Japan / Sapporo / 18–21 Jan 2025

Sapporo snow days, warm food stops, and a calm winter start

First stop, and the calmest one: ramen the night we landed, walks through parks buried in snow, a really good seafood lunch, a shrine, the TV tower, and a last-day tour that went from zoo animals to cabins in snowy woods.

Sapporo
18–21 Jan 2025
First stop
Snow + sightseeing
Family trip

Snowy parks, seafood lunches, ramen nights, winter views. A calm Hokkaido start to the family trip.

Family standing in the snow with Moerenuma Park glass pyramid behind them — Open snow, winter light, no rush. An easy way to start the trip.

Sapporo was a good first stop. The food was comforting, the snow did most of the work, and even the busy spots were slower than the cities after it.

We got in late on 18 Jan and went for ramen near the hotel. After that: snowy parks, seafood lunches, a mountain viewpoint, a shrine, a sweets factory, and a one-day winter tour that packed a lot into the last day.

It's not just the snow. Sapporo let us ease in with warm meals, open space and a slower pace before Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo got busier.

18 Jan / Arrival

Ramen first

A late bowl near the hotel. Warm after a cold arrival.

19 Jan / Snow park

Moerenuma

Open snow, the glass pyramid, and families playing around the park.

19 Jan / Seafood

Hokkaido lunch

Fresh salmon and juicy crab. Worth the cold walk.

19 Jan / Viewpoint

Mt. Moiwa at dusk

Snowy rails, ropeway views, and the city lights coming on.

20 Jan / City + shrine

Shrine and sweets

TV Tower, Hokkaido Jingu, lunch nearby, and Shiroi Koibito Park.

21 Jan / Day tour

Zoo, Biei, Ningle

The full tour day: animals, snow riding, and cabin lights.

Sapporo was a good start because nothing felt forced. Snow, food, easy pace. That was enough.
Me, on Sapporo

18 Jan / Ramen the night we landed

Late first bowl, good first bowl

We landed at New Chitose Airport on the night of 18 Jan, checked in, and went straight to the ramen alley near the hotel. It was already around 22:30, and somehow that made the first bowl in Sapporo taste even better.

The alley was narrow, bright and busy, with tiny ramen shops packed side by side. Our shop was small and cramped. Very Japan: compact, warm, lots going on.

Food note: savoury, comforting broth. Exactly what I wanted after the flight.

Read the ramen note

Lanterns and ramen shops inside Sapporo ramen alley — Warm light outside, and we were still cold from the trip in.

19 Jan / Moerenuma Park, seafood lunch, Mt. Moiwa, and hotel-room dinner

The busiest Sapporo day, and it still felt easy

19 Jan had a bit of everything: open snow in the morning, seafood after the cold, a mountain viewpoint later, then a convenience-store dinner back at the hotel.

Moerenuma Park

Snow, families, and the glass pyramid

My second time at Moerenuma Park, and it was still beautiful. Cold, but the glass pyramid looks great against the snow, and the whole park is calm in a way I love.

Snowy road leading toward the glass pyramid at Moerenuma Park — Lots of open space before you even get to the pyramid.

We walked through the snowy park and saw families playing around. That part was heartwarming. People were really out enjoying winter together.

My take: still worth it, even the second time. Glass pyramid, open snow, families everywhere. Peaceful, and a good easy first full day.

Inside Moerenuma Park glass pyramid with geometric black frames — Inside it's all clean lines and quiet.

Families playing on a snowy hill at Moerenuma Park — The families playing outside were as much a part of it as the building.

Seafood lunch

After Moerenuma Park we had lunch at a place whose name I forgot. The food I remember. The salmon sashimi was fresh, and the king crab leg was juicy. Proper Hokkaido.

Read the seafood lunch note

Fresh salmon sashimi rice bowl from Sapporo lunch — Simple but very satisfying, especially after walking around in the cold.

Mt. Moiwa

Snowy summit, then Sapporo at night

After lunch we went up Mt. Moiwa. Snow on the tracks, bare trees, and Sapporo off in the distance.

Night view over Sapporo from Mt. Moiwa with ropeway cables in the sky — Pale daylight first, then the city lights.

Snowy railway tracks and winter trees on Mt. Moiwa — Quiet snowy rail views first. The city lights looked better after.

The view changed a lot toward evening. In the afternoon everything was pale and snowy. Later the city lights came on, and that was the best part.

My take: a great Sapporo viewpoint. Stay long enough to see it go from daylight to night lights.

7-Eleven hotel dinner

After a full day, dinner was a 7-Eleven haul back at the hotel. Simple, easy, and part of the Japan experience too.

Food note: crab-style snacks, egg, grilled chicken, cheese chikuwa, and a chocolate cream puff. Less backup dinner, more hotel-room tasting session.

Read the 7-Eleven dinner note

7-Eleven dinner spread with crab, egg, grilled chicken, and snacks — Not glamorous, but I remember it. Hotel-room convenience-store dinners in Japan are like that.

20 Jan / Odori, shrine, lunch, and sweets

City day, with a shrine in the middle

20 Jan started in the center with Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower, then Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, lunch nearby, and Shiroi Koibito Park for sweets at the end.

Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower

Snowy city walk around the red tower

We started 20 Jan around Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower. Classic Sapporo morning: snow on the ground, the red tower over the park, and the sky getting brighter.

View from Sapporo TV Tower overlooking snowy Odori Park and the city — From above, Odori Park is a long snowy strip through the city.

Portrait with Sapporo TV Tower in the background at Odori Park — The red tower, standing over all that snow.

From the tower, Odori Park looked like a long snowy line cutting through the city. Down on the street there was winter stuff everywhere: a big Christmas tree, a bakery, fair-style displays.

My take: easy, must-do Sapporo stop. Central, simple, and you get both the street view and the view from up high.

Hokkaido Jingu Shrine

Quieter shrine stop after the tower

After Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower we went to Hokkaido Jingu Shrine. Snow on the approach, a wooden shrine building. Slower and calmer.

Snowy approach to Hokkaido Jingu Shrine with red banners — Clean, quiet approach after all the city walking.

Hokkaido Jingu Shrine main hall with purple curtain and snow on the ground — The main hall. The quiet part of the day.

My take: a nice change after the city center. Peaceful and traditional. Fits a winter day in Sapporo.

Lunch nearby

After Hokkaido Jingu we ate nearby. Comforting, easy plate: omurice, fried seafood, salad, and a hamburger-style patty with sauce.

Read the lunch note

Lunch plate with omurice, fried seafood, salad, and hamburger patty — Nothing fancy. Just a good, filling lunch before the sweets.

Shiroi Koibito Park

Sweets factory to end the day

Shiroi Koibito Park was a lighter stop after shrines and city views. You get to see how the famous biscuit is made, so it's more than just sweets shopping. The winter decorations outside were cute, even with the crowd.

Crowded entrance area at Shiroi Koibito Park in winter — Kind of a theme park, before you even get to the factory part.

Snow-covered garden and light decorations at Shiroi Koibito Park — Snow-covered garden, light decorations.

Outside it felt like a winter theme park. The factory viewing area made it more interesting than just buying souvenirs. Busy, but still charming, that very Japan thing where everything is neatly presented.

My take: worth going once. I wouldn't repeat it every trip, but it's a fun, photogenic stop for a family winter trip.

Shiroi Koibito factory production floor seen from above — The factory part is what makes it more than a souvenir shop.

Soft serve ice cream cups outside Shiroi Koibito Park in winter — Soft serve while freezing. That's why I remember it.

Read the soft serve note

21 Jan / One-day winter tour

Animals, snow riding, and cabin lights in one long day

On 21 Jan we did a one-day tour: Asahiyama Zoo first, then a snow ATV ride in Biei, a very crowded pass-by at the Furano Christmas Tree, and finally Ningle Terrace in the snowy woods.

Asahiyama Zoo

Winter animals and the famous penguin walk

The zoo in winter was very Hokkaido: bright snow, cold air, and animals that looked totally at home.

Portrait at the Asahiyama Zoo sign in winter — Clearly a winter zoo from the first minute.

Tanuki walking through snow at Asahiyama Zoo — The tanuki were the surprise favourite. Small, fluffy, very at home in the snow.

Best part for me: seeing tanuki for the first time. So cute and fluffy. Easily the part of the zoo I remember most. We saw other winter animals around the snowy enclosures too, which made it very different from a normal zoo day.

The penguin walk is iconic and it's what Asahiyama Zoo is known for, but the crowd was intense. Lots of people queueing and watching. A bit painful, even though the penguins themselves were fun.

My take: worth it in winter, mainly for the animals in the snow. If you care about a good view of the penguin walk, be ready for the crowd.

Biei Snow ATV

Snow ATVs in Biei

Second stop on the tour was a snow ATV ride in Biei. More active after the zoo: open snow fields, clear blue sky, and the whole family in helmets.

Portrait on a snow ATV in Biei — The snow is what made it.

Snow ATV riding on a snowy Biei trail — Just fun. Nothing more to it.

It was fun, mostly because the winter scenery made a simple ride feel special. The one downside was the gas and fuel smell. Noticeable, but it didn't ruin anything.

My take: fun once. The snow was the main thing, and it was a good family stop after the zoo.

Furano Christmas Tree

Third stop was the Furano Christmas Tree, but it was so crowded I didn't get off the bus. So, more of a drive-by.

My take: probably nice if the crowd is manageable. That day it wasn't worth pushing through just for a photo.

Ningle Terrace warning

The walk from the bus stop to the main spot is quite far and slippery. We had to be really careful on the snow and ice.

Ningle Terrace

Cabins hidden in the snowy woods

Once we got there, it was beautiful. Small wooden cabins, soft lights, trees and snow. Like a little winter village in the forest.

Walking through snowy Ningle Terrace with wooden cabins and lights — Slippery to get to, but the cabin lights were worth it.

Wooden cabins glowing among snowy trees at Ningle Terrace — Like a little winter village, once we finally got there.

Snowy path and small cabins at Ningle Terrace — The path. You'll remember it, and you should watch your step on it.

My take: beautiful and worth seeing, but wear shoes with good grip and walk slowly. The slippery path is the main warning here.