Sapporo, the central city on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, has a lot to offer travellers. Travel to this primarily hilly region only became fashionable after it hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. Still, the city is making up for it now with events like the legendary Sapporo Snow Festival. This entertaining celebration, one of Japan's major winter festivals, attracts more than two million travellers each winter (the city's year-round visitor count now exceeds 14 million). Furthermore, the city regularly holds significant international athletic events and large political gatherings such as G8 Summits. Sapporo is also a major cultural destination, with some of Japan's most well-known culinary delicacies and theatrical and musical events. Also, interest and attractions like museums and beautiful parks are well worth including on your Japanese itinerary. Capital- Sapporo International Airport: New Chitose Airport Population - 2,669,000 Currency: yen Time: UTC/GMT +9 hours Driving side left Main Electricity: 230v Official Language: Japanese Religion: Shinto and Buddhism
The Sapporo Snow Festival is the city's most significant social event, and it's famous for its incredible ice sculpture competition. Asahiyama Park is one of the city's most beautiful parks, with a beautiful flower garden that is a riot of colour throughout the year. The Sapporo Dome hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and is now home to several baseball teams, including the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, located in the heart of a lovely park with rolling lawns, is a must-see for art enthusiasts.
