We sent Taizo Braden on an exclusive trip.to learn about the sights and sounds of Sapporo Japan.
Sapporo Japan is the gateway city to the northern island of Hokkaido.
More than six million people call the island home but the world was first introduced to Sapporo during the winter olympics.
We are at the top of the Maruyama ski jump and as you can see downtown Sapporo is right behind us we are so close is fact during the 1972 winter olympics people sat on the top of their apartment buildings to watch the ski jumpers fly through the air.
Prior to these games, Japan had never won a gold medal in the Winter Olympics..but that changed when three Japanese athletes swept the ski jumping event.
Many former olympic venues are located around town and are very easy to get to because of sapporo‘s excellent subway system which connects to one of the largest underground cities in the world.
Under more than 14 city blocks there are shops, restaurants, even art expositions and even free concerts.
The subway allows you to get around and check out the sites while staying out of any severe weather.
But as you can see the rain didn’t damper the sprits of this tour group from China taking pictures in front of the famous red brick sapporo government office building.
One of the most famous building‘s in Sapporo is the clock tower. It was originally build in 1878 it originally served as a drill hall for Hokkaido university in 1881 E. Howard and sons installed a clock in the tower and it has been ticking ever since.
Just a block from the tower is another tower, we are right in front of Sapporo TV tower in Odori Park. Odori Park is like Central Park in New York City as it goes right through downtown Sapporo.
In downtown there is one area you must check out or food and shopping is Susukino the entertainment district of Sapporo, and in a four block radius there is more than a thousand bars and restaurants all open to the crack of dawn.
In Susukino there are not one but two ramen alleys where more than 50 different ramen restaurants.
There are many western influences in Sapporo too from the grid-like design of the city to the German brewing techniques used at the world famous Sapporo Brewery.
All things that give Hawaii residents a taste of home while in the far east.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
