Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido. The city itself is not really beautiful, but is an excellent base for exploring the rest of the island. It has more nightlife than any other city north of Tokyo. The Susukino district has countless bars, nightclubs and hostess bars. During winter the Sapporo snow festival attracts visitors from all over the country to see the huge (15 to 20 meters high) snowsculptures that are on display all over Odori Park. You can rent cross country skis for free in Nakajima park.

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Despite its size and bustle, this is a pleasant and vibrant city, dominated to the south by the mountains that served as the location for the 1972 Winter Olympics, it is less than thirty minutes from the coast. It’s also generously endowed with parks and gardens and is laid out in an easy-to-follow grid plan. The city’s layout was designed in the 1870s by a team of European and American experts engaged by the government to advise on the development of the island.

Online map of Sapporo in Japan:

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Sapporo in Ainu language means “important river flowing through a plain”. Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido and Japan’s fifth largest city. Sapporo is also one of the nation’s youngest major cities. In 1857, the city’s population stood at just seven people. Sapporo became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held there. Today, the city is well known for its ramen, beer, and the annual snow festival held in February.

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One of Japan’s newest and nicest cities, Sapporo’s population has grown from 7 in 1857 to nearly two million today. Being a new city, especially by Japanese standards, means it has little in the way of traditional architecture and the like of cities such as Kyoto.

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This romantic postcard with golden “a happy new year” description shows Mount Fuji as seen from Lake Motosu on early morning.

Mount Fuji stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days. Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji. It is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

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Another Japanese postcard showing their fastest bullet train “Shin-Kansen” and Mount Fuji in the background.

Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is with 3776 meters Japan’s highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people. Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708.

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A Shinkansen bullet train speeds by Mount Fuji. Services on the Tokaido Line linking Tokyo and Osaka began in 1964. The fastest trains now reach a maximum speed of 270 kilometers per hour and cover the distance between the two cities in 2 hours and 30 minutes.

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