Sapporo restaurants make up a culinary kingdom overflowing with fresh seafood and exemplary produce. Food from all over Hokkaido converge at Sapporo, making gourmet a definite part of your trip. Many unique seafood creations await you, as do locally-rooted gourmet Japanese foods like ramen and jingisukan. Sapporo restaurants flaunt so much variety that foodies can’t experience them all one day – or even two. Use this guide to sample as much gourmet Japanese food as you can from the best Sapporo restaurants!

Sapporo has many cafes and restaurants serving Japanese sweets. Each shop is designed with passion and the atmosphere is perfect for relaxing with exquisite desserts. Sweets are a proud part of Hokkaido culture which takes advantage of readily-available ingredients like golden wheat, sugar beet, and milk from cows raised in the abundant nature. Sapporo, in particular, is a destination for fresh ingredients from all over Hokkaido. As a result, the art of crafting Japanese sweets with fresh, delicious ingredients is flourishing. With much competition, every shop makes and sells prime Japanese sweets while polishing their artisanship. Each Sapporo sweet shop on this list has many local fans. Visit Sapporo to find your favorite Japanese sweets and satisfy your sweet tooth!

One of Japan’s most famous winter events, hosting as many as 2.5 million visitors from home and abroad every year, “Sapporo Snow Festival” will finally start on Monday, February 4th (Thursday, January 31st at Tsudome Site)! The first event of this 70-year old snow festival dates back to 1950, when local junior and senior high school students created six snow sculptures at Odori Park which then served as a snow dump. This exerted an initial impact on citizens and sculptures have gradually become gigantic and highly elaborated. Now, the event has expanded to exhibit numerous stunningly impressive snow works.

Sapporo travel features many spots for enjoying gem-like night views. “Mt. Hakodate” is one of Hokkaido’s most famous night view spots, but the night views in Sapporo are so spectacular, it has been named one of the “New Three Major Night Views of Japan.” Its charm is the many lights from city of nearly 2 million with few tall buildings. Sapporo is a place where you see sparkling night views shining far into the distance. In recent years, many tourists have visited Sapporo because of its beautiful night views. Here are eight must-see night view spots in Sapporo, which was named one of the New Three Major Night Views of Japan!

Quality hot springs in a beautiful valley, the Sapporo hot springs district Jozankei is popular in Hokkaido. Accommodating roughly 1.2 million guests a year, Jozankai is a little less than one hour from the center of Sapporo by car, so easy access adds to its appeal. The history of Jozankei Onsen dates back to 1866 when the monk Miizumi Jozan opened a healing spa. Guests can escape the city bustle and bathe during a day trip. Both hot springs provide scenic spots for encountering beautiful seasonal landscapes. Enjoy this roundup of the attractions at “Jozankei”, where guests can enjoy the hot springs as well as a stroll through the town and other activities!

Hunting down groves of flaming-red maples, rows of golden gingkos and meadows full of wildflowers is like no other sport in Japan! Koyo, or autumn-colored foliage, kicks off in mid-September in the north and moves like wildfire over the entire countryside in less than 90 days. Die-hard backpackers go where the action is, so grab your koyo hunting gear (a.k.a. your camera, smartphone and selfie-stick) because fall foliage is fleeting, and koyo hunting season only comes once a year!