ODORI PARK and TV TOWER: Two symbols of Sapporo

Odori park is Sapporo’s postcard. Impossible to miss. It’s a little piece of green (about 1,5km long) surronded by traffic lights. To me, Odori park looks like little squares where it is very pleasant to rest by the fountains when it is hot during the day or in the evening when the sun sets. It is a nice place to take a break in your shopping day.  

Big festivals take place in Odori park throughout the seasons. In Spring, there’s the Lilac Festival to celebrate the end of a long Winter and the bloom of the flowers. In Summer, you can attend Yosakoi Soran Festival that is a folk song and dance event and also the Beer feestival. Indeed, « Sapporo » beer was born in Sapporo in 1876 and is one of the three most sold beers in Japan. So it does make sense that a beer event takes place in the city. In Fall, it is time for the Autumn Fest that is a big food festival with especially dishes from all around Hokkaido. 

Finally, in Winter takes place the most famous festival in Hokkaido: Sapporo Snow Festival. Every year snow statues up to 15meter high attracts many tourists from Japan and from abroad. In 2019, 2,74 million people came to attend the Snow festival. And I’ll have the opportunity to experience it next February!!

At the beginning of 2019 Rugby World Cup, a fanzone was set up in the park. This fanzone happened to be way too little, especially for Japan v. Ireland match. A few hundreds Japanese people had to stand behind and watch the match through the fabric panels surrounding the fanzone. The match and the atmosphere were amazing!

Odori park is the heart of Sapporo, literally and figuratively because it divides the city in two parts between the North and the South. Sapporo is organized in blocks. Streets are named according to the North (kita), the South (minami), the East (higashi), the West (nishi) and to the intersection between two streets, one being Odori park’s street. For example the address of the former building of the government in Sapporo is :  Kita 3-jo Nishi 6-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo. The building is located 3 blocks north and 6 blocks west from the intersection in Chuo district.

The park is expanded over 12 blocks with the famous TV Tower at one of its ends. It is 90meter high and is as iconic as the park itself. Green and red, Sapporo’s inhabitants made it their mascot. Some parts of the festivals are located under the tower. In Summer, it is possible to jump attached to a harness from the first floor. It doesn’t look so terrible from the bottom… But once on the platform, when you’ve never jumped from 27m high, it is quite impressive! But jumping with a view over Odori park it is a pretty nice experience.

From the tower second floor obervatory, you have a 360° view over the city and especially over Odori Park. In the background you can admire the mountains and even spot the ski jump installed for 1972 Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, aligned with the tower and the park.

Odori Park and its TV Tower are characteristic of the city of Sapporo. It is a relaxing and lively place. You can meet people who come to take their lunch break or to rest after a day of work but also people playing music or skateboarding. Lives of the inhabitants or the tourists of Sapporo are punctuated by the many festivals and events taking place in Odori park. It is a very pleasant place where unfortunately you can’t escape the noise of the city but where you can break free from the overwhelming weight of the buildings.