Odori Park - Hokkaido

Odori Park (大通公園) is located in the center of Sapporo City in Hokkaido Prefecture and is perhaps the most popular and visited park not only in the city but also in the prefecture.

Odori Park Winter
Odori Park

Odori Park details 

(Winter Edition)

The name Odori is written in kanji as 大通 means "large street". Historically, in the 1869 city development plan of Shima Yoshitake, the park was supposed to be a large street that divides Sapporo into the northern part (public officers) and the southern park (residential).

Odori Park - Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture
However, in 1871, Iwamura Michitoshi took over the urban planning of Sapporo after Shima's dismissal for mismanagement. Michitoshi remodeled the plan and constructed a firebreak called Kabo-sen at the current location of Odori Park.

Odori 12

Since then, different parts of the land where the park is served different purposes like military parade grounds, flower gardens, potato gardens, and even a dump site. When Japan lost during the Second World War, parts of the park were taken over by the Allied Occupation forces which constructed a basketball field and tennis court there. Odori Park was returned to the Japanese in the 1950s.

Info guide to Odori Park

Winter Illumination of Sapporo TV Tower and Odori Park

Presently, Odori Park spans about 1.5 kilometers and has a total land area of 78901 square meters. The park is divided into 13 blocks (chome). Here's what you'd see in each block:

Sapporo TV Tower @ 1 Chome

1 Chome
- Sapporo TV Tower
- Odori Station (Toho Line)

2 Chome
- Odori Station (Toho Line)
- Monument of the first telephone exchange in Hokkaido

Takuboku Ishikawa Monument @ 3 Chome

The Sheperd Boy @ 3 Chome

3 Chome
- Odori Station (Toho Line and Tozai Line)
- Takuboku Ishikawa Monument
- The Sheperd Boy

4 Chome
- Odori Station (Toho Line and Tozai Line)
- Yoshii Isamu Monument

Seion Monument / Seion Obelisk @ 5 Chome


5 Chome
-Seion Monument / Seion Obelisk

6 Chome
- Monument of Development
- The Outdoor Stage

7 Chome
- Monument of Group Return

8 Chome
- Black Slide Mantra

9 Chome
- Arishima Takeo Monument
- Children's Playground

Kiyotaka Kuroda Statue and Horace Capron Statue @ 10 Chome

10 Chome
- Kiyotaka Kuroda Statue
- Horace Capron Statue

Maibaum @ 11 Chome

11 Chome
- Nishi 11 chome Station (Tozai Line)
- Maibaum

12 Chome
- Sunken Garden

Sapporo City Archive Museum @ 13 Chome

13 Chome
- Sapporo City Archive Museum

At present, the world-famous Sapporo Snow Festival is held in Odori Park every February. Since the park is home to more or less 400 lilac trees, the Lilac Festival is held there in May. The Yosakoi Soran Festival which is a huge dance festival is also held in the park every June. 

Exploring Odori Park with my Filipino friends

Odori Park during winter

I got to visit Odori Park with my Filipino friends for the first time last December 31, 2021, which was my 9th week here in Japan. It was an unbelievable moment for me as I only see this park in travel videos that I watch on Youtube. Since we visited during winter, there were very few things to see and do in the park. Regardless, my friends and I took every opportunity to make our visit fun and memorable. 

The Backpack Adventures visits Odori Park

Overall, I look forward to revisiting Odori Park during the Sapporo Snow Festival this coming February and the Lilac Festival in May. In that way, I'd get to see the park in different seasons.

Odori Park Entrance Fee 

It's FREE to enter and explore Odori Park during the Sapporo Snow Festival this coming February and the Lilac Festival in May. In that way, I'd get to see the park in different seasons.

Odori Park Operating Hours

Odori Park is open all year round.

Why visit Odori Park?

If you are fond of wide-open spaces then Odori Park is for you. You can visit it any time of the year and each season offers something new. Odori Park is a must-visit if you are coming to Sapporo in the first weeks of February as it's the time of the Sapporo Snow Festival. 

Getting to Odori Park

 

From New Chitose Airport ride the Rapid Airport Express train of the JR Hokkaido Line and board down at Sapporo Station.
Fare: 1150 yen
Travel Time: 37 minutes

Once you arrive at Sapporo Station, you can either walk going to Odori park which is about 14 -20 minutes, or head to Sapporo Eki mae Bus Terminal and ride the bus going to the Chuo bus to Sapporo terminal near Odori Park. 
Bus fare: 210 yen 

Ratings

Crowd

Cleanliness

Overall rating


Location: Sapporo Odori Park, 7-chōme Ōdōrinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042, Japan

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