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Sapporo is the largest and capital city
of Hokkaido. It is a well planned city,
specially built to replace Hakodate as the
capital during the Meiji Restoration. Hakodate
was then the base of dissident loyalists
of the last shogunate. The Ishikari Plains
was chosen to be the site and the
city was officially born on 1868. Japanese
resettlement quickly overtook indigenous Ainu population
in the area but its name followed Ainu
language - ‘sat poro petsu’ meaning ‘dry,
great river’ referring to the newly built
canal to irrigate the plains.
Today, metropolitan Sapporo is the 5th largest
city in Japan by population and is internationally
known for playing host to the 1972 Winter
Olympics and annual ‘Yuki Matsuri’ or Sapporo
Snow Festival.
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Panoramic view of Sapporo
from the heights of Mt. Okurayama.
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American advisors were engaged to assist in
planning and development. Hence the city layout
and infrastructure closely followed American systems.
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Sapporo Clock Tower is the symbol of the
city. Relatively small in stature, it bears
historical significance and currently houses exhibits
of local history. It was built in 1878
and was originally the drill house of
Agricultural College – now Hokkaido University which
was also established with American assistance.
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Sapporo Television Tower outstands
all structures in and around Odori Park
where it is located. It has an observation
deck that offers full view of the wide
and lengthy park and much of the city.
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Odori Park means ‘large street’
and is a pleasant green lung at the
heart of the city. Most of the major
festivals including the international Sapporo Snow
Festival are held here.
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Okurayama Ski Jump was the
venue for the 90m Large Hill events in
the 1972 Winter Olympics. Currently, it is
a prime training facility for Nordic events.
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Western influence, this chocolate and sweets
confectionery is housed in a Tudor-style and
castle-like premise. It is complimented with
an ancillary fun theme park.
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Sapporo ‘asaichi’ or morning market offers a
great variety of seafood, marine-related and
other grown products of Hokkaido
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Seafood is an important part of Japanese
diet. These are different types of fish
roe including those of salmon and crabs.
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Wasabi tubers - the stuff that are converted
into soft green paste, its pungent taste
produces much challenge to those who are
not used to it.
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At the fringe of the city, it faces
the forested mountains which surround the Ishikari
Plains. A number of ski fields are located
on these mountain in the distance between
Sapporo and Otaru.
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