Sapporo – 札幌
Visit on the Taste of Japan Tour
October 9–10, 2026 ·
Hokkaido’s Capital and birthplace of Japan’s agricultural revolution
Culture & Local Life
Japan’s northernmost major city has a distinctly un-Japanese spaciousness — wide grid boulevards, European-influenced architecture from its Meiji-era founding, and a frontier energy that sets it apart. October is the sweet spot: the summer beer gardens have closed, the snow hasn’t arrived yet, and the city pivots to celebrating its extraordinary autumn produce.
The Susukino district — one of Japan’s largest entertainment precincts — is quieter on weeknights and genuinely fascinating as a cultural mirror of modern urban Japan.
Culinary Specialties
一 Sapporo Miso Ramen 味噌ラーメン · The original
Born here in the 1950s. A rich, opaque miso-pork broth, wavy egg noodles, corn, butter and bamboo shoots. In October, small ramen shops fire up the stoves and the queues begin. Ramen Yokocho (Ramen Alley) in Susukino has 17 tiny stalls worth exploring.
二 Jingisukan ジンギスカン · Genghis Khan lamb BBQ
Hokkaido’s signature grill experience — slices of lamb cooked over a dome-shaped iron grill, drizzled with a sweet-soy dipping sauce. Named after Genghis Khan, inexplicably, and utterly beloved. Best enjoyed with cold Sapporo draft beer.
三 Kaisendon 海鮮丼 · Hokkaido seafood rice bowl
At the Hokkaido Wholesale Market, bowls heaped with sea urchin, salmon roe, scallop and crab sit atop steamed rice — this is the freshest iteration in Japan, sourced from the Hokkaido coast hours before service.
四 Sapporo Beer サッポロビール · Japan’s oldest beer
Founded in 1876, the original Sapporo brewery is a short tram ride from the city centre. The Beer Museum is free; the tasting room is not. The Kaitakushi line (a heritage recreation) is worth ordering alongside any Jingisukan dinner.
Off The Beaten Path
Hokkaido University Ginkgo Avenue
A 380-metre corridor of ginkgo trees turns blazing gold in mid-October. Free, open to the public, and almost entirely missed by tourists. The campus itself is worth wandering — it feels more like a small American liberal arts college than a Japanese university.
Nijo Market at 6am
The smaller, older alternative to the wholesale market. Fishmongers begin setting up before dawn and by 6am it’s in full swing. Grab a plastic stool at one of the standing fish restaurants and point at what looks good.
Shiroi Koibito Park
A chocolate factory built to look like an English village, inside which the most popular souvenir in Hokkaido is made. Absurd and wonderful — watch the production line, design your own tin, and eat too many white chocolate sandwich biscuits.
Tanukikoji covered arcade after dark
Seven blocks of covered shopping arcades, some dating to 1869. The western end gets progressively more local and less touristy — vinyl record shops, independent ramen bars and a used sake cup specialist who has been here since 1971.
Tour Weather Guide
- Autumn foliage at Maruyama Park
- Sapporo City Jazz Festival
- Hokkaido Autumn Harvest season
- Highs 14–17°C
Tour Hotel Guide
Grand Mercure Sapporo Odori Park
Kita1jo, 1 Nishi11chome, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0001
Located in a close vicinity to the venue to the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, Grand Mercure Sapporo Odori Park is the perfect base to embark on a multi-sensory exploration of all the nooks and crannies of Hokkaido’s charming capital.
City Gallery
