One of the things people look forward to in spring is cherry blossom viewing, but in Hokkaido, where spring comes late, the best time to see the cherry blossoms isn't until late April or later. That's right, depending on the weather that year, the cherry blossoms might even be in full bloom during Golden Week.

Furthermore, Hokkaido, with its different climate from Honshu, boasts varieties of cherry blossoms not found on the main island. Instead of saying, "I've already seen the cherry blossoms this year...", why not enjoy a cherry blossom viewing experience unique to Hokkaido? This time, we'll introduce some recommended cherry blossom viewing spots near Sapporo!

First, let's talk about what to wear to avoid fashion mistakes when sightseeing in Sapporo in May!
1. A popular local tour: Maruyama Park and Hokkaido Shrine.
2. Enjoying a relaxing garden cherry blossom viewing at Nakajima Park
3. Enjoying cherry blossoms at Moerenuma Park is incredibly liberating!
4. A hidden gem for cherry blossom viewing in central Sapporo: Hokkaido University
5. A truly spectacular sight! The cherry blossoms at Toda Memorial Cemetery Park are worth visiting even if it's far away.
6. Enjoy cherry blossom viewing conveniently at Odori Park, which has excellent access.
7. A hidden gem of a cherry blossom viewing spot that you'll want to keep hidden: the Cold Region Civil Engineering Research Institute

In May, Sapporo's average high temperature is 17.3℃ and its average low is 8.3℃. While it's fairly warm during the day, it's still chilly in the mornings and evenings. On rainy days, temperatures don't rise much, and it can even feel quite cold during the day. If you're traveling, it's a good idea to bring a warm jacket as a precaution.

Don't let your guard down thinking, "It's sunny during the day..." or you'll catch a cold. Especially when going out after the temperature has risen, you need to anticipate that it will get much colder in the evening, otherwise you'll regret it later. To avoid that, a jacket or cardigan is a must!

Maruyama Park is a classic cherry blossom viewing spot in Sapporo. I'm sure most locals have been there at least once.
Approximately 160 cherry trees are planted on a site of about 68 hectares. During the peak blooming season, securing a spot becomes a fierce competition, and you can see people enjoying themselves with drinks in hand everywhere. It's incredibly lively during cherry blossom season, making it perfect for a fun get-together with a large group.

The secret to Maruyama Park's popularity lies not only in its excellent accessibility—just a 5-minute subway ride from the center of Sapporo—but also in the fact that the park is directly connected to Hokkaido Shrine!
Hokkaido Shrine is also a major cherry blossom viewing spot in spring, with 1034 cherry trees in full bloom. As it is a shrine, the atmosphere inside is completely different, calm and peaceful.

In other words, if you come to Maruyama Park, you can also enjoy cherry blossom viewing at Hokkaido Shrine... You can enjoy two kinds of cherry blossom viewing at once.
Whether you want to have a lively time with friends or quietly appreciate the cherry blossoms at a shrine, enjoy them in your own style!

Access information
Address: Miyagaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City
Access: Take the municipal subway Tozai Line from Odori Station towards Miyanosawa for 5 minutes, get off at Maruyama Park Station, and walk for about 5 minutes from Exit 2.
Phone: 011-621-0453 (Park Management Office)

Just three subway stops from Sapporo Station, Nakajima Park is located almost in the heart of Sapporo, yet it's a place where you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing at your leisure in the spring.
Despite its central location, its charm lies in the fact that you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in a tranquil atmosphere.

The park is home to various types of cherry trees, including double-flowered cherry trees, Ezo mountain cherry trees, and weeping cherry trees, and apparently, the peak blooming period differs slightly depending on the variety. It's nice that the cherry blossom viewing season lasts for a long time.

On the west side of the park is a Japanese garden, and the cherry blossoms there create a wonderful atmosphere! You'll feel like you've stepped back in time.
Additionally, you can rent a boat and enjoy a ride on the iris pond located in the center of the park. The cherry blossoms along the water's edge, viewed from a boat, are also quite picturesque and beautiful.

From Premier Hotel Nakajima Park Sapporo, overlooking Nakajima Park with its blooming cherry blossoms.

Speaking of Nakajima Park, it's famous for the Toyohirakan, a Western-style building that retains its Meiji-era appearance and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property. However, renovation work, including a review of its seismic resistance, was carried out until June 2016. From 2017 onwards, you can once again enjoy the collaboration of the retro Toyohirakan and cherry blossoms.

Access information
Address: 1 Nakajima Park, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
Access: Take the Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line from Sapporo Station towards Makomanai (5 minutes), get off at Nakajima Park Station, and exit from Exit 1 or 3.
Phone: 011-511-3924 (Park Management Office)

Image provided by: Moerenuma Park

Moerenuma Park is a cherry blossom viewing spot that will make you want to shout, "This feels great!"
The vast grounds, spanning approximately 189 hectares, offer a wonderfully open and spacious feel. On a clear day, it's sure to be an absolutely fantastic place for cherry blossom viewing. Within the park, there's an area called the Cherry Blossom Forest, where an incredible 2600 cherry trees are planted. This is one of the largest numbers of cherry trees in Hokkaido, making for a truly spectacular sight!

Image provided by: Moerenuma Park

Sakura no Mori (Cherry Blossom Forest) not only boasts cherry trees, but also a wide variety of playground equipment for children. The park was designed by the renowned Isamu Noguchi, who also designed the playground equipment, which is full of unique and unusual pieces. If you visit with your family to enjoy the cherry blossoms, your children are sure to be delighted by the playground equipment they've never seen before.

The most convenient ways to get there are by car, bus, or taxi. If you plan to toast, either arrange for a driver in advance or use public transportation.

Access information
Take the Toho Line subway from Sapporo Station towards Sakaemachi (6 minutes), get off at Kanjodori-Higashi Station, and transfer to a bus.
Take the Chuo Bus [East 69] bound for "Ainosato Education University Station" or "Nakanuma Elementary School Street" and get off at "Moere Park East Entrance".
Take the Chuo Bus [East 79] bound for "Nakanuma Elementary School" and get off at "Moere Park East Entrance".
Take the Chuo Bus [East 61 (Bi 61)] from "Sapporo Beer Museum" to "Nakanuma Elementary School Street" via "Kanjodori Higashi Station" and get off at "Moere Park West Entrance*" (approximately 25-minute ride).
Address: 1-1 Moerenuma Park, Higashi-ku, Sapporo City
Closed days: None
Opening period: Only the East Entrance Gate is open year-round. The West Entrance Gate and South Entrance Gate are open only from April 20th to November 20th.
Opening hours: (East Entrance Gate) 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
(West entrance gate, South entrance gate) 7:00 - 19:00

While Sapporo's city center boasts excellent accessibility, it's also a bustling commercial district lined with skyscrapers, making it difficult to find a spacious, green park to fully enjoy a sense of freedom.

However, just a 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station, there's a spot where you can get away from the tall buildings and leisurely enjoy the cherry blossoms! That spot is the Hokkaido University campus. You need an appointment to enter the campus by car, but that's not a problem if you're walking or cycling. You can enter without any hesitation.

While Hokkaido University's cherry blossoms don't present a breathtaking panorama of blossoms in full bloom, this makes them a hidden gem, and the competition to see them is low. There's a row of about 30 cherry trees in front of the Faculty of Medicine, and this is the most popular spot on campus.
Hokkaido University's campus offers a liberating, nature-filled cherry blossom viewing experience right in the heart of Sapporo. I highly recommend you check it out – you won't regret it!

Access information
Access: 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station.

Located about 70 minutes by car from the center of Sapporo, the cherry blossoms at Toda Memorial Cemetery Park are definitely worth the trip, even if it's a bit far!
Its sheer scale speaks for itself.

With approximately 8,000 cherry trees in total, this is a cherry blossom viewing spot of unparalleled scale. As the name "Cemetery Park" suggests, you can see rows of tombstones in the well-maintained lawns along the pathways, but when you see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, you completely forget that you are in a cemetery. It is a breathtaking sight that will leave everyone speechless. Why not take a short trip there?

The only drawback is that it's difficult to get to unless you're in a car or by bus. If you take the bus, you can get there from the Chuo Bus Sapporo Terminal at Odori East 1-chome for 1070 yen one way.

If you're going by car, just keep going towards Ishikari on National Route 231 (Soseigawa Street), which is the boundary between "Nishi 1-chome" and "Higashi 1-chome" in Sapporo city, and you'll arrive.

Access information
Address:327 Mōrai, Atsuta-ku, Ishikari City, Hokkaido
Access: (By car) Take National Route 231 (Soseigawa Street) towards Ishikari.
(Bus) From Sapporo Central Bus Terminal, take the bus bound for Atsuta and get off at Toda Memorial Cemetery Park Entrance.
Phone: 0133-77-2321

Odori Park is located in the heart of Sapporo. While it is a popular tourist spot in itself, the famous "TV Tower" is located on the easternmost side of the park.

If you're coming to Odori Park for cherry blossom viewing, try heading west, away from the TV Tower. A recommended route is to go through West 6th Street and head towards West 13th Street, which is the westernmost point of the park.

From Odori Station on the municipal subway, it's about a 20-minute walk to Nishi 13-chome. Along the way, there are areas with many cherry blossoms and areas with few, but there are fountains, playgrounds, and sculptures, so you can enjoy a stroll without getting bored.

By the way, Odori Park's West 13th Street is the most distinctive area within the long, east-west stretching Odori Park. In West 13th Street is the Sapporo Museum (formerly the Sapporo Court of Appeals), built in 1926 and registered as a national tangible cultural property, and countless cherry trees are planted around this museum.

Access information
10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station
Directly connected to Odori Station on the municipal subway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVzZ3LsH81g

Popular cherry blossom viewing spots are almost always packed during peak season. If you're looking for a less crowded, hidden gem for cherry blossom viewing, how about the cherry blossoms at the Hokkaido Regional Civil Engineering Research Institute?

The Cold Region Civil Engineering Research Institute is easily accessible from the city center, just an 8-minute ride on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line towards Makomanai, followed by a 3-minute walk from Nakanoshima Station. The institute primarily conducts research on civil engineering techniques for cold regions. While it's usually only accessible to staff and therefore not often seen by the public, the grounds boast approximately 200 cherry trees planted along a small stream.

With the sound of the stream flowing and the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and without too many crowds, it's probably safe to say this is one of the most peaceful places to enjoy cherry blossoms near Sapporo.

Every year when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the parking lot on campus is opened to the public, but space is limited, so it is best to use public transportation.

Access information
Address: 1-34, Hiragishi 1-jo 3-chome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo City
Access: Take the Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line from Sapporo Station towards Makomanai (8 minutes), get off at Nakanoshima Station, and walk approximately 3 minutes from Exit 1.
Phone: 011-841-1112

Final thoughts

There are many more cherry blossom viewing spots near Sapporo, including well-known locations and hidden gems, but this time we've introduced seven particularly charming spots. If you're visiting Sapporo in late April or early May, be sure to enjoy the cherry blossoms!

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