Sapporo (札幌市 Sapporo-shi) (·) is the fourth-largest in Japan by population, and the largest city on the northern Japanese island of . Located in, it is the capital of Prefecture, and an of Japan.

Sapporo is known outside Japan for having hosted the , the first ever held in Asia, and for the city's annual Yuki Matsuri, internationally referred to as the, which draws more than 2 million tourists from around the world. The city is also home to and the white chocolate biscuits called (白い恋人, "white sweetheart").

Early history[]

Before its establishment, the area occupied by Sapporo (known as the Ishikari Plain) was home to a number of indigenous settlements. In 1866, at the end of the , construction began on a canal through the area, encouraging a number of early settlers to establish Sapporo village. The settlement's name was taken from the sat poro pet (サッ・ポロ・ペッ), and can be translated as "dry, great river".

In 1868, the officially recognized year celebrated as the 'birth' of Sapporo, the new government concluded that the existing administrative center of Hokkaido, which at the time was the port of , was in an unsuitable location for defense and further development of the island. As a result, it was determined that a new capital on the Ishikari Plain should be established. The plain itself provided an unusually large expanse of flat, well drained land which is relatively uncommon in the otherwise mountainous geography of Hokkaido.

During 1870–1871, , vice-chairman of the Hokkaido Development Commission (Kaitaku-shi) approached the American government for assistance in developing the land. As a result, , under President , became an and was appointed as a special advisor to the commission. Construction began around , which still remains as a green ribbon of recreational land bisecting the central area of the city. The city closely followed a with streets at right-angles to form city blocks.

The continuing expansion of the Japanese into Hokkaido continued, mainly due to migration from the main island of immediately to the south, and the prosperity of Hokkaido and particularly its capital grew to the point that the Development Commission was deemed unnecessary and was abolished in 1882.

(oyatoi gaikokujin) came to Sapporo to establish sheep and cattle ranches in 1876. He also demonstrated pig raising and the making of butter, cheese, ham and sausage. He married a Japanese woman. He once went back to the US in 1883 but returned to Japan as a secretary of government.

(oyatoi gaikokujin) who was the president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now the ) came to be the founding vice-president of (now ) for only eight months from 1876 to 1877. He taught academic subjects in science and lectured on the Bible as an "ethics" course, introducing Christian principles to the first entering class of the College.

In 1880, the entire area of Sapporo was renamed as "Sapporo-ku" (Sapporo Ward), and a railroad between Sapporo and Temiya, was laid. That year the , a hotel and reception facility for visiting officials and dignitaries, was erected adjacent to the Odori Park. It was later moved to where it remains today. Two years later, with the abolition of the Kaitaku-shi, Hokkaidō was divided into three prefectures: Hakodate, Sapporo, and Nemuro. The name of the urban district in Sapporo remained Sapporo-ku, while the rest of the area in Sapporo-ku was changed to . The office building of Sapporo-ku was also located in the urban district.

Sapporo, Hakodate, and Nemuro Prefectures were abolished in 1886, and , an American--style structure with red bricks, constructed in 1888. The last squad of the Tondenhei, the soldiers pioneering Hokkaido, settled in the place where the area of Tonden in is currently located. Sapporo-ku administered surrounding Sapporo-gun until 1899, when the new district system was announced. After that year, Sapporo-ku was away from the control of Sapporo-gun. The "ku" (district) enforced from 1899 was an autonomy which was a little bigger than towns, and smaller than cities. In Hokkaido at that time, Hakodate-ku and Otaru-ku also existed.[]

Modern history (20th century)[]The

In 1907, the was established in , and was controlled by the University. Parts of neighbouring villages including Sapporo Village, Naebo Village, Kami Shiroishi Village, and districts where Tonden-hei has settled, were integrated into Sapporo-ku in 1910.

The was opened in 1918, and Hokkaido Imperial University was established in Sapporo-ku, as the fifth in Japan. Another railroad operated in Sapporo, the Jōzankei Railroad, which was ultimately abolished in 1969.

In 1922, the new city system was announced by the Tokyo government, and Sapporo-ku was officially transferred to the Sapporo City. The Sapporo Municipal Bus System was started in 1930. In 1937, Sapporo was chosen as the site of the , but due to the outbreak of the , this was canceled in the next year. Maruyama Town was integrated into a part of the Chūō-ku in 1940, and the was constructed in 1942.

During the last days of , on July 14 and 15, 1945, 30 bombers dropped 889 tons of E-46 500 lbs incendiary cluster bombs and 500 lbs T4E4 fragmentation cluster bombs into Sapporo at lunchtime in two separate air raids. In the resulting firestorm 190 civilians were killed, 6,788 were injured, 78,000 others remained homeless, and many structures burned for a total of 17.5 percent of the city destroyed as a part of Allied air raids on . The city however, was reconstructed after the war.

The first was held in 1950. In the same year, adjacent Shiroishi Village was integrated into Sapporo City, rendered as a part of Shiroishi-ku, and Atsubetsu-ku. In 1955, Kotoni Town, the entire Sapporo Village, and Shinoro Village were merged into Sapporo, becoming a part of the current Chūō-ku, Kita-ku, Higashi-ku, Nishi-ku, and Teine-ku. The expansion of Sapporo continued, with the merger of Toyohira Town in 1961, and Teine Town in 1967, each became as a part of Toyohira-ku, Kiyota-ku, and Teine-ku.

The ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Sapporo and Hokkaido was held in 1968. The system was inaugurated in 1971, which made Sapporo the fourth city in Japan to have a subway system. From February 3 to 13, 1972, the were held, the first Winter Olympics held in Asia. On April 1 of the same year, Sapporo was designated as one of the , and seven wards were established. The last ever public performance by the opera singer, , was in Sapporo at the Hokkaido Koseinenkin Kaikan on 11 November 1974. The Sapporo Municipal Subway was expanded when the Tōzai line started its operation in 1976, and Tōho line was opened in 1988. In 1989, Atsubetsu-ku and Teine-ku were separated from Shiroishi-ku and Nishi-ku. Annual events in Sapporo were started, such as the in 1990, and Yosakoi Sōran Festival in 1992. A professional football club, , was established in 1996. In 1997, Kiyota-ku was separated from Toyohira-ku. In the same year, , a Hokkaido-based bank with headquarters in Odori, went bankrupt.

21st century[]The protest march in 2008

In 2001 the construction of the was completed, and in 2002 the Dome hosted three games during the ; Germany vs Saudi Arabia, Argentina vs England and Italy vs Ecuador, all of which were in the first round. The present mayor of Sapporo, Fumio Ueda, was elected as the mayor for the first time in 2003. Sapporo became the home to a team,, in 2004, which won the , and the victory parade was held on Ekimae-Dōri (a street in front of ) in February 2007.

The took place in in 2008, and a number of people including anti-globalisation activists and marched in the heart of the city to protest. Police officers were gathered in Sapporo from all over Japan, and the news reported that four people were arrested in the demonstrations. The line, which is currently under construction to through the , is planned to link to Sapporo.

Geography[]The located west of the Sōsei River

Sapporo is a city located in the southwest part of Ishikari Plain and the of the , a tributary stream of the . Roadways in the urban district are laid to make grid plan road. The western and southern part of Sapporo are occupied by a number of mountains including Mount Teine, Maruyama, and Mount Moiwa, as well as a lot of rivers including the Ishikari River, Toyohira River, and Sōsei River.

Sapporo has many parks, including Odori Park, which is located in the heart of the city and hosts a number of annual events and festivals throughout the year. is also one of the largest parks in Sapporo, and was constructed under the plan of , a Japanese-American artist and landscape architect.

Neighbouring cities are , , , , , , , and towns are, , .

Climate[]

Sapporo has a ( Dfa), with a wide range of temperature between the summer and winter. Summers are generally warm but not humid, and winters are cold and very snowy. With an average snowfall of 5.96 m (19 ft 7 in), Sapporo is one of the few metropolises in the world with such heavy snowfall, enabling it to hold events and festivals with snow statues and objects. The city's annual average precipitation is around 1,100 mm (43.3 in), and the mean annual temperature is 8.5 °C (47.3 °F).

Economy[]This section needs additional citations for . Please help by. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009)

The tertiary sector dominates Sapporo's industry. Major industries include information technology, retail, and tourism, as Sapporo is a destination for winter sports and events and summer activities due to its cool climate.[]

The city is also the manufacturing centre of Hokkaido, manufacturing various goods such as food and related products, fabricated metal products, steel, machinery, beverages, and pulp and paper.[]

(Air Do) is headquartered in . In April 2004, was headquartered in .

Culture and entertainment[]

As of 2006, the annual number of tourists to Sapporo reached 14,104,000, an increase of 5.9% over the previous year (13,323,000 in 2005). 2006 was also the first year for Sapporo when the number of tourists exceeded 14 million.

Cuisine[]Soup curry

Sapporo is known as the birthplace of miso ramen, a noodle dish using , and Sapporo ramen is also widely known. The Kouraku Ramen Meitengai, an alley lined with many ramen restaurants, was established in 1951 in Susukino district. After its demolition due to plans for the , the Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho was established in the same place. It attracts many tourists throughout the year. From the year 1966, a food company named Sanyo Foods began to sell instant ramen under the brand name "." In 2001, Sapporo ramen was listed as one of the Hokkaido Heritage[] along with Asahikawa ramen and Hakodate ramen. On October 1, 2004, the Sapporo Ramen Republic, a theme park focused on ramen, was opened at the 10th floor of Sapporo Esta, a commercial complex in front of Sapporo Station.

, a local variety of edible , similar to , is unique to Sapporo. Other dishes unique to Sapporo is soup curry, a liquid with vegetables and chicken, and , a lamb dish, named for . Sapporo Sweets is a confectionery using many ingredients from Hokkaido and the Sapporo Sweets Competition is held annually. Sapporo is also a producer of fresh seafood including , and .

Entertainment and performing arts[]

The is the main musical venue in Sapporo, in in Chuo-ku. It is home to the , a local professional orchestra organized in 1961: Their regular concerts are held in this hall. The open-air stage in Sapporo Artpark is another music venue. The Pacific Music Festival (PMF), an event started with the idea of in 1990, is held in both places. The Sapporo Artpark, in Minami-ku, contains , an art museum, and the old house of . Other art museums in Sapporo include the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, the Sapporo Museum of Sculpture, and the Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art, Hokkaido. The Hokkaido Museum of Literature, located in , has hosted many exhibitions, seminars, and other educational activities. The is in Shiroishi-ku: forums and events are held there. The Sapporo Salmon Museum, within in Minami-ku, mainly displays materials related to the ecology of salmon. The Sunpiazza Aquarium is close to the Sapporo Science Center in Atsubetsu.

Points of interest[], the entertainment district of SapporoStatue of

Sapporo has various historical buildings, as well as shopping malls and parks. Historic landmarks include the , the , the (Hokkaidō Jingū), and the . The was a former of the and is currently a huge shopping mall with many restaurants, offices, and . Another former brewery is the , which is currently a part of the Sapporo Garden Park, and houses the Sapporo Beer Gardens (サッポロビール園 Sapporo Bīru En). The , the Memorial Hall, and some old buildings in the are historically important in Sapporo. Each was listed in the Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.

There are two art museums in Sapporo. The has the largest collection of in Asia and Oceania. The museum collection includes artist works from , , , , , and Kumi Sugai. The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art represents Hokkaido artists like Eien Iwahashi, Kinjiro Kida, Nissho Kanda, Tamako Kataoka, and especially glass objects of .

The , a complex building with the Tower 38 and department store, is adjacent to. Being close to the main station, the Sapporo JR Tower has been visited by many tourists. The number of visitors to Tower 38, the tower with an , was 311,815 in 2006. The , at the eastern end of the Odori Park, is one of more modern structures and has an observation deck showing the entire Odori Park and Sapporo City. is a district having the main nightlife scene. Sapporo Ramen Yokocho, Norubesa (a building with a huge ) are in this district as well as many restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and adult entertainment. The district also has the Tanuki Kōji Shopping Arcade, the oldest shopping mall in the city. Here, you will find not only quirky shops, game centers (where you can find crane games, arcade games, and the Japanese photo booths called Purikura), and good restaurants, you will also find many street performers ranging from singing, basketball, dancing, and more. In Minami-ku, the district of Jōzankei is a site that has many hotels with steam baths and hot springs with many visitors.

Sapporo offers many parks and gardens. houses buildings, such as the Sapporo TV Tower, and hosts many events including Yosakoi Soran Festival, Sapporo Lilac Festival, Sapporo White Illumination, and the Sapporo Snow Festival. In , there are landmarks including , an old hotel building moved from Odori Park, and the Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara. is located next to the and houses the . The is in Higashi-ku and houses many open-air art compositions including the Glass Pyramid, planned by Isamu Noguchi. The Chizaki Rose Garden provides , and the has many types of plants and historically important buildings. The Nishioka Park is a location of rich nature which centers around a pond and consists of marshland and the forest of Tsukisamu River, and its upper river basin. This park also serves as one of the main habitats in for many types of wild birds.The has a farm with sheep and attracts visitors with a statue of . The offers great views of the city.

Events[]Dancers in the Yosakoi Sōran Festival

Each February, the is held. The main site is the Odori Park, and other sites include Susukino (known as the Susukino Ice Festival) and the . Once Makomanai area in Minami-ku was one of the festival sites, but it was abolished and moved to the Satoland site in 2006. Many of the snow and ice statues are built by the armies of . In 2006, the number of visitors at the Sapporo Snow Festival marked 1,985,000.

Every May, the Sapporo Lilac Festival is held. was brought to Sapporo in 1889 by an American educator, Sarah Clara Smith. At the festival, people enjoy the flower and wine with concerts.

Every June, the Yosakoi Soran Festival is held. The sites of the festival are centered in the Odori Park and the street leading to Susukino, and there are other festival sites. In the festival, many dance teams dance to their music which are composed based on a Japanese traditional song, "." Members of the dancing teams wear special costumes and compete on the roads or stages constructed on the festival sites. In 2006, 350 teams were organized with around 45,000 dancers and over 1,860,000 people visited at the festival.

During the summer, the Sapporo Summer Festival takes place in the heart of the city. People enjoy drinking in the constructed in Odori Park and on the streets of Susukino district. This festival consists of a number of fairs such as Tanuki Festival and Susukino Festival as well as the Odori Park site.

Every September and August, the Sapporo Autumn Fest is held. It is similar to in .

Every December there's a in Odori park similar to the original German markets.

From November through January, many citizens enjoy the Sapporo White Illumination.

Sports[]The in winter

The was constructed in 2001 and currently is the host to the local soccer team,, and the baseball team, . Once Sapporo was selected to be the host of the 5th Winter Olympics scheduled on February 3 to 12, 1940, but Japan had to give the Games back to the , after the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937.

In 1972, Sapporo hosted the 11th . Some structures built for Olympic events remain in use today, including the ski jumps at and . In 2002, Sapporo hosted three group matches of the at the .

In 2006, Sapporo hosted some games of the . In 2007, Sapporo hosted the at the Sapporo Dome, Miyanomori ski jump, Okurayama ski jump, and the Shirahatayama cross country course. It has been host city of two and will again in 2017 with .

Skiing remains a major sport in Sapporo with almost all children skiing as a part of the school curriculum. Okurayama Elementary School is unusual in having its own ski hill and ski jumping hill on the school grounds. Within the city are commercial ski hills including Moiwayama, Bankeiyama, KobaWorld, Sapporo Teine and Fu's.

Many sports stadiums and domes are located in Sapporo, and some of them have been designated as venues of sports competitions. The , also known by its nickname "Tsu-Dome", has hosted to the Golden Market, a huge event which is usually held twice in a year, along with some sports events. The , in the , was one of the venues of the Sapporo Olympics in 1972. It was renamed the Makomanai Sekisuiheim Ice Arena in 2007, when Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., acquired its and renamed the arena after their real estate brand. Other large sports venues include the , the , the , and the .

The is a major international snowboarding event held annually in Sapporo Dome. As one of the richest events of its kind in the world it draws many of the world's best riders.

Demographics[]

The city has an estimated population of 1,890,561 as of March 2007 and a of 1,686 persons per km2 (4,367 persons per mi2). The total area is 1,121.12 km2 (432.87 ).

Transportation[]

Sapporo has one streetcar line, three lines, three subway lines and , and other bus lines. Sapporo Subway trains have rubber-tyred wheels.

Rapid transit[]Rail[]JR Hokkaido Stations in Sapporo: (Zenibako) – Hoshimi – Hoshioki – Inaho – Teine – Inazumi Kōen – Hassamu – Hassamu Chūō – Kotoni – Sōen – Sapporo – Naebo – Shiroishi – Atsubetsu – Shinrin Kōen – (Ōasa): Heiwa – Shin Sapporo – Kami Nopporo – (Kita-Hiroshima)(Gakuentoshi Line): Sōen – Hachiken – Shinkawa – Shinkotoni – Taihei – Yurigahara – Shinoro – Takuhoku – Ainosato Kyōikudai – Ainosato Kōen – (Ishikari Futomi)Air[]

The Sapporo area is served by two airports: , which serves regional flights within Hokkaido, and , a larger, international airport located in the city of 30 miles (48 km) away connected by regular rapid trains taking around 40 minutes.

Airport shuttle, tour and charter bus service[]

An airport shuttle bus servicing all hotels in Sapporo operates every day of the year. was founded in 2005 and also provides transport to and from various ski resorts throughout Hokkaido, including Niseko.

Education[]Universities[]The , formerly a part of in the 19th centuryAt Hokkaido UniversityPrimary and secondary schools[]This section requires. (October 2015)

provides Japanese-language classes to foreign and Japanese returnee students, and the school has special admissions quotas for these groups.

The city has two private international schools

Twin towns – Sister cities[]Sapporo City Hall (June 2007)

Sapporo has with several cities worldwide.

, United States, since 1959 , Germany, since 1972 , China, since 1980 , Russia, since 1990 , South Korea, since 2010

Thành phố có 10 khu hành chính:

Atsubetsu-ku (厚別区)Chuo-ku (中央区)Higashi-ku (東区)Kita-ku (北区)Kiyota-ku (清田区)Minami-ku (南区)Nishi-ku (西区)Shiroishi-ku (白石区)Teine-ku (手稲区)Toyohira-ku (豊平区)

Đại học Quốc gia

(北海道大学 - Hokkaidō daigaku, Hokkaido University)北海道教育大学札幌校, Hokkaido University of Education, Sapporo Campus

Đại học công lập

札幌医科大学, Sapporo Medical University札幌市立大学, Sapporo City University

  Tháp truyền hình Sapporo 

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