Sapporo TV Tower & the City Center: A Visitor’s Guide

Night view over the city lights of Sapporo, Hokkaido

Compact, walkable, and laid out on a logical grid, central Sapporo is one of the easiest big Japanese cities to find your way around. The Sapporo TV Tower anchors the eastern end of Odori Park and makes a useful landmark, while the surrounding streets hold the city’s main shopping arcades, covered markets, and the famous Susukino entertainment district.

The Sapporo TV Tower

Completed in 1957, the Sapporo TV Tower rises about 147 metres at the eastern end of Odori Park. Its observation deck gives a long, straight view down the green corridor of the park and across the grid of downtown streets. The tower is especially popular after dark, when the city lights and, in February, the illuminated Snow Festival sculptures spread out below. It is an easy first stop for getting your bearings in the city.

Shopping Arcades and Markets

The blocks around Odori and Sapporo Station are dense with department stores, underground shopping passages, and covered arcades that are a relief in both summer heat and winter cold. Nijo Market, near the city centre, is a good place to sample Hokkaido seafood, while the Tanukikoji arcade offers a long stretch of shops and restaurants under cover. The underground walkways linking the main stations make it possible to cross much of downtown without stepping outside.

Susukino After Dark

Just south of Odori lies Susukino, one of the largest entertainment districts in northern Japan. Its streets light up at night with neon signs, izakaya, ramen shops, and bars. The famous Ramen Yokocho alley is here, packed with tiny counters serving Sapporo’s signature miso ramen. Susukino is busiest in the evening and is easily reached on foot from Odori or by the Namboku subway line.

From the panoramic deck of the TV Tower to the glowing lanes of Susukino, central Sapporo packs a lot into a small, easily explored area.