Art & Parks

The people of Sapporo are well known for their love of the outdoors and as such the city is dotted with a great variety of parks of all shapes and sizes. The following is a brief guide to just 4 of the cities many fantastic parks and gardens.

Moerenuma Koen - Designed by Isamu Noguchi it is really a gigantic installation that includes a huge man made hill, an elaborate fountain that is more accurately described as a man made geyser, a small concrete bottomed lake, various enormous sculptures and a giant glass pyramid. Most of the park is grass and a great place to spend a summer’s day. The irresistibly ironic thing about this park is it was formed on a bed of rubbish even the hill!  



Nakajima Koen - This Park is found at the tail end of Sapporo’s main shopping street Ekimae Dori and is just a 20minute walk from Sapporo station. The park is nicely landscaped with water features and flora and there is even a small lake where rowboats can be rented in the summer months. Nakajima Koen is also home to the esteemed Kitara concert hall, which regularly features international classical musicians.



Odori Koen - Lying in the center of the CBD Odori Park is an attraction throughout the year. It is home to fountains, playgrounds, art, the TV tower and is a place where people gather for popular events such as the Summer Festival (beer garden), the Snow Festival, and the Yosokoi dance festival.

Geijitsu no mori - Also known as the Sapporo Art Park, Geijitsu no Mori is located 20km south east of the city centre. The park is readily accessible by subway and bus, car, taxi or bike. The park is filled with lush greenery and is home to an outdoor sculpture garden, the museum of contemporary art, craft halls and studios. The sculpture garden is fantastic and well worth the charge to enter. In summer the park also hosts Sapporo’s biggest reggae festival.