Sapporo — Decode the Kamuy's Hidden Gold

Your quest begins at Maruyama Park (円山公園), established in 1870 as one of Sapporo's first public parks during the modernization under the Meiji government. This vast 72.8-hectare space, conceived by horticulturist Takeo Shiota in the 1920s, features cherry blossoms and azaleas. Annually since 1953, the Maruyama Park Festival draws over 100,000 visitors with food stalls and performances, attesting to the park's importance for Sapporo's community life. It is here that the first clues about Hokkaido's natural riches await you.

A short walk away, Hokkaido Shrine (北海道神宮), founded in 1869, is a Shinto shrine Hokkaido dedicated to the pioneers of Hokkaido's development, including relatives of Emperor Meiji. The main shrine building, reconstructed in 1969 after fire damage, is 28 meters wide and built with hinoki cypress architecture. Annually since 1871, the Setsubun Festival attracts 50,000 participants for its bean-throwing rituals. Surrounded by 235,000 square meters of forest, designated as a Natural monument prefectural in 1952, this sacred site is a key step to understanding Sapporo's spiritual foundations.

Your path then leads you to Shobu Pond (菖蒲池), an artificial pond created in the 1920s within Maruyama Park. Spanning 1.2 hectares, it is famous for its iris fields blooming from June to July, with over 10,000 iris plants planted during the 1980s restoration. A traditional Japanese bridge and teahouse, renovated in 2010, border the pond. Protected since 1965 as part of the park's biodiversity zone, the pond is home to wild ducks and fireflies. This site highlights the coexistence between urban development and the preservation of local wildlife in Sapporo.

Cross the city to reach the Toyohira River (豊平川), an essential water source designated in 1922, originating from Shikotsu-Toya National Park and flowing 64.5 km through Sapporo. In the 19th century, this river was the site of gold mining attempts by the Ainu, referenced in Meiji-era heritage site surveys. After flood control engineering in 1972, its riparian zone was restored in the 2000s, with fish ladders installed in 2005 to support salmon migration. The Toyohira River is a testament to human ingenuity in the face of nature's forces in Hokkaido.

At the end of the route, the Hokkaido Government Office, Old Main Building (北海道庁旧本庁舎) awaits you. Constructed between 1888 and 1906 in German Renaissance style, this 10,660 square-meter red-brick structure is a National Important Cultural Property Japan since 1970. It served as the colonial administration HQ until 1976, surviving the great fire of 1918. Its stained-glass windows imported from Germany in 1909 tell the story of Western influence on Sapporo's development. This exploration of Sapporo's monuments will have allowed you to decipher the links between history, nature, and urban development in this emblematic Hokkaido city.