 13, 1972. Events were organized in and around Sapporo city, including Makomanai Park, where the opening and closing ceremonies were staged, and the atmosphere of that time remains today all through the seasons.
Please be sure to read the following important information.
Copyrights for the picture files belong to the city of Sapporo. Please observe the following guidelines when using the images.
･Image use is limited to that which positively contributes to the tourism promotion of Sapporo. ･Picture files can be used for commercial or individual use. ･There is no application procedure required for use, and credit does not need to be given. ･Commercial use of images as products (photographic collections or libraries, picture postcards, etc.) is prohibited. ･Redistribution of images is prohibited.
Promotional Video＆Free Video Material
Promotional Video
The Capital Of The North (All Seasons vers.)
The Capital Of The North (Summer vers.)
The Capital Of The North (Winter vers.)
Free Video Material
If you wish to use the following video materials, please submit the application form by e-mail. After that, we will e-mail back the download URL to you.
Submission destination：Sports Affairs Bureau , City of Sapporo e-mail address : t-2020(at)city.sapporo.jp
※Change e-mail address above from (at) to @ before sending it. This helps us with spam.
Town Scape
Helicopter Shot
Odori Park
Sapporo Clock Tower
Nakajima Park
Former Hokkaido Government Office Building
Sapporo Dome
Notice of Hokkaido-Sapporo Tourist Information Center (Hokkaido-Sapporo “Food and Tourism” Information Center) Reopening
The Hokkaido-Sapporo Tourist Information Center has been closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but from Monday, June 1, for the time being, services will be resuming with reduced hours. Some opening hours for the shops in the “Food and Tourism” Information Center will also change.
【Opening hours】 until further notice 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM (including weekends)
【Opening hours for shops in the “Food and Tourism” Information Center】 until further notice
Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Weekends: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM)
CAFÉ NORTE Sapporo 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Weekends: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM)
Genki Shop Iko~ru 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (closed on weekends) until June 7, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (open on weekends) from June 8 onwards
JR Information Desk 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM (no changes)
※1. These details are subject to change depending on the situation. ※2. These changes will be relayed via announcements posted at the “Food and Tourism” Information Center’s entrance and the Tourist Information Center’s website, as well as via digital signage throughout the Information Center.
Closing information for tourist facilities in Sapporo as of March 18th, 2020
As of 11:00 PM on March 18th, 2020
This is information about temporary facility closures and changes to opening hours to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus. Please check the official website for each facility for the latest information. ※Periods are subject to change
Moerenuma Park (Glass Pyramid) Closed from Sunday, March 1st to Thursday, March 31th
Mount Moiwa Ropeway Opening hours from March 3 – 15 will be changed to 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM, with the last cable car up at 9:30 PM. ※The ropeway will be closed March 16th to April 24th for maintenance.
Sapporo Beer Museum Closed from Tuesday, February 25th until further notice
Takino Suzuran Hillside National Park Closed from Tuesday, March 3rd to Sunday, March 22th
Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill Closed from Monday, March 2nd to Thursday, March 31th
Sapporo TV Tower Closed from Monday, March 2nd to Thursday, March 31th ※Resumed business from March 20 for the 1st to 3rd floor
Sapporo Maruyama Zoo Closed from Sunday, March 1st to Thursday, March 31th
Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium (Observation Deck lift and Sapporo Olympic Museum) Closed from Sunday, March 1st to Thursday, March 31th
Shiroi Koibito Park Closed from Saturday, February 25th to Tuesday, March 31th
Historical Village of Hokkaido Closed from Saturday, February 25th to Thursday, March 31th
Hokkaido Museum Closed from Saturday, February 25th to Thursday, March 31th
Sapporo Smile Promo Video on Seasonal Charm Now Available
The City of Sapporo is carrying out a city promotion campaign on the theme of “smiles”. This video is packed with seasonal Sapporo charms such as rich nature and fun events.
【For safe travels in Japan】Guide for when you are feeling ill
to prepare for this,we have created a website to help you receive medeical care in Japan. Please add it to your bookmarks to use in the event of an emergency.
City music festival “NoMaps MUSIC PARTY” will be entrance free for foreign visitors and residence.
NoMaps MUSIC FESTIVAL is one of the best music festivals in Sapporo, which will be held on October 12, Saturday at six venues located around the central city. The festival features 36 live acts playing variety of genres as dance, electronic, hip hop, R&B, rock, idol(girl pop band) etc. through day and night.
As part of Sapporo city tourism promotion program, this event is admission free for foreign visitors and also residents. NoMaps committee, who organizes this festival, sees that this trial will be a good opportunity to provide evening entertainment but to promote Japanese music to foreign people.
To attend the festival, you need to pick up free festival wristbands at pick-up spots: KRAPS HALL and COLONY. Fore more information, take a look at the event’s flyer. NoMaps MUSIC PARTY
Regarding the temporary closure of the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building for renovations
The Former Hokkaido Government Office Building is closing temporarily from October 1st, 2019 for renovations.
Okurayama Observatory Lift to extend period for special nighttime business hours
At Okurayama, a certified Japan Night View Heritage site, the observation deck lift was operating on specially extended nighttime business hours from July 26th to September 30th, and in accordance with the Late Night Sapporo campaign, we will be extending the period for these nighttime hours as shown below.
〇Period: October 1st – 31st, 2019 〇Hours: 8:30 – 20:00 (Lift normally closes at 18:00) ※Tickets will be sold until 19:45. 〇Price: Adults: 500 yen / Children: 300 yen ※Tickets come with coupon for the Late Night Sapporo campaign.
Sapporo Night Tourism Service Website “Sapporo Night Package” is now open
For people planning to stay in Sapporo, there is beneficial information!
Benefits are available on the website “Sapporo Night Package” providing the information of night life in Sapporo such as night bars, restaurants and nightclubs. (excluding some establishments)
When using benefits, please show the page screen on your electronics devices.
