When visiting Sapporo in winter, you'll definitely want to have fun in the snow. Even if you don't ski or snowboard, there are places where you can still play in the soft, cold snow.

Moerenuma Park, about 30 minutes from downtown Sapporo by car, was designed by Isamu Noguchi and is an excellent location for sledding and snowshoeing.

When the snow gets deep, Mt. Moere in the center of the park is perfect for sledding and skiing. The sledding zone is safely surrounded by a protective net, and skiing and snowboarding can be enjoyed in other areas.

From January to March, sleds can be rented at the park's glass pyramid (300 yen), so you can have fun sledding even if you don't have a sled of your own.

In 2021, rentals are limited to sleds and snowshoes (300 yen) to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but in other years boots and cross-country skis are available. Snowshoes, boots, and walking skis are also available for rent. For more information, be sure to check the Moerenuma Park website.

Moerenuma Park
Phone: 011-790-1231
Hours: January 5 - March 5, 2023 for rentals: 10:00 - 16:00 (last return time)(Closed on Mondays or the Tuesday following a Monday national holiday)
Admission: Free
Website: https://moerenumapark.jp/

At Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, about a 10-minute bus ride from Fukuzumi Station on the Toho Subway Line, a snow play area called Snow Park is open from January 6 to March 5, 2023. For those looking for a fast ride, tubing down the large hill is an exciting experience.

It's a thrill to feel the wind in your face, and the air is full of cheerful shouts. There are also areas for building snowmen, diving in fresh snow, and cross-country ski trails, so you have plenty of ways to frolic in the snow.

Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill
・Phone: 011-851-3080
・Hours: Open daily 9:00 - 17:00 *Varies depending on the season
・Snow Park hours: 10:00 - 16:00 (last reception 15:45)
・Admission: Adults 530 yen, children 300 yen, preschoolers free
・Website: https://www.hitsujigaoka.jp/

Sapporo White Illumination is Sapporo's largest winter lighting event. In addition to the main venue, Odori Park, the trees lining Ekimae-dori and Minami 1-jo-dori and Sapporo Station's south exit square are also lit up so you can enjoy a fantastic view simply walking in the heart of Sapporo.

In 2023, you can enjoy beautiful light displays in areas around Sapporo Station.

Sapporo White Illumination
・Phone: 011-281-6400 (Sapporo White Illumination Executive Committee)
・Season: November 22, 2022 onward; end dates vary by venue
・Website: https://white-illumination.jp/

Miyanomori Frances Church, a wedding hall located about a 10-minute walk from Nishi-Nijuhatchome Station on the Tozai Subway Line, is also one of Sapporo's top winter illumination spots when the garden is lit up with over 10,000 lights.

The beautiful display is a past winner of Walker Plus magazine's Hokkaido Illuminations ranking. It's an impressive sight and you'll get beautiful photos no matter where they're taken.

・Hours: November 3, 2022 - March 26, 2023 from 17:00 - 20:00 (light-viewing hours); closed Mondays, Tuesdays, New Year holidays, and for events and weddings
・Admission: Free

There are other winter illumination events in Sapporo's Minami Ward, including the Sapporo Art Forest's snow-lighting festival. Although canceled due to Covid in 2021, the lights in Shiroi Koibito Park are also very popular.

Held annually for about a week in early February, the Sapporo Snow Festival has a history of more than 70 years and in recent years has attracted more than 2 million visitors from all over the world.

In 2023, some of the events, such as the International Snow Sculpture Contest, food booths, and Tsudome Square have been postponed, but they plan to expand the scale of the event from last year. Please check the official website for details.

Local brand crafts for sale and online workshops further make it possible to enjoy the Snow Festival in a different way this year.

Every year, in cooperation with Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, the festival's main Odori Park venue is lined with massive, finely detailed snow sculptures. At night the sculptures are lit up, and in recent years projection mapping has added a new way to experience them.

In addition to the main site, the festival also includes rows of ice sculptures in Susukino and a snow play area at the Tsudome location (*canceled in 2023).

Sapporo's Maruyama Zoo is easy to get to with bus stops in front of its main and west gates, or just a 15-minute walk from Maruyama Station on the Tozai subway line. It's a popular destination for those who want to see the animals up close, and winter is a prime opportunity to observe animals from in cold regions becoming more active.

You can see lively polar bears, snow leopards, and red pandas.

Of course, if you get cold, you can always warm up indoors while looking at animals from tropical and temperate zones. With a cafe and a gift shop full of unique items, there's plenty to make a trip to the zoo worthwhile, even in the cold.

Okurayama Lookout is the site of the 1972 Winter Olympics ski jumping venue. Only about 30 minutes by car from downtown Sapporo, you can both enjoy a spectacular panorama of winter scenery and get a taste of winter sports.

The observation lounge is at an altitude of 307 meters, and overlooking Sapporo, you'll get the same view as a ski jumper while experiencing some of the same exhilaration.

The Sapporo Olympic Museum (*closed from November 19, 2022 to March 25, 2023 for renovations) showcases the history of the Winter Olympics and has an area where visitors can try simulations of sports from an athlete's point of view, making the museum a fun learning experience for all ages.

Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium
・Hours: Observatory 9:00 - 17:00 (ticket sales end at 16:45), Sapporo Olympic Museum 9:30 - 17:00 (last entry 16:30)
*Sapporo Olympic Museum is closed from November 19, 2022 to March 25, 2023 for renovations.
*Hours are for November 1, 2022 to April 28, 2023 and vary by facility.
・Admission: Lift ticket 1,000 yen (round trip), Sapporo Olympic Museum 600 yen, combined ticket (observatory lift & Sapporo Olympic Museum) 1,200 yen *All prices are for high school students and above
・Closed: Year-end and New Year holidays *Lifts are not available during bad weather, competitions, or official practice days. The Sapporo Olympic Museum has a monthly maintenance closure day. The restaurant, Nouvelle Pousse Okurayma, is closed on Wednesdays and during the New Year holidays.
・Website: https://okurayama-jump.jp/

There are several ski resorts near Sapporo within a 30-minute to 1-hour drive from the city center. They're well-stocked with rental equipment, so you can enjoy a day of skiing even if you don't own any gear. All areas have taken thorough precautions against the spread of infectious diseases per Hokkaido's official policies, so you can ski safely.

Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Resort is easily accessible – about 20 minutes by bus from Makomanai Station on the Namboku Subway Line and about 30 minutes by car from Sapporo Station. There are ten courses suitable for beginners to advanced skiers. Equipment rentals are available and no advance tickets are required, so it's easy to hit the slopes anytime you want.

Sapporo Bankei Ski Area is about 20 minutes by car from Sapporo Station and about 10 minutes by bus from Maruyama Koen Station on the Tozai Subway Line. The resort has half pipes, moguls, and an area to play in the snow. Rental equipment is available in a wide range of sizes and includes top brands. Credit cards and E-payment are accepted.

Sapporo Bankei Ski Area
・Hours: From mid-December to March *Subject to change depending on snowfall and snowfall conditions
・Lift tickets: Adults 350 yen, junior high school students and younger 300 yen (1 time); 3,500 yen (2-hour ticket) *Other ticket types/hours available. There are other set tickets with meals, equipment rentals, etc.
・Waku Waku Snowland admission: 900 yen (700 yen with lift ticket purchase), Parent-child pair (1 adult, 1 child) 1,400 yen
・Closures: Open daily all season
・Website: https://www.bankei.co.jp/

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort is about an hour's drive from downtown and is easily accessible by bus (90 minutes) from Sapporo Station. With one of the largest rental equipment inventories in Hokkaido, you can choose from the latest gear and clothing and start gliding down the slopes in no time. Skis or snowboards can be exchanged for free if you decide to try the other, and the wide range of rentals also includes sleds and tubes.

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort
・Hours: Dec. 1, 2022 - Mar. 31, 2023 9:00 - 17:00 (Sat., Sun., holidays from 8:30) Apr. 1 - May 7, 2023 9:00 - 16:30
・Lift tickets: 1-day 4,800 yen, 4 hours 4,200 yen; 1-day Snow Escalator ticket 1500 yen * Prices vary depending on type and season. Other advantageous ticket packages available.
・Closed: Open daily all season. *Subject to changes depending on weather, snowfall, etc.
・Website: https://www.sapporo-kokusai.jp/

Jozankei Onsen is located in Sapporo's Okuzashiki district, about 50 minutes by car from central Sapporo. The hot spring village is a popular destination, where bathers can enjoy the beauty of the valley. If you go in winter you can enjoy a refreshing Yukimi (open-air snow-viewing) bath.

There are about 20 hot spring inns in the Jozankei area to suit different tastes, including Koganeyu Onsen, Hoheikyo Onsen, and Usubetsu Onsen. Many have open-air baths and bathhouses with outdoor views, and you can experience a different atmosphere at each.

Some offer day-trip packages, making it fun to visit a few hot springs in a day. There is also a convenient direct bus from Sapporo Station that takes only an hour to get to the hot spring town.

February's Snow Candle Way event brings further winter wonderment to Jonzankei as snow candles are lit around Jozankei Shrine, creating a fantastic scene.

・Phone: 011-598-2012 (Jozankei Tourism Association)
・Website: https://jozankei.jp/

Ramen noodles are Sapporo's local delicacy, and the traditional thick, rich miso ramen doesn't cool quickly and will warm you to the core. There is a wide variety of flavors, from those with the deep sweetness and richness of the uniquely prepared miso, to those with tongue-tingling spiciness or plenty of garlic.

In recent years, shops offering non-miso ramen have increased and gained popularity. In winter, spicy dandan noodles are also highly recommended. Since each restaurant offers something unique, it's fun to try a few and compare.

Heating is indispensable during Hokkaido's cold winter, and among the appliances available, wood-burning stoves not only warm a room, but also soothe the heart with their flickering flames.

Morihico is a popular family-owned cafe in Sapporo's Maruyama neighborhood, which is full of unique shops. The cafe itself is a renovated classic wooden house, and in winter the wood stove is always lit.

You can slow down and enjoy a view of the snowy scenery outside while sipping fragrant home-roasted coffee and enjoying homemade baked goods.

In winter, ocean temperatures drop and seafood becomes especially delicious due to its increased fat content. Of course, crab is the king of seafood and from December to March, horsehair crab is in season off the coast of Kushiro in the Pacific Ocean. Steamed crab is common, but dashi soup stock also adds a unique taste, so crab is tasty in hot pots and Teppo-jiru soup, too.

Ishikari Nabe, another recommended Hokkaido food, warms the body by pairing the tastes of salmon and miso. Cod is also representative of seasonal winter seafood and a popular hot pot ingredient, while collagen-rich fish like sculpin and gokko can also be found in hot pots unique to Hokkaido. Kinki, delicious either boiled or as sashimi, and sweet shellfish like scallops and surf clams are also eaten in winter.

Winter in Sapporo has a lot to offer amidst the cold and snow. With impressive events, fun ways to play in the snow, and delicious food, there are plenty of ways to make your own list of "what to do in Sapporo in winter"! And check out the video below for ideas on what else you can see in Sapporo in winter!


Text by: Minna no Kotobasha
English translation by Gabriel Wilkinson

*Information accurate as of January 2021. Please check official websites for latest information.