Sapporo / Otaru

Sapporo city is the main hub of Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido. It is the fifth-largest city in Japan in terms of population, and its population makes up for 30% of Hokkaido as a whole. Sapporo station is directly connected to New Chitose Airport and offers many facilities, including a 1900m long shopping arcade. Sapporo also has abundant nature and was chosen as the first city in Asia to host the winter Olympics, in 1972. It is famous for its fresh seafood and other produce as well as for the snow festival, its large clock, and Mt. Okura. Otaru is another must-see city of Hokkaido, with it's rich and interesting history as a port city famous for its fishing and trade industry, located only half an hour away from Sapporo. Particular spots are the Otaru canal, still lined with old warehouses and with a particularly European atmosphere to it's architecture.