Sapporo Clock Tower
札幌市時計台
A drill hall of Sapporo Agricultural College, completed in 1878. Its tower clock has kept time for more than a century and is Sapporo's most representative historic building.
The Sapporo Clock Tower was originally the drill hall of Sapporo Agricultural College, completed in 1878. The college is the predecessor of present-day Hokkaido University. In 1881, a tower clock made by the American company Howard was installed, and it still chimes on the hour today. The building is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Its white wooden structure has the style of the American Midwest. Inside, exhibits trace the history of the agricultural college and the development of Sapporo. From the second-floor hall you can see the clock mechanism. Admission costs about ¥200, and it is open roughly 8:45 to 17:10. The site is small and surrounded by tall buildings, which has led some to joke that it is one of Japan's "Three Great Disappointments." Still, the second-floor terrace across the street is a great spot for panoramic photos. It is about a 5-minute walk from Odori Station.
Opening hours
08:45–17:10
Nearby sights
- Sapporo TV Tower
- Tanukikoji Shopping Street
- Former Hokkaido Government Office Building
- JR Tower Observatory T38
- Nijo Market
- Susukino
- Odori Park
- Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho