Sapporo — Day 4 of a 4-Day Trip in Japan’s Hokkaido Region
Despite the cold weather, Hokkaido’s fresh seafood and scenic towns made this region a great area to visit. I appreciated the fact that Sapporo was not as busy as the other main Japanese cities we had visited. Noboribetsu and Otaru both served as nice getaways from the City. The foot onsen at Noboribetsu was an awesome discovery.
Day 4
Sapporo
For our last day in Sapporo, we headed to Moerenuma Park. Moerenuma Park is a municipal park designed by Isamu Noguchi, a Japanese-American artist. The space was once a landfill, but is now a beautiful park. We hopped on the local bus and ventured out of the downtown area. From the bus stop, we enjoyed a scenic stroll along a small river to the main park area.
We followed the pathway up Mt. Moere. Once we reached the top, we were rewarded with a refreshing view of the park. The wind was strong at the top of Mt. Moere.
We headed to the Hidamari Glass Pyramid to the east of Mt. Moere. The glass pyramid has an information centre, restaurant, and a gallery dedicated to Isamu Noguchi. It was serene and felt like an ideal location to sit and read a book.
Note: We were limited on time on Day 4 morning, but we could have easily spent most of the day at the park. We headed directly to the airport after Moerenuma Park. The evening of ‘Day 4’ is continued by our activities on our very first evening in Sapporo (after Noboribetsu).
We headed to Hanamaru Sushi, a popular conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Sapporo, for dinner. The restaurant is located in the JR Tower Stellar Place, a department store across from Sapporo Station. The restaurant is on the 6th floor and often has a long line queuing up outside it. It was no different for us — we added our name to the list and patiently waited. Despite the long line, the wait was shorter than expected (about 30 minutes). After dining at Hanamaru Sushi, it was hands-down our favourite sushi restaurant in Japan. There were so many different cuts of fresh fish. Our favourite was the slightly seared salmon. Yum!
For dessert, we picked up a box of 6 cheese tarts from Kinotoya Bake, a bakery located near the East Entrance of Sapporo Station. The cheese tarts are delicious — it has a nice crispy tart base with a slightly seared cream cheese filling.
Complete Day 4 Itinerary
Travel times may vary and do not include walking distances to and from train stations. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.
8:00am: Grab breakfast near Sapporo Station. Pick up snacks and lunch for later at the convenience store. Head to Moerenuma Park (6 minute train from Sapporo Station to Kanjo Dori Higashi Station, transfer for a 23 minute bus from Kanjodorihigashieki to Toyohata).
10:00am: Explore Moerenuma Park. Visit the many attractions — Mt.Moere, Hidamari Glass Pyramid, Play Mountain, Sea Fountain, Moere Beach, Tetra Mound, Music Shell and more.
12:00pm: Find somewhere at the park to sit down and eat lunch. There is a french restaurant called L’Enfant Qui Reve on the ground floor of Hidamari Glass Pyramid. Continue to explore the park.
3:00pm: Wander Hokkaido University (28 minute bus from Moerenuma Koen to Higashikuyakushomaeeki, transfer for a 5 minute bus from Higashikuyakushomaeeki to Kita 12 Jonishi 5-Chome).
5:00pm: Head to Nemuro Hanamaru Sushi at JR Tower Stellar Place (15 minute walk).
7:00pm: Go shopping at the many stores in the area. Grab dessert at Kinotoya Bake (3 minute walk from Nemuro Hanamaru Sushi).
16-Day Japan Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 16-Day Japan Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip in Japan!
Travels with Carolyne 