Recognised for its abundance of rivers, mountains, volcanoes and wildlife, and therefore its vast offering of outdoor activities, Sapporo hosted the Adventure Travel World Summit in September last year for the first time in Asia Pacific.
Transport: Getting to Sapporo is easy with over 70 daily flights to New Chitose Airport via Tokyo, only about 1.5 hours away. Reaching Sapporo's city centre from the airport takes just 35 minutes by train or 60 minutes by car, and with hotels concentrated within a 1 km radius of central Odori Park, along with its convenient subway system and iconic street grid, Sapporo is easy to get around and navigate.
Key Business Sectors: Agribusiness - Hokkaido’s sprawling natural and rural areas provide an abundance of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products; Tourism - Sapporo is one of the foremost international tourist destinations in Asia due to its natural environment, with the Sapporo Snow Festival season alone welcoming nearly two million people from both Japan and abroad; Environment - In recent years, Sapporo is also seen as a leading environmental city following various world-class achievements and certifications. It is also pioneering sustainability-related efforts under MICE including assessing the status of environmental efforts from the perspective of tourism and events; IT and media fields - Sapporo was the first 'Creative City of Arts' to be certified in Asia and is home to many creators playing a leading role in Japan's youth culture including the latest digital technology used in the projection mapping performed at the Sapporo Snow Festival, hackathons and Google Lens.
What to Visit: The Sapporo Snow Festival in Odori Park which takes place over a week in early February each year; visit the extensive 439,000 m2 Maruyama Park which features untouched forest on Mt Maruyama; eat and drink your way through Susukino, the biggest entertainment and nightlife district north of Tokyo; spend a relaxing day at the hot springs of Jozankei Onsen surrounded by beautiful scenery; and venture slightly further afield to Niseko, the most famous ski resort in Japan which also has plenty of outdoor activities on offer in summer.
What to Eat & Drink: Sapporo Beer, one of the oldest and most popular beer brands in Japan with its trademark star logo, brewed in Sapporo since 1876; Sapporo ramen (the birthplace of miso ramen); the delicious seafood of Hokkaido; and thanks to the region's rich soil and cool climate, why not spend several days touring small yet unique distilleries in cities nearby sampling Nikka whisky in Yoichi or Ohoro gin in Niseko.
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