is a park in
Chūō-ku, Sapporo,
Hokkaido, Japan. The park was modeled after the
park with the same name sited in
Kyoto.
The park is home of a number of attractions such as, the
Hokkaidō Shrine, the
Maruyama Zoo, the
Maruyama Baseball Stadium and the Maruyama Athletics Stadium.
History
Prior to the construction of Maruyama Park, in 1875, 150 trees were planted on the road to the
Hokkaidō Shrine as part of a city planning project. Many years later, after the opening of Sapporo Maruyama Zoo in 1951, the park was taking form, and in 1957 it was officially opened.
Overview
Located in the western suburbs of Sapporo under the Maruyama mountain, in the north part of the ''Maruyama Forest''. The park contains virgin forest with Oak, Katsura (Japanese Judas tree), Magnolia, Maple and other varieties of trees, and is a designated natural monument. On the hillside of the park, there are giant Elm and Cypress trees where different bird species gather. With over 1,500
sakura
A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of Prunus, genus ''Prunus'' or Prunus subg. Cerasus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especia ...
trees the park is the most popular
hanami place in the city of
Sapporo.
The
Hokkaidō Shrine located at the north end of the park, opened on 1869, is the most important
Shinto shrine of the City.
The park contains the
Maruyama Baseball Stadium, opened on 1934, it was the main
baseball park
A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...
of the city, before the opening of the
Sapporo Dome (2001). In front of baseball stadium is the Maruyama Athletics Stadium, also opened the same year, is utilized for track and field competitions, at local and national level.
Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, opened on 1951, covers an area of 22.5 ha.
The park also contains some sports grounds (tennis courts). Also in the park is the theme park, Maruyama Kids' Land.
Access
*
Tōzai Line: 3 minutes walking distance from
Maruyama-Kōen Station
External links
Sapporo Parks' website{{in lang, ja
Chūō-ku, Sapporo
Parks and gardens in Sapporo