is a park located in the heart of

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

, Japan. means "large street" in Japanese. It stretches east to west through Nishi 1 chōme, Ōdōri to Nishi 12 chōme, Ōdōri ("Nishi" means west, and "chōme" is a block in Japanese), and divides the city into north and south sections. Odori Park spans about 1.5 km and covers 78,901 m². During the urban planning of Sapporo, it was originally designated as the main street but it eventually became a park. Throughout the year, many events and ceremonies such as the Sapporo Lilac Festival and the

Sapporo Snow Festival The is a festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan, over seven days in February. Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival. In 2007 (57th festival), about two million people visited Sapporo to see the hundreds o ...

are held in the park, and local landmarks including the

Sapporo TV Tower The , built in 1957, is a TV tower with an observation deck at a height of 90.38 metres. Located on the ground of Odori Park, in the northern city of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, the tower is open to tourists. Tourists can view Sapporo and Odori Park ...

and the Sapporo City Archive Museum are located within its boundaries.

History

Odori as a street

In 1869,

Shima Yoshitake was a samurai from Saga domain. He later became a chamberlain and later a governor for Akita Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces an ...

, a judge sent by the government as the commissioner responsible for founding a central city in Hokkaido, came to Sapporo and developed a city plan that divided Sapporo City into North and South sections by means of a large street. In his plan, the northern part of Sapporo would have been set aside for public servants and offices, while the southern part would have been a residential area. In his plan the location of the dividing street was different from the current location of Odori Park. After Shima's dismissal for misgovernment in Hokkaido, Iwamura Michitoshi supervised the urban planning of Sapporo. He remodelled the original plan in 1871, and was constructed in the place where Odori Park is currently located. The Kabō-sen was a

firebreak A firebreak or double track (also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail in Australia) is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebre ...

consisting of 105 metres of largely vacant land, which often prevented the progress of fire during the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

. In 1872, the street was named "Shiribeshi Dōri" (後志通), but this name was not popular and it was renamed "Ōdōri" in June 1881. In

, the Nishi 1 and 2 chōme areas of Odori street were a little narrower than the other parts. This was because both the

Hōheikan The is a historical building and a wedding venue, located in Nakajima Park, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The building has previously been a hotel, guest house, event venue, and military camp. Currently, the Hōheikan is registered as on ...

, a hotel in the European architectural style which was later moved to Nakajima Park, which was located in Nishi 1 chōme, and the telephone exchange building located in Nishi 2 chōme, protruded over Ōdōri street. Since the first Agricultural Interim Fair was held at Nishi 2 chōme and Nishi 3 chōme in 1878, Odori street has been the place where a number of events and ceremonies have taken place. The western parts of Odori street, however, were not as busy as the eastern side such as Nishi 2 chōme, and the military parade grounds of the

Tondenhei The were military settler colonists recruited after the Meiji Restoration to develop and defend Japan's northern frontier in Hokkaidō and Karafuto against foreign states, particularly Imperial Russia. The term '' tonden'' comes from ancient Chi ...

, a unit of Hokkaido farmer-soldiers, were constructed from Nishi 10 chōme to Nishi 12 chōme. After the abolition of the Tondenhei, some of the athletic meetings of neighbourhood schools were held in the Odori, but gradually the street was abandoned and used as a garbage and snow dumping ground. A popular complaint was that a large part of the Odori in the heart of the city has been abandoned, and there was pressure to develop the area for housing lots, but this did not happen.

Odori as a park

In 1876, 6600 m² of the

flower garden A flower garden or floral garden is any garden or part of a garden where plants that flower are grown and displayed. This normally refers mostly to herbaceous plants, rather than flowering woody plants, which dominate in the shrubbery and w ...

was constructed on the grounds of Nishi 3 chōme and Nishi 4 chōme, and in 1909, the street was arranged as a walking area under the direction of Yasuhei Nagaoka, a Japanese landscape and garden planner. This may be the origin of the Odori "Park". During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Odori Park was given over to potato production. After the War ended and supply of food improved, Odori once again became a garbage and snow dumping ground. The

occupation forces Military occupation, also called belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is temporary hostile control exerted by a ruling power's military apparatus over a sovereign territory that is outside of the legal boundaries of that ruling powe ...

took over a part of Odori Park and constructed a

baseball field A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refer ...

and

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...

, and after Odori Park was handed over by the Allied Powers, several athletic fields were created in the west of the Odori. The development of Odori as a park has resumed since it was returned by the occupation forces in 1950. Since that time, many flower gardens have been created by assigning grounds of Odori to garden design companies. Currently, each flower garden is adorned with a nameplate of the company which showcases its garden planning skills in that area throughout the year.

Overview

Each block in Odori Park has rectangular grounds which are 65 metres north to south, and 110 metres east to west, and it ranges from Nishi 1 chōme to Nishi 13 chōme, Ōdōri. Roadways and 4 metres of sidewalks surround each block, and people must cross

zebra crossing A zebra crossing (British English) or a marked crosswalk (American English) is a pedestrian crossing marked with white stripes (zebra markings). Normally, pedestrians are afforded precedence over vehicular traffic, although the significance o ...

s between each block. The area of Nishi 1 chōme block is a little smaller than other blocks in Odori Park, and Nishi 8 chōme and Nishi 9 chōme blocks are joined together. Sections below list landmarks, monuments, and features including buildings removed in the past.

Nishi 1 chōme

Sapporo Municipal Subway The is a mostly-underground rubber-tyred rapid transit system in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau, it is the only subway system on the island of Hokkaido. Lines The system consists of three lines: ...

Ōdōri Station is a subway station in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Sapporo Municipal Subway. The station opened on 16 December 1971 as part of the first phase of the Namboku Line. Lines Odori Station is served by all lines of the Sapporo M ...

(Tōhō-line) is located. *

– located in the eastern half of the Nishi 1 chōme block. Visitors can view the scenery of the entire Odori Park and Sapporo City from its

observation deck An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from we ...

. The tower was erected in 1957. *

(moved) – A hotel in the European style built in 1880. Its garden protruded over Odori Park. Later, this building was used as community centre and assembly hall. The Hōheikan was moved to Nakajima Park in Sapporo, when the construction of the Sapporo TV Tower and new assembly hall were planned. * Sapporo Transportation Authority Building (demolished) – After

, a garage, dormitory, and office were placed in the south of the Hōheikan.

Nishi 2 chōme

* Sapporo Municipal Subway, Ōdōri Station (Tōhō-line) is located here. * Monument of the first telephone exchange in Hokkaidō – the area of Sapporo Communications Bureau and Sapporo Post Office protruded over the northern half of the Nishi 2 chōme block. The monument was erected in 1973. * Volleyball court (removed) – existed for a brief period after World War II.

Nishi 3 chōme

* The road between Nishi 3 chōme and 4 chōme is Ekimae-Dōri, a street which leads directly to

Sapporo Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), and is also connected to the Subway Sapporo Station. Sapporo Station is the star ...

. * Sapporo Municipal Subway, Ōdōri Station (Tōhō-line and Tōzai-line) is located here. * Monument of Takuboku Ishikawa – a monument built in 1981, on which is engraved a poem by Japanese poet,

Takuboku Ishikawa was a Japanese poet. Well known as both a tanka and or poet, he began as a member of the Myōjō group of naturalist poets but later joined the "socialistic" group of Japanese poets and renounced naturalism. He died of tuberculosis. Major ...

. * The statue of the general Takeshirō Nagayama (removed) – erected in November 1909. In 1943, it was taken by the government as a metal resource for use in construction of weapons and other items during World War II. * A church (demolished) – built by the American army which occupied Sapporo after World War II. It was demolished after the restoration of Odori Park.

Nishi 4 chōme

* Sapporo Municipal Subway, Ōdōri Station (Tōhō-line and Tōzai-line). * The monument of

Yoshii Isamu Count was a Japanese ''tanka'' poet and playwright active in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. Attracted to European romanticism in his youth, his later works were more subdued. Early life Yoshii Isamu was born in the elite Takanawa district Tok ...

. * A baseball field (removed) – existed for a brief period after World War II.

Nishi 5 chōme

* Seion Monument (聖恩碑) – a stone

obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...

built in thanks to the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

in 1938. * An athletic field (removed) – school sports were held in this field. * A tennis court (removed) – existed for a brief period after World War II.

Nishi 6 chōme

* An outdoor stage * Monument of development – built in 1886 and placed at Kairakuen in Sapporo, later relocated to Odori Park in 1899. * A tennis court and basketball court (removed) – existed for a brief period after World War II.

Nishi 7 chōme

* Monument of group return * The statue of Kiyotaka Kuroda (removed) – erected in August 1903. In 1943, it was taken by the government as scrap metal for war use. * A baseball field (removed) – existed for a brief period after World War II.

Nishi 8 chōme

* There are no roadways between Nishi 8 chōme and Nishi 9 chōme, and these thus two blocks are joined together. * Black Slide Mantra – a twisted slide created by

Japanese-American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in ranking to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

artist,

Isamu Noguchi was an American artist, furniture designer and Landscape architecture, landscape architect whose career spanned six decades from the 1920s. Known for his sculpture and public artworks, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Grah ...

. In the spring of 1988, when the agreement to construct Moerenuma Park between Sapporo City and Noguchi was announced, the creation of this slide was also planned. Black Slide Mantra was exhibited in the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...

, and is the sister version of the white "Slide Mantra" in Miami, Florida, United States. Placement of the Black Slide Mantra was the main cause of Nishi 8 chōme and Nishi 9 chōme being joined.

Nishi 9 chōme

* A monument of

Arishima Takeo was a Japanese people, Japanese Japanese author, novelist, short-story writer and essayist during the late Meiji period, Meiji and Taishō period, Taishō periods. His two younger brothers, and , were also authors. His son was the internationall ...

* A children's play area, including swings, slides and a water play area.

Nishi 10 chōme

* The statue of Kiyotaka Kuroda – recreated after World War II. * The statue of

Horace Capron Horace Capron (August 31, 1804 – February 22, 1885) was an American businessman and agriculturalist, a founder of Laurel, Maryland, a Union (American Civil War), Union officer in the American Civil War, the United States secretary of agri ...

Nishi 11 chōme

* Sapporo Municipal Subway, Nishi 11 chōme Station (Tōzai-line) * Maibaum – a decorated pole in the German tradition. The first Maibaum was given by

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Germany, a

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

of Sapporo, and placed in 1976. The original Maibaum deteriorated and was removed in 2000, and later a remodelled version was erected. The pole is 25 metres high. *Olympic Rings and a plaque commemorating the 1972 Winter Olympics which were held in Sapporo, including a picture of when the torch came through Odori Park on its way to the Olympic Stadium. * The statue of Michitoshi Iwamura (removed) – a bronze statue of the pioneer of Sapporo City, erected in 1933. In 1943, it was taken by the government for reuse during World War II.

Nishi 12 chōme

* Sunk Garden – a flower garden with over 30 kinds of

rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

Nishi 13 chōme

* Formally, Nishi 13 chōme is outside of the Odori Park, but it has been regarded as a part of Odori Park since the Sapporo City Archive Museum was constructed. * Sapporo City Archive Museum – constructed as Sapporo Court of Appeals in September 1926. The building was made of bricks, Sapporo soft stone, and

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

. The building was officially named Sapporo City Archive Museum in 1973, and listed in Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan in 1997.

Events

It snows in winter in Sapporo, and the White Illumination, an event during which the trees lining the Park are decorated with illuminations, takes place during that season. Every February, the

, a festival with snow statues and several events, is held throughout Odori Park. In recent years, this huge festival has had over two million visitors per year from all over Japan and the world. The park is home to about 400 lilac trees, and hosts the Lilac Festival every May for about 10 days. Every June, the ''Yosakoi Soran Festival'', a huge dance festival in Hokkaido, is held in the Odori Park. A number of special stages are constructed, and thousands of dancers parade and dance down the streets and on the stages. In summer, the park changes into a large

beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...

. From Nishi 5 chōme to Nishi 8 chōme, major Japanese breweries including Sapporo Breweries Limited set up their own beer gardens, serving beers and snacks. The beer garden serving beers of the world is Nishi 10 chōme. Until 2003, a place providing beers from local

microbreweries Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

was constructed in Nishi 11 chōme. The annual

Hokkaido Marathon The Hokkaido Marathon held in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, is one of the prominent marathon races of the year. The staging area as well as both the start and finish lines are in Odori Park starting between Nishi 3-chome and Nishi 4-chome and the fin ...

is staged from the park in late August. The popular Autumn Fest takes place for about three weeks in September, and showcases food stalls by restaurants from around the city and beyond. After concerns over the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

events Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...

for the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

after excessive heat during the

2019 World Athletics Championships The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships () was the seventeenth edition of the biennial, global sport of athletics, athletics competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), since renamed World Athleti ...

in Doha, Qatar, World Athletics and the Tokyo Olympic Committee announced on 4 December 2019 the 2021 Olympic Marathon (date change announced 30 March 2020) would be held in Sapporo instead of Tokyo in an effort to avoid the hottest time of day.

In popular culture

Ōdōri Park is a major location featured in the video game ''

Yakuza 5 is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is the fifth main entry in the ''Yakuza'' series. The game was released in December 2012 in Japan, and localized for North A ...

'', and it is seen during the scene where the character Taiga Saejima kidnaps the boss of the Kitakata Family, Daizo Kitakata, for questioning.

References

External links

Odori Park Official homepage

{{Authority control Chūō-ku, Sapporo Parks and gardens in Sapporo Venues of the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic athletics venues