Odori Park (Odori Koen)

Visit this lush green space at the heart of downtown Sapporo to join one of the many cultural festivals held here, or to simply relax and enjoy the outdoors. The space where Odori Park sits was once the city’s main street (in fact, the name “Odori” means large street), which divided the north and south of Sapporo. It became a park in the early 1900s and remains a major hub of Sapporo to this day.
The landscape of the park is dotted with sculptures, fountains, playgrounds and benches, and around the perimeter you’ll find ample shopping, great food and the Sapporo City Archive Museum. During the summer, breweries set up beer gardens in the park, and during the winter it's filled with intricate snow and ice sculptures as part of the Sapporo Snow Festival, one of the largest winter events in the country. 

Practical Info

For incredible overhead views of Odori Park, head to the viewing platform atop the Sapporo TV Tower at the east end of the park. Getting there from elsewhere in the city is easy, as the central metro hub Odori Station, where all three of the city's subway lines meet, sits beneath the tower.