Urahoro Shrine

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During the Meiji Era, as the town of Urahoro (on the south east coast of Hokkaido) was being developed, the pioneers called for the construction of a shrine to serve as a spiritual centre. On August 15, 1896, a small shrine was erected, enshrining Amaterasu (goddess of the sun and the universe). Read More ....

Onnenai Visitor Center

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, also known as the Kushiro Marshland is a sprawling national park to the north of Kushiro. There are half a dozen observation decks, museums, and walking paths that surround the park. The Onnenai Visitor Center is one of these museums and can be found on the western side of the marshland. Read More ....

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National park (better known as the Kushiro Marshland) is a national park, located to the north of Kushiro on the eastern side of Hokkaido. The park is known for its wetlands ecosystems. 'Shitsugen' translates to wetlands in English. It was designated as a national park on 31 July 1987. The massive park covers an area of 268.61 square kilometres on the Kushiro plain and is well known for its wildlife and vegetation. Read More ....

Kushiro Marsh Observatory

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Perched at the top of a large hill, overlooking Kushiro Marsh, you can find the Kushiro Marsh Observatory. This is one of the most interesting buildings in Hokkaido. The exterior, and especially the interior, has a strange and unique design and is reminiscent of a cool sci-fi movie. The central hall of the museum is definitely a place to get some photos. Read More ....

Obihiro Shrine

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In 1881, a man named Benzo Yoda and others from Shizuoka Prefecture organized a pioneer group called the "Bansei-sha". This group and settled inShimo-Obihiro Village and started pioneering. During this time, they started holding festivals and later built a small shrine, though the connection with the current Obihiro Shrine is still not well known. Read More ....

Kushiro City Museum

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The history of the Kushiro City Museum dates far back to 1936. Originally, an exhibition room was set up as the "Kushiro City Folk Museum" on the second floor of the Kushiro City Hall Waterworks Construction Office. Over the decades, the location changed and finally on November 3rd, 1983, the "Kushiro City Museum" was born. Read More ....

Midorigaoka Park

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This massive park is located in the middle of the city of Obihiro. Stretching to 50 hectares, this comprehensive park contains a park golf course, the Obihiro Zoo and the Obihiro Centennial Hall, plus walking trails and a pond. Read More ....

Obihiro Centennial Hall

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The Obihiro Centennial City Museum was opened back in 1982. It is part of Midorigaoka Park which also contains the Obihiro Zoo. This museum exhibits materials relating to the natural history and local history of Obihiro and the Tokachi region. Read More ....

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Sapporo White Illumination

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Dates	November 24 - December 25
Opening Hours	16:30 - 22:00
Contact	011-281-6400 (Sapporo White Illumination Executive Committee)
Location / Getting There	Odori Park (1~4-chome) Ekimae dori (Kita 4-jo ~ Minami 4-jo)

Winter designs

Sapporo White Illumination is an event held every winter which sees Odori park and the main street through Sapporo draped with hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights. Sapporo was the first city in Japan to start this tradition in 1981, since then other cities throughout Japan have followed suit with their own illumination events. Some 520, 000 lights are draped through trees and objects set up through Odori park creating a beautiful landscape of color in the evenings. A beautiful area to wander around in the snow and get some great photos!

Illumination tunnel

The Odori Park venue goes for 7 blocks, which spreads from the TV tower all the way west through Odori park. The German Christmas Market festival, which is also in Odori park, runs concurrently with the Sapporo White Illumination, so there is quite a lot to see, especially around Christmas! There are spots for photo opportunities in the park. Each year sees new additions to the event to check out. During the chilly evenings, there are stalls set up to grab something hot to drink, or eat. So, rug up, grab your family or friends and enjoy the Sapporo White Illumination display!

German Christmas Market

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Admission	Free entry
Opening Hours	1 month November 25th to December 26th 11:00 – 21:00
Closed	–
Contact	011-222-4894（Sapporo City Call Center)
Notes	-
Getting There	Odori Park

This event started in 2002 to honor the 30th anniversary of its sister city ties with Munich, Germany. Set up in sight of the TV Tower this small village is the perfect spot to take in a white winter and experience the Christmas cheer. There are a few dozen stalls set up selling handmade Christmas gifts, beer, hot chocolate and mulled wine to keep the hands and belly warm. There are also an array of food stalls selling traditional German cuisine. Over the years this has expanded to other European foods.

For the kids, there is an indoor workshop to make decorations and there are performances and concerts outdoors. This event also coincides with the Sapporo White Illumination, which runs next to the village. This is a great spot for the family or a romantic date. So, rug up and take in the sights and smells, and if you’re lucky you might get a chance to meet Santa Claus.