With Tokyo in a class of its own, Sapporo is Japan's fourth largest city (after Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya) with a population nudging two million. 

That puts it around half a million ahead of the next contenders (Kōbe, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Kawasaki).

Hokkaidō's next largest cities, Asahikawa and Hakodate, slot in at #58 and #80 on the list of the country's largest cities, with populations under four hundred thousand.

So, predictably, it's the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture and the island's transport hub.

Located on the Ishikari flood plain on the alluvial fan where the Toyohira River flows into the Ishikari, Sapporo is a new city by Japanese standards, so traditional architecture, historic temples, imposing castles and ancient shrines weren't going to be part of the itinerary. 

On the other hand, the location on the northern island right next to Siberia makes it a prime spot for coloured leaves in the early autumn and the long winter with substantial snowfalls makes it a mecca for skiing and winter sports.

The city hosted the Winter Olympics in 1972, and the facilities that went in then are still in regular use for similar, lower-profile events. 

The Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri) held in February draws more than two million visitors from around the world each year. 

The festival's ice sculpture competition in Sapporo's central park attracts artists from around the world. They produce artistic sculptures and elaborate large-scale replicas of well-known structures and landmarks from ice and snow, and the spectacular displays attract worldwide media attention.


© Ian Hughes 2017