Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill 羊ヶ丘展望台
|
|
|
Ticket gate and entrance to Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill (Hitsujigaoka Tembodai). 500 yen admission is charged so someone from the ticket office boarded our bus to collect admission fees.
|
|
Approaching Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill. The place is open every day from 8:30 am to 6 pm or 7 pm during spring and summer. Slightly shorter hours during winter (Oct.-April).
|
|
The place has a large parking lot and restaurant, shops, and wedding chapels. A little tourist village has formed over the years since the Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill opened in 1959.
|
|
Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is accessible by a 10-min. bus ride from Fukuzumi Station (Toho subway line). See the famous statue of William Clark on the fringe beyond the parking lot.
|
|
While there, you will likely hear this bell being rung constantly. The place is managed by the Sapporo Tourist Association.
|
|
Clark Bon Voyage Bell クラーク旅立ちの鐘
|
|
Most postcards of Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill show only this famous statue. So I had no idea that there was also a little tourist village.
|
|
An endless line of people taking pictures and posing in front of the statue.
|
|
Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill's lookout deck.
|
|
"Boys, Be Ambitious" This famous statue of Dr. William Clark was built in 1976 to mark Dr. Clark's 100th anniversary of his coming to Hokkaido, the 100th anniversary of Hokkaido University's founding, and the USA bicentennial.
|
|
Dr. William S. Clark (1826-1886) was a professor from Massachusetts. The statue was made by a Japanese sculpturer and sponsored by the Sapporo Tourist Association. Hokkaido University has a bust of Dr. Clark which is also popular among tourists.
|
|
Clark came to Hokkaido for 8 months during 1876 to 1877 as a founding vice president of Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaido University). When he departed, he supposedly said, "Boys, be ambitious!" to the students seeing him off.
|
|
The low hill overlooks Sapporo from the southeast.
|
|
Sapporo Dome can be seen on the right. It is near Fukuzumi Station.
|
|
Another prop for photos. "I love Sapporo!"
|
|
Hitsujigaoka means Sheep Hill, and it actually has sheep.
|
|
Yujiro Song Monument for a Sapporo song called, "Koi no Machi Sapporo" (恋の町札幌) sung by Ishihara Yujiro whose bust is on the right. Built in 1991.
|
|
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters baseball team monument marking the team's founding. Built in 2004. 北海道日本ハムファイターズ誕生記念碑
|
|
The monument has handprints and autographs of the players.
|
|
Handprint and autograph of Tsuyoshi Shinjo who was the team's most famous player.
|
|
Clark Chapel on the left, and on the right is the Sapporo Snow Festival Museum which opened in 2001. It used to be a wedding chapel. さっぽろ雪まつり資料館
|
|
The Sapporo Snow Festival Museum has display panels of all the past Sapporo Snow Festivals, dating from 1950.
|
|
Panel for the 33rd Sapporo Snow Festival in 1982 which featured Iolani Palace of Honolulu, Hawaii.
|
|
Snow Festival poster
|
|
The museum also has rooms showing scale models of the giant snow sculptures built in the past. These scale models were made when the respective snow sculpture was being designed.
|
|
Scale model of Hawaii's Iolani Palace made of wood, painted white. Built for the 33rd Sapporo Snow Festival in 1982.
|
|
Scale model of the Iolani Palace made of wood, painted white. Built for the 33rd Sapporo Snow Festival in 1982. The palace is in Honolulu, Hawaii, built by King David Kalakaua in 1882.
|
|
Top view of Iolani Palace scale model.
|
|
|
|
Sculpture of Commodore Perry's visit to Japan (2003).
|
|
More scale models in this room.
|
|
Horyuji temple, Nara
|
|
Palace in Thailand (2007)
|
|
Left is the capitol building in Norway (2005), and on the right is Flinders Street Station in Australia (2006).
|
|
Concert Gebouw, Holland (2000)
|
|
Salzburg Cathedral, Austria (1996)
|
|
Munich National Museum, Germany (1997)
|
|
London St. Paul's Cathedral, UK (1998)
|
|
Schloss Linderhof castle, Germany (1995)
|
|
Tools used to carve the snow sculptures.
|
|
Sapporo Snow Festival memorabalia.
|
|
Sapporo Snow Festival pins
|
|
Sapporo Snow Festival postcards
|
|
Snow Festival book
|
|
Sheep house
|
|
Inside sheep house
|
|
On the left is the Rest House with a restaurant (built in 1985), and on the right is the Austrian Pavilion moved here in 1972 after the Sapporo Winter Olympics. It houses gift shops.
|
|
Mon-chi-chi with a melon cap.
|
|
Wedding chapel. Not for tourists, but you can take the elevator to the top floor for fine views of the surrounding area.
|
|
Girl and Sheep sculpture at Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, Sapporo, Hokkaido
|
|
|
|
G8 Summit sticker in bus
|
|
|
Passage at Fukuzumi Station, near Sapporo Dome
|
|
|
|
|
