The Sapporo TV Tower is a popular tourist destination in Sapporo, providing beautiful views of the city’s skyline. It has a total height of 147m tall, with an observation deck height slightly over 90m high. The TV tower was first opened late August of 1957, and has since then remained the heart of the city. The Tower serves as a TV broadcasting tower, in addition to a tourist destination.
The Sapporo TV Tower bears a striking resemblance to the Tokyo Tower. This is because it was designed by the same architect, Tachu Naito.
Until 1961, the tower only served as a TV tower and observation deck. In 1961, the LED clock was donated to the tower, where it was promptly installed, conveniently providing the time to all below and around. Currently, there is talk of creating a new tower in Sapporo that would exceed 650m in height, making it the largest building or structure in Japan. These however are just no more than plans.
The Sapporo TV Tower is popular both during the day and night, with the night view being named one of the best night viewing areas in Japan, seeing as it’s located in the middle of the expansive Odori Park.
Odori Park is a popular park located in the center of the city of Sapporo, and stretched about 1.5 kilometers in length. The Sapporo TV Tower can be found at the east end of the park.
Odori park is famous for the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, which is held during the first couple weeks of February, drawing in close to a million tourists from all over the world and Japan. Additionally, the park hosts a Lilac Festival for around 10 days when the nearly 400 Lilac trees bloom in May. The Odori Park is one of the oldest parks in Japan, with it first being opened in 1869.
Hours and Admission (Sapporo TV Tower)
- Hours: 9:00am-10:00pm (Last entry at 9:30pm)
- 1000JPY (Sapporo TV Tower)
- Average Time Spent: 30-60 minutes
- Official Website
Accessing Sapporo TV Tower
There are countless train and streetcar stations all around the Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower, meaning that it can easily be accessed from all over the city. The JR Line is only about 15 minutes walk from the Sapporo TV Tower, so if you are in Sapporo and are using a JR Rail pass, you will need to use this station, as there aren’t JR lines, and instead most of the streetcar lines are operated by the city of Sapporo.
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Where to Stay
Hotel Lifort Sapporo
Hotel located with direct access to Nakajima Park, and excellent walking trails.
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Dormy Inn Premium Sapporo
Hotel located with direct access to Nakajima Park, and excellent walking trails.
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JR Tower Hotel
World Class hotel, featuring rooms with possibly the best view of the city of Sapporo.
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