Home to the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, the famous Sapporo TV Tower, and the Winter Olympics of 1972, Odori Park is the soul of Sapporo!
Sapporo is the capital city of Hokkaido and the most populous region in northern Japan. In the heart of this iconic city is a beautiful street that stretches a couple of kilometers toward the Sapporo TV Tower, full of lush gardens, tranquil fountains, and seasonal blossoming trees. This massive street is Odori Park, a much-loved hangout spot and tourist attraction that is located in the heart of Sapporo City!
The Olympics Hub of Japan!
Not only was Sapporo’s Odori Park the hub for the 1972 Winter Olympics, but it also played a pivotal role in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics! Due to the unbearable summer heat of Honshu Island, various marathon races were held in Sapporo due to its cooler climate, and you best believe Odori Park was the prime racing location! Nowadays, you can see the iconic Olympic Rings monument standing somewhere along the street, a reminder of the city’s legacy and its involvement on the world stage of sports.
Plum Trees Galore!
While you can find cherry blossom trees here, Odori Park is far better known for its plum trees, of which it is highly abundant! These tree petals have a darker pink color than the typical sakura trees and have a thicker appearance. You’ll find them all along Odori Park during the spring, lasting far longer throughout the season than the short lives of the transient cherry blossoms.
Lovely Hokkaido Flower Gardens
Hokkaido is well-known for its colorful flower gardens in various parts of the island. Well, at Odori Park, you don’t need to travel to faraway places and distant hilltops to see these floral wonders! Instead, you can walk along the park and see the flower beds neatly organized in colorful sections of lavender, rose, white, and yellow. They’re also designed in a creative way, using diamond-shaped aesthetics and separate color segments that are visually pleasing on the eye.
So whether you’re here for the Sapporo Snow Festival in winter, the Hokkaido gardens of the summer, the plum blossoms of spring, the golden leaves of autumn, or simply want to see the dazzling lights of the Sapporo TV Tower, you’ll find everything you’re looking for at Sapporo’s Odori Park!
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