Ishiyama Open Space

A quarry for Sapporo nanseki [soft stone] revitalized as a home for unique land art pieces.

The Ishiyama area in the Minami-ku of Sapporo was formerly known for producing Sapporo nanseki, which was used as a building material. Ishiyama Open Space is a park that was formerly a quarry for Sapporo nanseki. It is located along National Road 453, which leads to Lake Shikotsu, and divided into North and South blocks. The North block features an observation terrace and tennis court (reservations and fee required) and the South block is surrounded by rocks and features a unique landscape. The South block includes unique artworks, such as Negative Mound, which resembles a coliseum made exclusively with rocks, and Gogo no oka [afternoon hill], all of which were made by the art group Cinq. Ishiyama Ryokuchi is an artistically remarkable facility that was included in Furusato bunka hyakusen [100 selected local cultural sites] .