Hokkaido

Japan

Hokkaido (incl. Sapporo)

Hokkaido is an island at Japan's northern extremity, surrounded by sea in all directions. It is an extensive land, accounting for 22% of Japan's total area. Low humidity makes the summers pleasant, while in winter you can enjoy sports like skiing: the island is gaining popularity as a tourist destination throughout the four seasons.

There are lots of places to see where you can enjoy the magnificence of nature to your heart's content: Mt. Daisetsu National Park, which forms the roof of Hokkaido; the still secluded Shiretoko Peninsula; Kushiro marsh, home to many precious living things such as the sacred crane; the Shikotsu Toya National Park, which is full of volcanoes and lakes; and the ever-changing Shakotan coast. Also, there are numerous hot springs, like Noboribetsu, Jouzankei and Sohunkyo, where you can slowly get over the tiredness from your journey.

Hokkaido ("Road for the North Sea") is the adopted child of modern Japan. It has been scarcely 100 years since the Meiji Restoration when mainstream Japanese first considered it a viable place to live. Before that, it was home only to a few vanquished samurai and the ethnically mysterious Ainu, aboriginal tribesmen . This far and mysterious land was called Ezo ("alien people who live in the north"). Today the island's relatively vast interior is the only area of Japan that truly merits the words "untamed wilderness."

The pioneer spirit prevails here, and enterprising young Japanese still come to homestead. Travelers relax here when they are "templed-out" and need a break from the crowds of settled Japan. The ancient trappings of tradition, classic architecture, and unyielding social order are much less important here and much less emphasized.

Hokkaido's toughened people are concerned with survival more than decorum. Beauty is not in the towns, but rather in the mountains behind the towns and on the shores surrounding them. Jury-rigged villages look temporary, as though awaiting bulldozing until permanent structures can be built.

American-style silos and red-painted barns dot the verdant countryside where dairy cattle, still an oddity to most Japanese, munch sweet green grass. The land itself is alive with the restless spirits of Ainu gods who regularly belch volcanic fire, rumble the earth in anger, or send roiling rivers from the snowmelt of inaccessible mountains to bathe the plains below. In Hokkaido bears roam, and in outlying villages you can dine on soba dolloped with chunks of gamey venison or on sizzling platters of fried sea lion with spicy sauces.

And though Sapporo is here, with a population of 1.7 million, fine restaraunts, cushy hotels, and a university, Hokkaido is really the land of the backpacker, wilderness explorer, skier, and trout fisherman. You won't need your business suit or basic black dress, but you will need lug-soled hiking boots and woolen shirts. Rejoice if you get excited by countless trails along rugged coastline or by treks through wildflower fields to the summits of snowcapped mountains that belong to you and soaring eagles alone. Hokkaido is the animated face of prepubescent Japan: play-mussed hair, bright, untamed, and running joyfully into the future.

In winter there is the Sapporo Snow-matsuri Festival and Mombetsu Ice Floes-matsuri Festival. In summer there is the Furano lavender-matsuri festival, as well as port-matsuri festivals in every coastal town to pray for a good catch and safe fishing. Hokkaido boasts over 1,200 festivals and events throughout the year, and has become loved as a place that celebrates the four seasons

The Land and Climate

Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, accounts for 23% of the country's total land mass and is second in size only to Honshu. Hokkaido lies at about the same latitude as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Genoa, Italy, and is bounded by the Sea of Okhotsk on the north, the Pacific to the southeast, and the Sea of Japan on the west. The island encompasses 83,500 square km, including outlying islands dotted around the coastline. At its closest points, Hokkaido is separated from Honshu by only 18 km of the Tsugaru Straits and is just 60 km from Sakhalin Island, a territory claimed by the Soviet Union off the tip of Cape Soya. If you drew a line from east to west, the shape, with a little imagination, could be a bearskin spread-eagled on a cabin floor. The island stretches 400 kilometers from its northern tip at Cape Soya to the southern point of Cape Erimo and 440 kilometers from Nemuro on the east coast to Setana village on the west. The scenically outstanding islands of Rebun and Rishiri lie off Wakkanai in the far north, while Okushiri bobs in the Sea of Japan just west of Setana.

Climate
Hokkaido experiences four distinct seasons like the rest of Japan, but lying so far north it is generally cooler in summer (22° C in July) and cold, snowy and blustery in winter (-5° C average in January). Because of the cool summers, various groups including students, affluent Japanese, and foreigners head for Hokkaido to escape the hot, stuffy climate of southern Honshu. The main tourist flood occurs from June through September, spilling its banks in August. The cherry blossoms burst forth in late May and a variety of colorful wildflowers cover the floors of the deep northern forests all summer long. The fall, October through November, is clear, crisp, and brilliant. The nights are coal black and the stars seem only an arm's length away. Autumn is the least touristed time of the year in Hokkaido and also the most underrated. The days are sunny and nature has one last magnificent fling, turning the leaves into dazzling reds, oranges, and yellows. In winter, Hokkaido is either hostile and frozen or a white diamond-studded wonderland, depending on your point of view. The snows last four to five months, from November to March on the Japan Sea side, reaching depths of three meters, while on the east coast they average only one-half meter. Sapporo was the home of the 1972 Winter Olympics and the skiing is magnificent. Anyone arriving in Japan during the winter should not discount a trip to Hokkaido. It is feasible that you could be shushing the slopes of Teine Olympia near Sapporo one day, and a few days later luxuriating on the sandy sun-drenched beaches of Okinawa. This is a desirable combination, and even a visit of 10 days, with the use of internal flights, would be sufficient.

Flora and Fauna

The woodlands of central Hokkaido still teem with wildlife, although these timberlands have continuously decreased to make room for man's expansion. Sixty percent of Hokkaido's interior is covered in forests, with 36% of the trees conifers and the remainder of various deciduous varieties. Birds fill the forest trees, while the wetlands are home to all manner of waterfowl, both indigenous and migrating. Heavy pack ice lures harbor seals to the security of many diminutive bays and inlets, while sea lions inhabit the rocky shores of remote regions. Streams and rivers lure fishermen with hopes of catching trophy salmon and trout, and wildflowers bloom with abandon on upland slopes.

Arts And Crafts
Perhaps it is a fact of life that where survival in a harsh land is a preoccupation of daily life, arts and crafts become secondary pursuits. This is not to say that in Hokkaido there are not fine sculptors, potters, calligraphers, and artists, but there are no real specialized centers for these activities. In the cities, towns, and villages, numerous shops sell locally produced artifacts, but these are the whims of the artists and follow no set patterns or traditions.

An example of an environmentally inspired craft is the building of kinoshiro homes, which is centered in Kuriyama, just east of Sapporo. A kinoshiro home is built with a flat roof that catches, and can support, enormous snow loads. Snow suddenly sliding off traditional gable roofs is a hazard to people, especially children, and it can also cause the blocking of doorways and create the added problem of dispensing with it. A kinoshiro home not only can support its flat roof but has a specially designed freeze-free system to eliminate water caused by snowmelt. The homes are also hyper-insulated, making them extremely energy efficient. A visit to one can be arranged by contacting the Total Housing Co., Asahidai, Kuriyama, Yubari-gun, Hokkaido, Japan.

High-flying kites are made throughout Hokkaido; especially famous are those from Rebun Island, where kite-flying from Mt. Rebun is outstanding. Fortunately, these kites are light and, if packed correctly, not difficult to ship home, where they make excellent wall hangings.

Ainu Art
The few remaining Ainu(the original settlers of Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku), along with other Hokkaido craftsmen, make skillful carvings of bears, birds, and totems, as well as intricately carved mustache-lifters. The better pieces could be elevated to objects of art; unfortunately these carvings are not really traditional. They are the good idea of an Austrian who visited the Ainu at the turn of the century and suggested their manufacture as a way of making money.

If you are interested in authentic Ainu art, visit the Bachelor Museum (see p. 798), a Western-style house built in 1891, at the Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens in Sapporo. John Bachelor was a British missionary at the turn of the century who dedicated his life to the Ainu and the preservation of their ways. There are 20,000 artifacts in this museum, featuring simple designs on cloth, weavings, and implements of daily life.

Displayed here are the remnants of the Ainu way of life, including fine examples of attushes, long coats worn by men and women and woven from Japanese witch elm. For Ainu woodcarving, go to Tonako, Noboribetsu, Shiraoi, Onneyu, and Akan; for atsushi (cloth), try Asahikawa city. Modern examples of woodcarvings are readily purchased at the Ainu villages of Shiraoi and Chikabumi.

Getting There
Shin-chitose airport is 1 hour 30 minutes from Haneda airport in Tokyo, and 2 hours 10 minutes from Itami Aiport in Osaka.

Sapporo

Sapporo, pop. 1,780,000, the capital of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost prefecture, functions efficiently as the hub of the island in the fields of politics, culture and economy. Located in the scenic central part of Hokkaido, the nation's 5th largest city also boasts an abundance of tourist attractions, enticing millions of visitors all year round. Sapporo is actually a relatively newly developed city. Its full-scale development, along with that the vast island itself, began in 1869 when the Japanese government stationed a Commissioner of Colonization in Hokkaido.

Unlike any other city in Japan, it forms a vast green land of many parks. The streets are laid out in checkerboard fashion and are also named and numbered consecutively. Sapporo is also unique in terms of its lifestyle, as the citizenry evokes a pioneer spirit, rather than being bound by centuries of tradition.

Sapporo is the air gateway to Hokkaido, a starting point for a tour of the island. With its two airports-Chitose and Okadama- the capital city is conveniently connected to Honshu, the main island, as well as to the main cities of Hokkaido. The city is also linked with Hakodate, a major gateway to Hokkaido, by limited express trains that take about 3 hrs. 30 min.

Within Japan, Hokkaido is well-known for its dramatic and unspoiled scenery that includes active volcanoes, large lakes and vast virgin forests. Within Hokkaido, the capital city of Sapporo is known for its unique history, striking natural beauty, and relaxed character. Many attractions unique to Sapporo contribute to the popularity of this well-planned city.

In a little over a century, Sapporo has grown into a lively modern city and is one of the main pillars of the nation's economic prominence. With a population of 1.8 million, Sapporo is Japan's fifth largest city.

Sapporo has long been known for its many cultural exchanges with foreign countries. The buildings of Sapporo's Western-influenced architecture are unique in Japan. The city gratefully and proudly acknowledges the considerable contributions of foreign technical advisors at the early stages of its development. Experts from North America, England, Russia,Germany, Holland were among those who guided the progress of this frontier town into the modern city of Sapporo.

Known for its dynamic cultural activities, Sapporo annually welcomes visitors to a wide range of cultural events, including the celebrated Pacific Music Festival. In 1972 the city was chosen as the venue for the first Winter Olympic Games held in Asia. After the success of the Olympics, both the Asian Games and Winter Universiade have been hosted by Sapporo. The annual Sapporo Snow Festival continues to be a popular attraction that dazzles the many visitors who come to see this winter fantasy.

Visitors to Sapporo will delight in the area's extraordinary natural surroundings within easy proximity to the city center. Spring is a time of blossoms and rich greenery; fair weather from May through June leads into a comfortable summer climate that attracts visitors both from within Japan and abroad. Sapporo is often compared to the premier skiing spots in Switzerland and the world's other "Winter Wonderlands." With excellent conditions and facilities, ski enthusiasts visiting Sapporo head straight for the city's nearby slopes.

An international airport and convenient public transportaion system make Sapporo's many attractions accessible. You are invited to visit Sapporo to see and experience for yourself why this city is consistently cited by Japanese as one of the most desirable places to visit in Japan.

Tourist Attractions in Sapporo

The former Hokkaido Government office building was built in 1888. Constructed of red brick, its unusally shaped octagonal dome is similar to that of the Massachusetts State House. This American neo-Baroque style structure was built utilizing mainly local materials. At the time of its construction, the building was unique to Japan as it was one of the tallest and largest buildings of that era. It was rebuilt in 1911 after being devastated by fire; in 1969 it was officially designated an Important Cultural Property.

The Sapporo TV Tower serves as an easily recognizable symbol of Sapporo. The147.2-meter tower has an observation deck at the 90.38-meter level that gives a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city of Sapporo. The beautiful Odori Park stretches out directly in front of the TV tower; the view is wonderful during the daytime and delightfully romantic at night.

The Clock Tower, designated a National Important Property, is one of Sapporo's most famous landmarks, and is to some, a symbol of the city. Built in 1878, the architectural sytle of the buiding is that of American buildings of the same period. (Note: Currently under restoration, September 1997 is projected as the completion date.)

Mt. Moiwa once called "Inkarushipe" in the language of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido, means "a place to command a view." The view from this 531 meter high mountain can be accessed by cable car. Mt. Moiwa is to be enjoyed for its trails that go through virgin forests as well as its dramatic and breathtaking views. Simply spectacular and magnificent, Mt. Moiwa was chosen as one of the top 100 best natural spots in Hokkaido. A sightseeing road runs along the south side of the mountain while the north side has a trail through forest thick with primordial trees.

Hokkaido University is one of Japan's most prestigious institutions of higher learning. Established originally as Sapporo Agricultural College in 1876, it is an institution of historical importance tha also has a respected academic reputation. Visiting the attractive and expansive campus, you can enjoy seeing the Poplar Promenade and the Faculty of Agriculture's Farm No. 2, a national Important Cultural Property. A bust of Dr.William S. Clark, a founder of the original institution, is one of the sights you will want to see when visiting the campus.

Okurayama Jump Hill is a site of the 1972 Winter Olympics. In 1972 when Sapporo played host to the first Winter Olympic held in Asia, the eyes of the world were focused on this hill. This world-class large jump is one of the longest hill in Japan. It can be accessed by gondola or hiking path. (Note: The lift is currently under repairs and scheduled to be completed in 2000.)

Unique in concept and splendid in design is the Sapporo Art Park. Started in 1984, this park which encompasses extensive exhibition space, is in the midst of its 15-year construction project. When completed, it will become the symbol for culture- and art-conscious Sapporo. Artists and art fans from Japan and abroad will be invited to participate in the park's various artistic activities. The Sapporo Art Park is already active today with numerous programs constantly in progress, ranging from art and craft classes and music sessions, to exhibitions of works by internationally renowned artists. The park also hopes to function as the medium for enhancing cultural exchanges between Japanese artists with their overseas counterparts.

Historical Village of Hokkaido is an authentic village recreated with preserved and replicated buildings from Hokkaido's frontier days. Located in Nopporo Forest Park, this outdoor museum was opened to the public in 1983 to show the buildings and the life of Sapporo's early pioneers. Horse drawn trolleys in summer and sleighs in winter add to the delight of visiting this authentic village.

Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is known for a statue of Dr. Clark, showing the highly-regarded scientist and educator extending his hand toward Sapporo. This observatory point offers a panoramic view of Sapporo and a pastoral scene of grazing sheep, for which the observation hill is named.

Moerenuma Park, which was designed by the internationally renowned sculptor, the late Isamu Noguchi, is under construction and scheduled for completion in 1997. Surrounding the Moerenuma Marsh are cherry and larch woods and a waterfront for recreation and fishing. Some of the park's completed areas are already open to the public.

Events in Sapporo

Some of Sapporo's many festivals have their origins in traditional events while others are inspired by the seasons. The season starts in spring with the Lilac Festival (held in late May). Visit the festival site at Odori Park to enjoy and participate in the many activities. Gifts of seedlings, music performances and a sketching contest are just a few of the events that highlight this festival. During the Yosakoi Soran Festival (early June) dancers in unusual costimes perform to lively music. The Hokkaido Shrine Festival (June 14-16) at Nakajima Park is Hokkaido's biggest festival. A festival full of fun and gaiety, you'll enjoy seeing ornate floats and shrines carried by enthusiastic revelers through the city. Come and see the Toyohira River Raft Festival (early July). This festival provides more comedy than competition as some of these home-made rafts disintegrate before your eyes! The fireworks display over the river is spectacular. Beginning with outdoor beer gardens set up in Odori Park the Sapporo Summer Festival (July 21-August 20) has fun events to see or participate in for a full month. The Hokkaido Marathon, an international event, is held in August. You'll enjoy Sapporo's comfortable summer nights. And whether you are at a beer garden or a riverside festival it is always safe. Sapporo's fun loving, open-hearted people are also known for being well-disciplined.

The Pacific Music Festival (held from early July to early August) could be called the last dream of premier conductor, composer and educator, Leonard Bernstein. The festival was created as a way of realizing Bernstein's dream of sharing the joy of music with people around the world and transcending national boundaries and languages. Annually since 1990, leading young musicians from around the world, selected through strict auditions, gather here to study and perform. Their concerts, open to the public, help further the enjoyment of music in the Pacific region.

All colors and varieties of chrysanthemums, the national flower, are displayed in the Odori underground shopping mall as part of the Sapporo Chrysanthemum Festival (early November).

Beginning with the first snowfall in winter, Sapporo shows visitors the city's beauty and wonder. Sapporo White Illumination (mid November to mid February) is an enchantingly romantic sight of millions of lights hung from trees along Ekimae Dori and Odori Park. The Sapporo Snow Festival (held around February 5 --11) is world-famous. Large, perfectly sculpted snow statues can be viewed at three sites: Odori Park, Makomanai and Susukino. A sight of fascinating beauty when illuminated at night, this unique festival is a fantasy of design and ingenuity any time of day. It is incredible what can be made with ice and snow, and you will have to see it to believe it!

World-class athletes are invited to participate in Sapporo International Ski Marathon (mid February) and International Miyasama Ski Games (early March). Other winter events are World Cup Sapporo Tournament, and the International Dogsled Race Sapporo Tournament.

Nature and Sports

The home of flora and fauna unique within the Japanese archipelago, Sapporo's nature is abundant. A vast array of flowers blooming in Spring include cosmos, poppies and hydrangea. Cherry blossom and plum blossom viewing parties is a favorite spring pastime in Maruyama Park; cycling and nature walks through virgin forests are also popular activities at this park. Hiraoka Park has plum groves and is fragrant with lilacs. Spend the day refreshing yourself at Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park. Groves of lily of the valley, irises and numerous other flowers and waterfalls delight the visitor to this park. You can rent a bicycle, fish, or enjoy a nature walk. The part is equipped with facilities for grilling the regionally popular Genghis Khan barbecue dish. However you spend the time, you are sure to delight in a day in the outdoors at this popular, well-maintained park.

Summer is the time to enjoy mountain climbing. Climbing routes originate at Mt. Moiwa, Maruyama Park, and Mt. Teina. The vast Nopporo Forest Park has hiking courses as does Maruyama Park. In Fall the Jozankei Hot Spring is easily reached within an hour of downtown Sapporo. Here you can enjoy the typical Japanese spa resort. Let the waters' mineral properties ease your aches and pains while the sight of the surrounding mountains, resplendent in fall colors, eases your mind.

Winter, naturally, is the prime time to visit Sapporo. Whethere you ski or snowboard, you will be able to take runs on the actual courses used in the 1972 Olympics, the Asian Winter Games and the Winter Universiade Sapporo. A special attraction of skiing in Sapporo is the fact that many slopes are actually within the city limits; you can reach more than a dozen ski sites by public transportation in less than two hours. Sapporo International Ski Area has downhill grounds, and the most popular Mt. Moiwa Skiing Grounds very near Sapporo with its challenging slopes is great for downhill skiing.

Miyanomori Jump Hill was the site of the 70-meter jump competition of the Sapporo Olympics. Makomanai Ice Arena and Park contains facilities used for the 1972 Winter Olympics, including large indoor pool, outdoor stadium and a world-class ice skating arena. A river runs through the park and several small streams crisscross it, making it an ideal place to jog or view nature. Nakajima Park is a popular spot for cross country skiing. Just across the park is the unique Museum of Winter Sports. This unusual museum provides interesting and little- known information on the history of winter sports, the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics and details of the life of famed Arctic adventurer Naomi Uemura.