Noboribetsu

Shin Sapporo (Jr Hokkaido)

Sapporo (札幌市, Sapporo-shi) is the fifth largest city of Japan by population, and the largest city on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. It is the capital city of Hokkaido Prefecture and Ishikari Subprefecture. It is an ordinance-designated city. Located in the southwestern part of Hokkaido, Sapporo lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary stream of the Ishikari River. As with most of Hokkaido, the area of Sapporo was home to settlements of the indigenous Ainu people. Sapporo was increasingly settled from Japanese migrants in the late 19th century. Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics ever held in Asia, and the Sapporo Dome hosted three games during the 2002 FIFA World Cup and two games during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The annual Sapporo Snow Festival draws more than 2 million tourists from abroad. The city is served by the New Chitose Airport in nearby Chitose, and is home to Hokkaido University.