Explore Sapporo

Sapporo is the northern frontier of Japan, a city that feels vastly different from the ancient capitals of the south. Built in the late 19th century with American assistance, it is laid out in a perfect, wide grid system, giving it an open, almost Western feel. But the soul of Sapporo is purely Hokkaido: wild, snowy, and incredibly delicious. This is a city that embraces winter like nowhere else. When the snow falls—and it falls by the meter—the city doesn’t shut down; it lights up.

The Sapporo Snow Festival transforms the city into a gallery of massive ice sculptures, but the real draw is the food. Hokkaido is the breadbasket (and seafood locker) of Japan. The crab here is sweeter, the milk is creamier, and the corn is crunchier. Sapporo is the birthplace of Miso Ramen, a rich, buttery broth topped with sweet corn and a slice of butter that is the only antidote to the sub-zero temperatures.

In the evenings, the Susukino district explodes with neon, rivaling Tokyo’s Kabukicho. It’s a maze of bars, soup curry shops, and ‘Genghis Khan’ (Jingisukan) restaurants, where you grill lamb on convex skillets shaped like Mongolian helmets. The vibe is hearty and warm; people here know how to drink and eat to ward off the cold. In summer, the city transforms into a beer garden, with Odori Park filled with locals drinking the city’s namesake brew under the sun. Sapporo is unpretentious, rugged, and deeply satisfying.