Image search results - "sapporo" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "sapporo"

Sapporo Station, morning train for Otaru.

Inside train to Otaru. It takes about 40 min. by regular train, and costs a mere 620 yen.

Milk shake with a Yubari melon flavor.

The famous Clock Tower or Tokeidai is overshadowed by much bigger and modern buildings in central Sapporo. A short walk from Sapporo Station and Odori Park.

The Clock Tower was built in 1878 as part of the Sapporo Agricultural College established largely by three Americans from Massachusetts: Dr. Willian S. Clark, William Wheeler, and David P. Penhallow.

The Clock Tower was used as a drill hall and ceremony hall. After the college moved, the building was used by local citizens for cultural purposes such as a library and lecture hall.

The construction of the tower and installation of the clock was completed in 1881. The clock was made by Howard Clock Co. of Boston, MA. It is still in the Clock Tower, sounding its original chime.

Front entrance of the Clock Tower.

The Sapporo Clock Tower is an Important Cultural Property.

The clock inside the tower is Japan's oldest. The gears and other main parts are also still the original ones. Thanks to excellent care and maintenance, the clock has come this far.

Inside the Sapporo Clock Tower. The first floor has various display panels and exhibits.

The exhibits explain about the history of Hokkaido's early settlement and development.

Scale model of what the Sapporo Agricultural College looked like. Notice the Clock Tower. In those days, Sapporo's population was only 2,600.

Records of songs which mention the Clock Tower.

Panel showing foreign instructors who taught at Sapporo Agricultural College.

Second floor of the Clock Tower. Mostly pews for a lecture hall.

A working clock

On New Year's Eve, a crowd gathers to hear the Clock Tower ring in the New Year.

The new JR Sapporo Station is definitely the city's most noticeable change in recent years. It is a huge complex, a far cry from the old train station.

This is Minami-guchi or the South Exit. On the far right is the JR Tower.

Sapporo Station is nicknamed "Satsu-eki."

Sapporo Station front and center on the south side.

One of the entrances to Sapporo Station on the south side.

This symbolic sculpture has been retained from the old Sapporo Station.

Sculpture in front of Sapporo Station, south exit.

See the same sculpture in front of the old Sapporo Station, which really was a train station with almost none of the shops and restaurants found in the new station building.

Daimaru Dept. Store on the west side. Notice the entrance sign celebrating the 5th anniversary of the new train station.

JR Tower

Also on the south side of Sapporo Station is this countdown display for the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit to be held in early July 2008.

Sapporo Station Kita-guchi or North Exit.

Bus stops on the north side of Sapporo Station.

Sapporo Station, North Exit.

Sapporo Station's North Entrance has a sculpture and water fountain.

View from Sapporo Station's North Exit

Inside Sapporo Station building

Tourist information office inside Sapporo Station. Very spacious with numerous racks or tourist pamphlets.

Waiting area in Sapporo Station.

Sapporo Station train platform. The platform looks dark (black) since entire station is covered. The ceiling is black. The roof is also a parking lot.

Train platform in Sapporo Station. Well protected from snow.

Above the train platforms is this roof and parking lot.

View of Sapporo Station's north side from JR Tower. Admission to JR Tower lookout deck on the 38th floor is 700 yen.

View of Sapporo Station's north side from JR Tower.

View of Sapporo Station's south side from JR Tower.

View of Sapporo Station's west side from JR Tower.

View of Sapporo Station's west side from JR Tower. See the roof of Daimaru Dept. Store.

View of Sapporo Station's west side from JR Tower.

JR Tower lookout deck (temboshitsu) called JR Tower Observatory T38. JRタワー展望室

View from JR Tower looking south toward Odori Park.

View from JR Tower looking south toward Odori Park. Sapporo TV Tower on the left.

View from JR Tower toward Hokkaido University.

View from JR Tower looking east.

Toilet with a view in JR Tower

Urinal with a view in JR Tower

On the west side is Kinokuniya Bookstore.

Elevated train tracks on west side.

Yodobashi Camera store on west side of Sapporo Station.

Yodobashi, Hokkaido's largest camera and electronics store.

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.

Here's what it looked like in Feb. 1982. Iolani Palace made of snow. More Sapporo Snow Festival photos here.

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

Built in 1888, the former Hokkaido Government Office Building is one of Hokkaido's most famous buildings at the heart of Sapporo. With its red brick walls, it stands out among Sapporo's more modern buildings.

The building was akin to Hokkaido's capitol where the governor's office was located. It was used for 80 years. Open 9 am - 5 pm, closed Dec. 29-Jan. 3. Free admission. Near Sapporo Station's south exit and visible from Ekimae-dori road.

Nicknamed "Akarenga Chosha" (Red Brick Government Building), a fire in 1909 gutted the interior, but the exterior was little damaged. The building was restored in 1911. 赤れんが庁舎

Most of the building materials, stones and wood, were procured from Hokkaido. The building is flanked by yaezakura cherry trees which bloom in early May.

Tulips also give a colorful touch to the grounds. In 1968, the building was restored to its original state, and it has been preserved since then. It has an American Neo-baroque style.

In March 1969, it was designated as an Important Cultural Property. Its 2.5 million bricks were made locally and laid in a French style.

The roof has chimney-like ventilation outlets.

Former Hokkaido Government Office Building and tulips, Sapporo

Former Hokkaido Government Office Building and yaezakura cherry blossoms, Sapporo

Adjacent pond and cherry blossoms

G8 Summit countdown sign

The interior of the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building is just as dignified as the exterior. This triple-arch staircase is what you first see when you enter the building.

Rear of the triple-arch staircase.

Going to the 2nd floor.

Most of the rooms open to the public are on the 2nd floor.

Staircase and G8 Summit sign

Second floor corridor.

On the right is the entrance to the former Governor's office

The second floor has several large rooms. This is the Hokkaido Archives where Hokkaido's historical documents and records are kept.

Cannon balls

Inside the former office of the Governor. There's a large conference table and the walls are decorated with portraits of past Hokkaido governors.

Portraits of past Hokkaido governors. The bottom row are the most recent governors.

A stately room. The governor's desk is in the right corner.

Governor's desk in the governor's former office.

Another room on the 2nd floor shows Hokkaido's international relations with sister states in Alberta, Canada; Massachusetts, USA; and Heilongjiang, China.

From Alberta, Canada

From Massachusetts, USA. The famous Dr. William Clark was from this US state.

Photos of international sister state exchanges.

Red bricks

Karafuto/Sakhalin Resource Library

Hokkaido History Gallery occupies another room on the 2nd floor.

Hokkaido History Gallery includes wildlife exhibit.

There's also the Northern Territories Room with exhibits clamoring for the return of the northern territories (Shikotan, Habomai, Etorofu). now occupied by Russia.

Petition for the return of the Northern Territories. As of late April 2008, over 80.3 million people signed the petition.

Poster for the return of the Northern Territories

Poster for the return of the Northern Territories. Her braided hair resembles the northern islands.

First floor corridor. Most of the rooms on the 1st floor are closed to the public.

Point Zero for Hokkaido's travel distances.

Along the road to the former government building are display panels about Hokkaido's hisotry. Here's one about the early foreigners in Hokkaido.

Stretching for about 1.5 km east to west in central Sapporo, Odori Koen or Park is the city's oasis in the urban jungle. This is the heart of the park.

Odori Park's most photographed sculpture shows three ballerinas near a water fountain. Sapporo, Hokkaido

Numerous flower beds in the park.

Water fountain and Sapporo TV Tower

In winter, the water fountains are fenced off.

The flower beds are maintained by nearby companies.

Horse carriage ride for tourists

Sapporo TV Tower anchors the east end of Odori Park.

The Sapporo TV Tower was built in 1957. The mid-level deck has gift shops.

Foot of Sapporo TV Tower. An elevator takes you up to the top lookout deck.

Sapporo TV Tower lookout deck.

View of Odori Park from Sapporo TV Tower.

Odori Park was originally a space to prevent the spread of fire.

Views from Sapporo TV Tower, looking toward Sapporo Station (JR Tower on the right).

View from Sapporo TV Tower.

Views from Sapporo TV Tower

The Sapporo Ekimae-dori is the city's main drag running from Sapporo Station to the southern part of the city. This is what it looks like from Sapporo Station.

Sapporo Ekimae-dori as seen from Sapporo Station, left side. "Ekimae" means "front of the station." "Dori" means road.

Sapporo Ekimae-dori as seen from Sapporo Station, right side. Notice the bus parked at the bus stop for New Chitose Airport.

Banner on a building urging the shinkansen to reach Sapporo.

Construction sign showing how the new underground pedestrian passage is being built from Sapporo Station to Odori Park. It is a 4-year project, scheduled to be completed in June 2010. I wonder what they will call it. I propose "Snow Town."

Sapporo Ekimae-dori is not a very long road. It's only about 3 km from Sapporo Station to Nakajima Park at the south end. Yet, there's a subway station (Namboku Line) every kilometer or so.

Sapporo Seibu dept. store. I think this used to be called Gobankan.

Sapporo taxis always leave their door open while waiting for a fare. They probably do this only during the warmer months.

Construction wall for the upcoming Nissei Bdlg.

Evidence of underground construction work for the passage linking Sapporo Station and Odori. They already have Aurora Town and Pole Town, so how about Snow Town for the new passage?

They are building the new underground passage right above the Namboku subway line which runs under Ekimae-dori.

Construction machinery on Sapporo Ekimae-dori.

The road has temporary panels.

Building near Odori Park welcoming the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit.

Odori Station

Odori Station platform

Inside a subway train (Toho Line).

Entrance to Aurora Town, an underground passage and shopping arcade between Odori Station and the Sapporo TV Tower.

Aurora Town

Entrance to Pole Town, an underground passage and shopping arcade between Odori Station and Susukino.

Pole Town

Mitsukoshi Dept. Store

Parco

Tanuki-koji shopping arcade

Neon lights of Susukino, at the main intersection.

Neon lights of Susukino

Susukino

Robinson's dept. store at Susukino's main intersection. This used to be York Matsuzakaya.

Neon signs of Susukino, Sapporo

Ramen menu

Ramen at Ramen Yokocho in Sapporo

Susukino Station

Susukino Station platform

Susukino Station sign

Susukino Station subway train

Sapporo Snow Festival in Sapporo, Hokkaido is held for about a week in early Feb. These are photos of the 61st Sapporo Snow Festival held during Feb. 5-11, 2010. The main festival site is at Odori Park anchored on the east end by Sapporo TV Tower. I started exploring this site from here.

Odori Park is a long, rectangular park divided into numbered blocks called "chome." Next to the TV tower was 1-chome with a skating rink (free of charge) and 2-chome featuring a group of sculptures called Winter Sports Kingdom Hokkaido!

These blocks of ice lighted in red have carved reliefs of various winter sports. I was in Sapporo for three days and visited the festival sites every day, during the day and evening.

Figure skater. The weather was mostly cloudy with occasional light snowfall during most of the festival week. The temperature was around freezing, so wearing a ski cap or jacket hood kept my ears warm.

The main sculpture in 2-chome. "Winter Sports Kingdom Hokkaido!"

Ice figures of winter sports athletes. When the freezing wind blows, your unprotected ears will feel it first. But in Sapporo, warm shelter is always nearby, either below ground or in a building.

Beautiful at night as well. The snow festival sculptures are lit up until 10 pm nightly during the festival. It's too cold to keep standing to watch something for more than 20 min. It's best to keep moving.

They had a Yamaha keyboard player providing music coordinated with the colorful lighting. ２丁目　ウィンタースポーツ王国・北海道

In the next block at 3-chome was the Snowboard Jump hill standing 24 meters high and 65 meters long. They held snowboard jump tournaments during the snow festival. Free to watch.

Female snowboard jumper

Also ski jumpers. 3丁目　スノーボードジャンプ台

Back of the snowboard jump hill.

In 4-chome was the first giant snow sculpture called "Zoo of the Northland" in STV/Yomiuri Square.

With a very impressive carving of animals, this was clearly the crowd favorite. "Zoo of the Northland" features endangered animals at the 61st Sapporo Snow Festival.

Gorilla

Bear and cubs

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