Sapporo Off The Beaten Path

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Enroute to the airport, this is an interesting stopover if you have 2 to 3 hours to spare. It is basically a farm market where you can buy seeds, gardening tools and decorations. Something worthy of mention is its park with metal structures (very artistic) and an enormous tomato plant.

Less than half an hours' drive from the Shin Chitose airport, it is an outlet mall selling clothes and with a good cafe. A good resting stop enroute from or to the airport and if you have about two hours or so to spare.

If you're not into shopping or don't need a food stop, then give it a miss. There are frequent shuttle buses connecting the mall to the airport and parking is easy and free.

"Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park" is opend as "Takino Snow World" from end of December till end of March.
Good place to the families with kids.You can choose what to play;skiing,snowshoes play,sledge ride,indoor-playroom and so on.Ski slope is so mild and good chance for a beginner to try skiing with rental ski.

*Shuttle bus available (but not so often).

Beautiful in simmer,too.I prefer floral season ;P

Sapporo Beer Museum tour. The museum is at the site of the second brewery built in Hokkaido (it is now the oldest). This is one of the most interesting things I did in Sapporo. The hour tour was really informative and the all-you-can-drink 20 minutes at the end was something else! I'm not a big beer drinker but I have to say the Sapporo beer is good and less bitter than the US favorites. The guys at the table next to me were on number four when I left! Everyone was happy as we left the museum!! I thought the following was very interesting; the top producers of beer are the US, China, and Germany while the top consumers are the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Germany. Hmmm?E Make a reservation 0117-31-4368

I don't know much about beer.
But, I did visit THE SAPPORO BEER MUSEUM in Sapporo. Opened in 1987, the museum is dedicated to the pioneers of the company. The exhibits attempt to help visitors understand & enjoy the history, science & nature of beer.

At the beginning of the trip, we went through 3 time tunnels:
Tunnel of Froth: lead us into the world of beer.
Tunnel of Posters: showed the changes in Japan's customs & fashions
Tunnel of Barley & Hops: filled us with a fresh, natural feeling (hehe... according to them!)
On the 2nd floor, the long relationship between man & beer (said to go back to ancient Mesopotamia!) are explained on large glass panels. There are also display of samples of barley & hops.

Trivia: What kind of barley is used for making beer?
Answer: 2-rowed barley. Ordinary barley is called '6-rowed barley' because there are 6 rows of grains on a spike. Those used in beer making is a specially improved variety with 2 rows of grains on each spike.
Trivia: What nutrients are there in 100 ml. of beer?
Answer: Protein: 0.4 gram, Carbohydrates in the form of sugar: 3.1 gram, Calcium: 2 milligram, Vitamin B-2: 0.03 milligram. Total 39 kcal.

On the 3rd floor, the history of beer brewing is highlighted:
1860s: Seibei Nakagawa went to Europe & learned the technique of beer brewing in Germany. He designed the Commissioner-General's Brewery in Sapporo (later the Sapporo Brewery) & became its first Braumeister. Nakagawa thus played a prominent role in beer brewing in Japan.
1877: Sapporo Beer goes on sale.
1959: Canned beer goes on sale.
1977: Sapporo Bottled Draft goes on the market.
1989: Sapporo First Brewery moves to Eniwa in Hokkaido.
Steps in brewing:
Ingredients: Selected 2-rowed barley finest quality hops using Sapporo's own developed yeast M2001 & special treated water.
Malting: Selected barley steeped in water & germinated for 8 days until green malt is produced, then kilned using hot air. It is then stored in silos for about 2 months.
Mashing, Filtering & Boiling: The malt is milled & mixed with warm water, then turned into 'mash'. By doing so, the enzymes in the malt are activated. After scruplous filtering, the wort is boiled with choicest hops.
Fermentation: The wort is transferred to modern coller & kept in a completely sterile environment. Then it is put into fermenting tanks & Sapporo's special yeast M2001 is added. After 8 to 10 days in the fermenting tanks at temperatures below 8ºC, the wort becomes young beer.
The yound beer is put into aging tanks, where it is kept for about 2 months at almost freezing temperature. The flavor of the beer improves daily. The beer is then filtered again & Sapporo draft beer is born.
About 6 months later, the beer goes on sale in several different forms: barreled draft, bottled draft, canned draft & pasteurized beer.
Tour of Brewery & Beer Museum:
Length of Tour: 60-80 minutes.
Opening Hours: 9am - 6pm in Summer, 9 am - 5pm in other months. Closed from Dec. 29 - Jan. 5.
Free Admission.
You get to enjoy the taste of Sapporo Beer after the tour, of course!

Sapporo Environs

A variety of additional points of interest are found on the borders of the city. Located within Sapporo city limits and in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Jozankei Hot Springs (Jozankei Onsen) is a collection of spas within an hour of downtown. The waters' minerals are said to relieve aches and pains as the sight of the surrounding mountains eases the mind. Some hot springs in Jozankei are open to day visitors. The arched Hoheikyo Dam far up on the Toyohira River and surrounded by virgin forests, and Jozankei Dam, a multipurpose gravity dam on the Otarunai River, are also in Jozankei.





Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is known for its statue of Dr. Clark, who extends his hand toward Sapporo. A small chapel popular for weddings adjoins the site. Nopporo Forest Park was established to commemorate Hokkaido's centennial. On its vast 2,050 hectares are the Centennial Memorial Tower, built in honor of the hundredth anniversary of Hokkaido's official colonization, the Historical Museum of Hokkaido, and the Historical Village of Hokkaido, with recreated buildings from Hokkaido's frontier days. The Sapporo Science Center exhibits the latest technology and allows visitors to enjoy themselves while learning about science, including by viewing the starry skies in the attached planetarium. An 'urban-style aquarium,' Sunpiazza Aquarium is located in an urban district and its inhabitants include sea otters and penguins.