Sapporo is the regional capital of Hokkaido with a population of 1.9 million. Although it may not be obvious to many, there is plenty to see and do in and around the city.

Mt Moiwa Ropeway

It is recommend you take the ropeway (cable car) to the top of Mt Moiwa, 531 metres above sea level if you want to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

This spot is also popular at night and is regarded as one of the three most beautiful nightscapes of Japan along with Kobe and Nagasaki.

Otaru

Otaru is a 30-minute train ride from Sapporo. Otaru was a booming trading port from the late 1800s until its decline following World War 2.

The town has a nostalgic feel with canal-side warehouses, historic buildings and old gas lamps that have helped transform it into a popular tourist destination.

Many of the old warehouses and buildings have been converted into bars, restaurants, shops and museums.

Here too is a sign for the Rita Nikka Bar named after “The Scottish girl who married the founder of Japanese whisky”. This must refer to Rita Taketsuru (née Cowan), wife of Taketsuru Masataka, the founder of Nikka whisky.

This century-old building contains Otaru Orgel Doh, a store with over 3,400 types of music boxes, the largest collection in all Japan. This place is okay but only if you’re into overdosing on cuteness.

Noboribetsu

About 80 Ezo brown bears live in two or three enclosures here. Visitors can buy bags of tidbits and toss them into the mouths of the bears provided the greedy crows don’t catch them in mid air and make off with their loot.

The park is reached by a seven-minute cable car ride. Apart from the bear enclosures there is a brown bear museum, an Ainu exhibition (indigenous people of Japan), a duck race and a great view overlooking Lake Kuttara.

Sapporo City

Back in Sapporo there are a number of places to see.

Maruyama Zoo is well worth a visit. The meerkats are adorable and there’s also a reptile house, wolves and polar bears that live at the zoo.

The clock tower was built in 1878 as a military drill hall for the Sapporo Agricultural College which, at the time, was under the leadership of Dr William S Clark from the Massachusetts Agriculture College. It is now a museum.

Hokkaido Jingu Shinto Shrine is the enshrined home of a number of deities including Sukuna-Hiko-Nano-Kami or the Divine Spirit of National Administration, Medicine and Sake Brewing.

The adjacent Maruyama Park has one of Sapporo’s best cherry blossom viewing spots.

This article first appeared on thriftytraveller.wordpress.com