Sports tourism in Sapporo! Enjoy an exciting game of curling with everyone.

Curling, or “chess on ice,” is a popular team sport for all ages and genders.

Hokkaido has no shortage of year round venues dedicated to curling, which even attract visitors from other prefectures to practice. The Hokkaido Bank Curling Stadium in Sapporo offers free lessons for beginners, enabling visitors to enjoy a mini game of curling. Be sure to give curling a try on your next visit!

Hokkaido is the place to be for curling, with a large number of indoor curling facilities, including facilities in Sapporo.

Curling is a team sport in which teams compete to get the highest score by throwing a stone towards a target (called the house) that is 40 meters away on a flat sheet of ice. The strategic placement of the stone is the key to determining the success of a team; therefore the sport is also referred to as “chess on ice.” Hokkaido has a large number of year round curling rinks, where many curling teams practice and compete. It is also home to many upcoming Olympic athletes. In Sapporo, the Hokkaido Bank Curling Stadium is a dedicated curling rink where instructors offer 15-minute free lessons for beginners to enjoy a mini game. Once you understand the rules, it will be even more fun to watch the sport. Don’t miss out on discovering the charm of curling in Sapporo!

Let’s try out a mini game in a free lesson designed for beginners to curling.

Here you will find information on the free lessons for beginners offered by instructors of the Sapporo Curling Association. The Sapporo Curling Association includes several members who are former Olympic athletes and athletes that compete internationally, and their lessons provide a great opportunity to observe professional players showing off their skills. When making your reservation, be sure to mention you are a beginner.

Clothing

Wear a comfortable outfit. Temperature at the curling rink is maintained at 7 degrees Celsius, so be sure to bring a long sleeve shirt, long trousers, and a jacket if you go in the summer.

Fees

The fee is ¥1,500 per sheet per hour (reservations required)

Rental of one set of curling equipment (shoes, slider, broom) is ¥100 per use per person

Get used to the ice

Hold the broom, put the cover on in order to slide on one foot, and then move around the ice. After this, first practice sliding on the ice without the stone. Maintaining good balance is harder than it looks!

Throw the stone

Remember the proper body position and practice throwing while aiming at a target.

Sweep the broom

By rubbing the surface, the ice can be melted with heat friction in order to adjust the direction and speed of the stone’s movement. Sweeping requires quite a bit of effort and can be the most physically demanding part of curling. One of the best parts of watching curling is the powerful sweeping by the players and loud cheering by the audience.