Odori Park

大通公園

A ribbon-shaped park running 1.5 km through central Sapporo. It hosts the main venue of the February Sapporo Snow Festival and becomes an open-air beer garden in summer.

Odori Park is a ribbon-shaped park running east to west through central Sapporo. It is about 1.5 km long and 65 meters wide, and it divides the city into northern and southern halves. The Sapporo TV Tower stands at its east end, and the Sapporo City Archives is at its west end. Each year in early February, the week-long Sapporo Snow Festival takes over the park as its Odori site, with more than a hundred large snow and ice sculptures on display. At night, projection lighting brings the sculptures to life. Together with the ice sculptures at the Susukino site and the snow slide at the TSUDOME site, it is Hokkaido's biggest winter event, drawing more than 2 million visitors. The park hosts festivals in other seasons too. The Lilac Festival takes place in late May, and the YOSAKOI Soran Festival in June. From late July to mid-August, the Sapporo Summer Festival fills the park with open-air beer gardens. In September, the Sapporo Autumn Fest brings together food from across Hokkaido. Tips: Start from the TV Tower, where the observation deck costs about ¥1,000 and offers a panoramic view of the park, then walk west. In summer, you'll find grilled corn stalls along the way. During the Snow Festival, the sculptures are lit from 6 to 9 p.m., the best time for photos. Getting there: Get off at Odori Station on the subway, or walk about 10 minutes from JR Sapporo Station. Note: The Snow Festival draws huge crowds, so watch your footing and dress warmly. Wear non-slip shoes, as the paths can be icy. The park is free to enter.

Odori Park

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