Late winter
As March began, I rejoiced in the increasing number of days when the daytime temperature slightly surpassed 0 degrees. However …
Author: K. K. Yam
City of wild nature
With an area of 1,121 square kilometers, Sapporo is the third largest city in Japan. However, 60% of this area is covered by pristine mountains and forests in a subarctic …
Art festival in the park
As a part of Sapporo International Art Festival 2024, artworks are on public display in Odori Park. Visitors can see, hear …
Snowman
A giant snowman is watching the empty snow-covered street in the early evening.
Not really a grid city
Most streets in central Sapporo are laid out in a grid pattern. It is a functional and rational urban design that makes the entire city look like one giant …
Ginza at night
Several railroad lines, including the Shinkansen bullet train, and the Metropolitan Expressway, cross through the center of Ginza. It is one of the main …
Haneda before dawn
I arrived at Haneda Airport at 5:45 a.m. to board an early morning flight. In January, it is still before sunrise. The sky is jet black and the airport …
Polaris and Sirius
In addition to cars that retain a retro atmosphere, Sapporo City Trams run the latest models introduced after 2014. These cars …
Reflections of Time
As the sun sets over Tokyo, the iconic Tokyo Tower is reflected in the glass walls of the Mori JP Tower in Azabudai Hills. The steel tower was completed …
An icy street before dawn
I walked through the backstreets of Sapporo’s city center before dawn. The surface of the road was completely frozen due to the cold wave that …
The snow city
Sapporo is the only major city in the world with a population of more than one million that has an annual snowfall of more than 5 meters. I have visited …
The first heavy snow in Sapporo
The temperature began to drop rapidly in the early evening, and the light rain that had been sprinkling in the afternoon turned to snow before I knew …