Added: 12/31/2005 |
Clock tower ? the starting point for Sapporo entertainment tourThe Clock Tower, located close to the Odori station, is a symbol of Sapporo, being the oldest standing building in the modern city. The Clock Tower was constructed in 1878 for the Sapporo Agricultural College, today's Hokkaido University. The tour of the Clock Tower is a retrospective to its history and no visit to Sapporo is complete without taking a photo of the tower. However, from recently the Clock Tower has been rated as Japan's third "most disappointing" tourist attraction. Hence, the tower is only a starting point for your entertainment tour of this vibrant and lovely city.
It is captivating to see the Hwaseong Fortress, designated as a World Heritage Site in 1997. The construction of this mighty fortress with forty-one facilities (originally it had forty-eight facilities) along its perimeter began in 1794 and nearly four hundred thousand workers from all over the country took part in the project. The main gate of the fortress is made out of snow.
Winter is the best time to visit Sapporo, since you can participate in Sapporo Snow Festival, held during the first week of February. The Festival is the greatest Sapporo event, known for the ice sculpture competition, in which the artists from around the world take part. The goal of each artist is to create the largest and the most artistic sculpture from ice and snow. During this major festival, the city is booked out; therefore, it is necessary to make preliminary reservations.
The other important events include the games of the Basketball World Championship 2006 and the first FIS Nordic skiing World Championships 2007 in Asia.
It will also be quite entertaining to visit the Ishiwa Chocolate Factory that has a fun tour, beginning with a view of the actual chocolate making floor and ending with a random toy museum. In addition, there are two restaurants, a souvenir store and an hourly robot show.
The Susukino area to the south of the centre is one of Japan's largest nightlife and entertainment districts, while the finest place to have a stroll or to take a break between entertainment tours of Sapporo is the Botanic Garden. The garden is situated close to the city center and belongs to Hokkaido University. Established in 1886, the Botanic Garden preserves a small part of the forest that formerly covered the Ishikari Plain. Another tranquil and quiet place to take a walk is the Odori Park.
Children will have fun at viewing many animals, such as camels, chimpanzee, elephants and lions at the Maruyama Zoo. The Zoo is set in spectacular surroundings of the Maruyama Park that is a very serene place, as it located a million miles away from the buzz of the city.
Tanuki Koji is an ultimate place for shopping. The shopping arcade stretches for seven blocks, where you can find everything and anything. The two blocks on each side of the arcade are occupied with boutiques.
As Sapporo is famous for its beer, it is vital to visit Sapporo Beer Museum. The museum offers guided tours, covering the history of beer in Japan and the process of brewing. At the end of the tour, the visitors taste different beers for a small fee.
Finish your entertaining tour to Sapporo with going to the Auto Resort Takino in Sapporo's Minami-ku (South Ward) with a suburban campground, open from April to November.
As you see, in addition to the Clock tower, Sapporo grants a visitor many diverse entertainments and much amusement.
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