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Hole In The Wall Senryo Sushi in Osaka Provides Authentic Experience
The tiny Senryo Sushi in Osaka is a sushi restaurant located off a main street near the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. After walking around and enjoying the aquarium why not enjoy some sushi in a quaint local sushi joint?
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Senryo Sushi in Osaka
After visiting Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in the evening and walking around enjoying the sights there, I was definitely quite hungry and looking forward to finding something to eat in the area. I managed to find Senryo Sushi which had an excellent 4.5 star rating (out of 5) on Google and decided to give it a try.
This is tucked away off the main street and you could easily miss it. It’s a very small restaurant consisting of a sushi bar with about 12 -15 seats. There’s one sushi chef. It seems like a husband / wife duo that run the place. It’s definitely a neighborhood type of restaurant that’s been there for a while, which I loved. It’s a very cozy, warm atmosphere. They do not speak any English here and only cash is accepted.
The Sushi
Senryo Sushi in Osaka does have an English menu with preset sushi sets, which is certainly helpful, but the menu is quite small which limits what you can try. I did order off it but in hindsight wish I had gone the Google Translate route to open up more options on the main menu.
I went with the Chu-Nigiri sushi set (1500 yen, $9.56). Definitely a good deal for the price! Eight pieces of excellent looking sushi for under $10? Sign me up. The presentation of sushi at Senryo Sushi in Osaka is impressive as well. Everything looks so meticulously placed and put together. I had zero idea of what most of the sushi was to be honest outside of the shrimp, unagi, tuna, and salmon roe, but was more than happy to give it all a try.
Something that immediately caught my attention was how the fish was extremely fresh and the sushi presentation was fantastic. It looked delicious when it was brought out!
Something else that was a little different was the wasabi was already spread on the rice, underneath the fish. I’d never seen it served like that, I’m generally accustomed to getting a glob of it on a side dish to mix it in with some soy sauce. I liked it!
The standouts to me was, of course, the melt in your mouth tuna and the shrimp which was very sweet. All of the pieces had their own type of texture, for better or for worse since I’m a big food texture eater.
Some of the cuts of fish were a little too chewy or a little too firm for my liking, but it was a great sampler of what is offered in this little restaurant and again, the fish was good quality. I just didn’t know what it all was lol. I do wish I had tried ordering off the main menu to be able to open up all the different types of sushi they offered. I certainly would have ordered a lot more of the tuna but I suppose it will have to wait until my next visit!
Final Thoughts
Overall I really enjoyed eating at Senryo Sushi in Osaka. It was definitely a find. It’s a good spot if you’re looking for a place to eat after visiting the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and are heading back to the subway station. Very affordable, and you can’t go wrong with a local restaurant serving good food. You really get a cool vibe from eating at places like this. I certainly recommend it!
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Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan: One Of The Best Aquariums In Japan
Located within the Minato ward near the Osaka bay area, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is a major attraction within Japan’s third largest city.
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Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Home to over 30,000 sea creatures and 620 species, this is a massive aquarium. With over 15 large tanks there’s a lot to see and take in at the facility. Each tank represents a different region of the Pacific Rim, traversing through the Pacific Ocean. You’ll see all manner of aquatic sea life here ranging from otters, sea lions, penguins, dolphins, whale sharks, rays, and jellyfish, just to name a few.
What’s great about the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is the way these tanks are presented to you. You first enter and walk through the overhead aquarium tunnel. Then you make your way up to the 8th floor and spiral down floor by floor. Some of the tanks can be observed from multiple floors so you can see the animals at different depths. It’s a really cool experience.
The Pacific Ocean tank
The highlight of all of these impressive tanks is the “Pacific Ocean”.
The tank is 9 meters deep, 34 meters long and contains 5,400 tons of water. This is a truly massive tank wihch can be viewed from multiple levels. There’s a TON of species swimming around within the tank. The main attractions being the massive whale sharks, the largest fish species in the world. There’s also some seating locations in some areas around the tank. It’s quite mesmerizing to watch if you’re able to find a seat and just chill and watch for a time.
The Overall Experience
If you enjoy aquariums than Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan will be a must visit while in Osaka. It’s a world class level aquarium and is certainly worth the entrance fee (2700 yen, $17.33 USD). As you can imagine, this is a very popular attraction and you can expect big crowds here.
I went in the evening, about 3 hours before closing (it closes at 8 pm) which seemed to help with the crowds. There wasn’t any line to purchase a ticket at that time and the exhibits, while crowded, weren’t too bad. You can easily spend over 3 hours here so you will want to give yourself ample time to enjoy all the tanks and not feel like you have to speed run through it all.
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Otaru, Hokkaido Is A Great Day Trip From Sapporo
Otaru is a port city located in Hokkaido, Japan, about a 30-40 minute train ride from Sapporo, it’s a popular day trip from the biggest city in Hokkaido with some notable sights to take in. Staying in Otaru is certainly an option but this post looks at making a day trip or half-day trip for those staying in Sapporo.
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The Otaru Canal
The most well-known feature in Otaru is the Otaru Canal. This canal was an integral part of transporting goods from the ships stationed in the main port in the 20th century. Smaller vessels would transport goods from these larger vessels down the canal and unload them at the warehouses lining the canal. The canal became obsolete as modern technology took hold and more efficient unloading methods developed.
The canal remained during this shift of goods transportation and a part of the canal was restored in the 1980s with the warehouses being renovated into various shops, restaurants, and museums.
It’s a beautiful area and makes for quite a nice stroll. You can spend the majority of your day in the area around the canal since there’s so much to see here.
The Otaru Canal 
The Otaru
Canal at night, illuminated by lightsSakaimachi Street
Located near the Otaru Canal, Sakaimachi Street is a very popular tourist destination spot. It’s convenient location next to the town’s most popular attraction means you’ll most likely spend some time on this street. It’s home to several souvenir shops, museums, restaurants, and stores. The street is quite long so there’s a TON to see and eat here.
The Food
As mentioned above, Sakaimachi Street is jam-packed with all sorts of shops and stores. As one would imagine there’s a TON of different food options. Not only is there plenty of traditional Japanese food and seafood located on the street, there’s plenty of dessert options as well, not only on Sakaimachi Street but near the canal too.
A popular spot is Sawawa whose speciality are matcha and green tea products. Even though it was early December I had to try the the green tea ice cream with matcha mochi (670 yen, $4.28 USD). The ice cream was very rich with a heavy green flavor to it while the mochi was quite soft and chewy. It was quite jelly like.
Popura Farm was another stop. It’s not on Sakaimachi Street but is quite close to it. Popura Farm offers half cut or quarter cut melons piled with ice cream. I got the quarter melon (1900 yen, $12.13 USD). Even in December, the honeydew melon I got was sweet and juicy, while the vanilla ice cream makes it that much tastier!
Naruto Honten Fried Chicken is a famous fried chicken restaurant that’s located in Otaru. About a 10 minute walk from the Otaru Canal, it’s a large two-story restaurant with a waiting room, so you know the place is quite popular.
The menu is quite large, with many options besides just fried chicken, but the restaurant is known for its chicken so it was a must try for me. I got a half chicken combo meal and a beer for 1850 yen, $12.02 USD. Quite a good deal for the amount of food you get. The fried chicken is quite good. The skin is exceptionally crispy while the meat maintains its juiciness. It really is some tasty fried chicken.
LaTao is a famous dessert company not only in Japan but in other countries throughout the world. The orignal location is found in Otaru on Sakaimachi Street. It’s easily recognizable due to the tower that’s connected to the store. The tower was the original location of LaTao and you can walk to the very top and get a nice view of the surrounding area.
LaTao made its name based off its famous Double Fromage cheesecakes, so it’s certainly an item that deserves attention. Within the store, upstairs, there’s a restaurant where you can order and enjoy the many desserts that LaTao has to offer. I got a combo that included a slice of the original cheesecake (I believe) and a slice of lemon cheesecake, and a cup of tea (1500 yen, $9.60 USD).
Both slices of cheesecake are incredibly light. With a subtle sweetness, they are not overpowering or overly sweet at all. Both maintain great flavor and are extremely tasty!
Otaru Music Box Museum
At the end Sakaimachi Street is the Otaru Music Museum. A solid stone building, this is the main building that was constructed in 1915 and used as an office for a wealthy merchant. It was converted to a music box museum in 1989 and now houses over 80,000 music boxes.
As one might imagine with a place with so many music boxes, the air is filled with music as you walk around which is quite pleasant. There are so many different types and variations of music boxes housed here. It really is amazing. The wooden interior really adds to the unique feel and it’s just a really cool place to walk around and purchase a unique music box if you’re so inclined.
In the front of the museum is the world’s largest steam clock. Every 15 minutes, the steam whistles at the top of the clock produces a melody, which is really cool to both see and hear!
The Railway Museum
The Railway Museum is a little bit outside of Otaru Canal tourist area, about a 20 minute walk. It’s located at the site of Hokkaido’s first railway line. In the old trainyard outside there are several full size trains from various eras which are on display.
The inside of the museum has several exhibits detailing the history of trains in the Otaru area. If you have an interest in trains and museums this will be a place of interest for you!
Conclusion
There’s a lot more to see and do in Otaru but if you only have a day or half-day this is a good starting point. The Otaru Canal and its surrounding area, namely Sakaimachi Street, will undoubtedly be the biggest draw and there’s a lot to explore, especially if you enjoy shopping. You can’t really go wrong just walking around the area and exploring. It’s a charming place with lots to see and especially EAT!
Related Links
Is The Famed Naruto Honten Fried Chicken In Otaru Fulfill It’s Hype?
Does The Famous Japanese Bakery LeTAO Live Up To The Hype?
10 Popular Things To Do In Sapporo, Hokkaido
Stunning Osaka Castle Is One Of The Most Popular Places To Visit In Osaka
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Stunning Osaka Castle Is One Of The Most Popular Places To Visit In Osaka
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Osaka Castle History
Osaka Castle has over a 450 year history dating back to 1583 when the feudal lord Hideyoshi Toyotomi built the first iteration of the castle. The castle has been destroyed numerous times mainly due to war and fire but has been re-built afterwards each and every time during its exisitence. The last re-build occurred in 1931 when the castle tower was re-built. Although damaged during World War II, the main structure remained intact and was recognized as a historic site by the Japanese government in the 1950s.
Today’s Osaka Castle
Today, Osaka Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in not only Osaka, but all of Japan. When you get to the castle park and walk around, you have a great view of the castle towering over the premises, you can understand why it’s a tourist favorite. I was lucky to go on a clear, beautiful day, and the tower sitting on high was really a magnificent sight.
The area within the castle grounds contains citadels, gates, turrets, massive stone walls, and huge moats. It’s a great area to walk around to appreciate all of the impressive architecture. The stone walls are comprised of an estimated 500,000 – 1 million stones. The moat walls stand over 65 ft and are 295 ft wide. They’re certainly an impressive sight as you walk amongst them.
There’s two separate moats which encircle the castle and the castle park. Both are huge and provide a nice walk if you have the time and really want to take in views of the entire premises and see the castle from all angles.
The inside of the castle is completely modern and is a museum that provides the history of both Hideyoshi Toyotomi and the castle. The very top of the museum provides a great view of the castle grounds and of the surrounding Osaka area. You do have to pay a small entrance fee in order to enter the museum. The museum is interesting, especially if you’re a museum fan or history buff, but it would have been great if they had tried to re-construct how the castle may have once looked at the height of its powers. Wishful thinking.
While the castle itself is the highlight, the surrounding Osaka Castle Park is very large as well. It’s about 2 square km with lots of green space. It’s really a green oasis within Osaka. It really is a nice area to just take a stroll through. You can easily bring some snacks and drinks and just hangout in this area for a nice little break from all the sight-seeing.
The park gets very popular during cherry blossom season due to its abundance of cherry blossom trees in the area, which I imagine would be quite stunning. The fall colors within the Osaka Castle Park would be sight to behold as well.
Is Osaka Castle Worth Visiting?
If you’re visiting Osaka, the Osaka Castle is most likely one of the bigger attractions you’re looking to visit. If it’s not, it should be. It really is one of the bigger attractions in all of Japan and one of its most famous castles. Once you get there and start walking around the Osaka Castle Park, cross over the moat bridge into the inner Osaka Castle grounds, you’ll understand why the castle is such a popular destination.
In a sense, you feel like you’ve been transported back in time once you’re walking around the enormous stone walls and stand up on them and look out over the moat. It’s really a spectacle that needs to be experienced if you’re in Osaka!
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Does The Famous Japanese Bakery LeTAO Live Up To The Hype?
LeTAO is a Japanese dessert company that was founded in Otaru, Hokkaido in 1998. The first shop was opened in a tower right in the center of Otaru, which the founder, Kawagoe, taking inspiration from his travels in France, named La Tour Amitie Otaru – LeTAO – or The Amiable Tower of Otaru. In a creative twist to the name, the name is also comprised of a combination of the syllables of the city it was founded in.
The bread of butter of LeTAO is its cheesecake, most notably the Double Fromage. Each year LaTAO bakers churn out a whopping 25 million Double Fromage cheesecakes. Not only is that a staggering number, but it shows how popular the brand and its cheesecake is worldwide.
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The Original LeTAO in Otaru
The orginal LeTAO shop may have been small enough to fit within a tower but it has now expanded to include a massive store filled with baked goods attached to that original tower. When I went, it was extremely busy. I’m guessing that’s the norm here since LeTAO is now a worldwide brand and clearly extremely popular. Upstairs is where the restaurant is located. I went in the late afternoon, around 4pm, and it was packed. They have a number system so I grabbed a ticket and periodically would come back and check to see where I was in line. It was about a 45 minute wait.
The orginal tower is still there and you can continue going up the stairs from the restaurant floor to get to the top of it. You can enjoy the views it provides of Otaru while you wait for your table. It’s right across from the Otaru Music Box Museum.
The Cheesecake
With LaTAO being known for their cheesecake, I obviously HAD to try it. There are many many cheesecake and pastry options and different combos to choose from, all of which came with a cup of tea as well. Some of the combos were already sold out for the day, but there were some yummy looking options still on the table to choose from.
I ended up with a slice of the original cheesecake (I believe) and a slice of lemon cheesecake (1500 yen, $9.60 USD).
It’s a very simple, clean presentation. Slices are quite tiny, just big enough to get a nice sample taste. With this being cheesecake it’s probably a good thing the slices are on the smaller side!
I started with the original slice. It was very light with a subtle taste to it. It has the clear cheesecake taste to it but the flavor is not overbearing or super rich at all. Crust is incredibly light as well. Definitely quite tasty.
Next up was the lemon cheesecake. It had two layers on it, with the top layer being whip cream than the bottom layer being the lemon flavored cheesecake. Again, the flavors here are very subtle. With this having a couple layers I expected this to be a lot more rich in flavor. It wasn’t. It’s still very, very, light with a subtle taste to it. I really enjoyed this as well, even more so than the other slice!
Is It Worth A Visit?
If you’re a fan of pastries and cheesecake LaTAO is certainly worth visiting and stopping by to sample some slices of cake. With so many excellent sounding options, it can be slightly daunting to choose just one or two to sample, but that’s a fun (and hopefully delicious) decision to make.
I was very satisfied with the combo that I bought. Getting two slices of cheesecaske with a cup of tea for sub-$10 USD is an excellent price for such a well-known bakery like LaTAO.
The cheesecake itself is certainly unique. These were by far the lightest slices of cheesecake I’ve ever had, which is a good thing. Even though the flavors were subtle, they were still very flavorful. I actually prefer this subtle falvor where the cheesecake is not overly rich and sweet. I didn’t feel all heavy after eating a couple slices and honestly probably could have sampled another slice or two (don’t judge, lol).
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Is The Famed Naruto Honten Fried Chicken In Otaru Fulfill It’s Hype?
Otaru is a port city located in Hokkaido, Japan, about a 30-40 minute train ride from Sapporo, it’s a popular day trip from the biggest city in Hokkaido. Of course it has a number of outstanding restaurants to choose from. Depending on how long your stay is you may only get one or two meals here so it can certainly be a tough choice deciding on what to get!
I had seen a video on Naruto Honten and hadn’t had fried chicken up to this point on my trip so I definitely had a hankering for it. I decided to make this my meal in Otaru so I certainly had high expectations and even higher hopes (that I made the right decision lol).
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The Experience
I walked over to the restaurant around noon, so peak lunch time. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the famous Otaru Canal. You know the place is popular and expecting crowds when there’s a ticket machine where you pull a number with a waiting room where you can sit until your turn is called. With it being lunch time it was fairly busy, not overly so though. It took about 15 minutes or so to get my number called.
The front of Naruto Honken in Otaru There’s a lot of options to choose from on the menu. They have much more to offer than just the fried chicken they’re known for.
But I came here specifically for the fried chicken. That half-chicken combo meal was just calling my name and that’s what I went with along with a beer (1850 yen, $12.02 USD)
The Fried Chicken
The first thing you notice about the fried chicken is how crisp the skin is. Exceptionally crispy and seasoned well, it really is delicious. Digging into the meat, it’s tender and extremely juicy. With fried chicken you can sometimes run into places where the meat is a little dry, but it wasn’t the case here. The fried chicken was done perfectly and juicy throughout.
The seasoning is mild which I enjoyed. It’s not overly salty at all. For my taste preference it was perfect. The fried chicken isn’t very greasy either, another positive!
The combo meal also came with a bowl of rice, miso soup, tofu, and radish. Quite a filling meal for $12!
Is Naruto Honten worth visiting?
If you’re in the mood for fried chicken and have had your fill of sushi (which Otaru is also known for) then Naruto Honten is certainly worth the trip. It’s an iconic, well-known establishment in Otaru and the fried chicken is quite good! You get quite a bit of food for only $8.25 as well.
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The Popular Okonomiyaki Is A Must Have While Visiting Osaka
Okonomiyaki is a popular, savory pancake dish that is found throughout Japan. Consisting of a flour batter and cooked on a teppan, common ingredients include cabbage, meat, and seafood, with toppings including a thicker worcestershire type sauce, dried seaweed flakes (aonori), bonito flakes, Japanese mayonnaise, and ginger.
It’s prepared much like a pancake with the batter and ingredients pan-fried on both sides of the teppan.
Originally created in Osaka in the 1930s, it quickly spread throughout the Kansai region (Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga). This version of okonomiyaki is what is generally found throughout Japan. In Hiroshima they have their own distinct take on the popular dish, where the ingredients are layered instead of mixed and there is about 3-4x more cabbage used with noodles and a fried egg topping it off.
I didn’t get to visit Hiroshima this trip, but was in Osaka to have their style of okonomiyaki.
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Okonomi Yukari
While out and about in Osaka, I ran into Okonomi Yukari which is a okonomiyaki restaurant that has been around since 1953. There’s a few of these restaurants throughout Osaka. The one I went to in the Kita Ward is the flagship location. With it being my first night in Osaka I thought it was a great time to get my okonomiyaki for the trip!
They had many different variations of okonomiyaki here, with a large selection of toppings you could add as well. I went with the most popular choice – the Special Mix Yaki (1450 yen, $9.25 USD). This particular mix included pork, cuttlefish, and shrimp.
The table you sit at has its own teppan and once you order your server comes by with a bowl with all the ingredients and an egg which gets cracked into the mixture and you stir it all up. You can either make it yourself or they will make it for you. Since I had zero idea of how to actually cook the okonomiyaki, I let the pro handle it.
Just like a big ol’ pancake chalk full of ingredients with pork laid on top, this is what the okonomiyaki looked like when it was first placed on the teppan.
It takes some time to get it nice and cooked (at least when you’re hungry and have food cooking right in front of you) but it started coming along. The outside was getting nice and crisp and the inside was starting to cook as well. It gets flipped a few times before it’s ready to be served.
Once fully cooked through the thicker worcestershire type sauce, dried seaweed flakes (aonori), bonito flakes, Japanese mayonnaise all get added. The pictures don’t quite do this justice. This is a large, dense, pancake! There’s a spatula that you use to cut the okonomiyaki into smaller pieces so you don’t need to dig into the whole thing.
The Okonomiyaki
After watching this cook before my very eyes I was ready to dig in! I gave myself a nice chunk of the pancake and dug in.
The outside had a nice char to it with a slight crunch. The inside is fairly packed with all the goodies. The cuttlefish was really tender and well done. It wasn’t dried out at all. The shrimp was sweet and the pork was a nice tasty surprise when you got a bite of it. There was also some green onion and carrot mixed into this as well which went great with the mixture.
The combination of the worcestershire type sauce and Japanese mayonnaise adds a little sweet and savory to the pancake. They gel well together and are really the perfect complement topping for this dish.
Overall, it was a satisfying, very filling meal! For under $10 USD it was a great value and it’s just one of those meals that you must have if you’rve visiting Osaka!
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10 Popular Things To Do In Sapporo, Hokkaido
Sapporo, the capital of Japan’s northern most island, Hokkaido, is a fantastic city that offers many sights and things to do. It’s a fairly spread out city and while there is a subway, it isn’t nearly as extensive as the subway systems found in Tokyo or Osaka so some of the locations may take a little longer to get to. But certainly it’s worth the extra effort to explore this wonderful city.
So what are some of the top things to do in Sapporo? Here’s a list of 10 Popular Things To Do In Sapporo, Hokkaido.
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10 Popular Things To Do In Sapporo, Hokkaido:
Visit Ramen Alley
If you’re a ramen fan a visit to Sapporo’s Ramen Alley is a must. With 17 ramen shops within the alley there are plenty of places to try here each with their own unique twist on the beloved food. It’s a unique experience since it’s a narrow alleyway that is packed with ramen restaurants. You won’t this many ramen spots in such a small area anywhere else.
Take A Stroll Through Odori Park
One of the top things to do in Sapporo is to visit its famous Odori Park. Located right in the middle of the city, it’s nearly impossible to miss. This overly large strip of a park, over a mile long, that has major streets running along side of it. The Sapporo TV Tower is also located here and can be seen throughout the park.
There are several festivals held throughout the year at the park including the Snow Festival, Lilac Festival, Soran Festival, and Beer Garden.
In December Odori Park gets a Christmas makeover with several exhibits with lights and a German Village that has stalls selling Christmas decorations and food. It’s a good time!
It’s definitely worth visiting to see what’s going on even outside of the popular festivals. It’s certainly a nice stroll through a unique park which is why it lands on my popular things to do in Sapporo list.
Check Out Maruyama Park and Everything Within It
Maruyama Park is a large sprawing park in Sapporo housing over 300+ different types of trees and plants with over a hundred different types of birds. It’s a huge park that offers a lot when visiting and is certainly one of the top things to do in Sapporo.
One of the most famous shrines in Hokkaido, Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, is located right next to it.
The Maruyama Zoo has been housed within the park since 1951. It has over 170 different species including polar bears, wolves, deer, elephants, giraffes, hippos, chimpanzees, and brown bears, just to name a few.
The Maruyama-Hachijuhakkasho Trail offers a nice little hike within the park that takes you up to a point that has a spectacular view of Sapporo. It’s a short hike which will take you uphill for that view but isn’t overly strenous. A visit to Maruyama Park is definitely one of the more popular things to do in Sapporo and is well worth the visit.
Go To The Sapporo Beer Museum
The oldest beer in Japan, Sapporo, was founded in 1876 and has a long history not only within Sapporo but Japan itself. It remains one of the country’s most popular beers and is quite popular around the world. The Sapporo Beer Museum is the only museum in Japan that’s dedicated to beer. This attraction is one of the most popular things to do in Sapporo.
The museum itself is free. It’s pretty tiny and will only take about 20-30 minutes to walk through. There’s a paid tour as well which provides more detail about the history of the legendary beer. On premises as well is a beer garden, a couple of stores with merchandise, and some restaurants, including a Genghis Khan restaurant.
Eat Famous Hokkaido Dishes
Hokkaido has a few signature dishes that originate from the area and are trying some of these dishes is certainly one of the most popular things to do in Sapporo. Genghis Khan, Soup Curry, and Miso Ramen, all originate from Hokkaido. You will find these dishes in other parts of Japan, but the number of places you can purchase these from are more plentiful in Hokkaido and are certainlty worth trying!
Soup Curry 
Genghis Khan 
Miso Ramen Enjoy The View Of Sapporo On The Mt. Moiwa Ropeway
Mount Moiwa is a small mountain southwest of central Sapporo. At the base of the mountain you’ll find the Mount Moiwa Ropeway. There’s a transfer station about three quarters up where you get into another cablecar that takes you to the very top of the mountain. This is where the observation deck is located along with a restaurant. The observation deck offers some stunning views of the city. It’s especially nice at night when the city is lit up! The ropeway and view are what makes this one of the most popular things to do in Sapporo.
Visit The Hokkaido University Museum
If you enjoy museums then the Hokkaido University Museum is worth a visit. This free admission museum is located on the Hokkaido University campus and is one of the more popular things to do in Sapporo. The three floor museum houses over four million specimens and documents. It educates visitors on all the different types of research that has occurred on campus. The museum also has a small cafe. The museum itself is fairly small, this is afterall on the campus of a college, but it’s fascinating to see, especially for museum buffs. Also, the ice cream in the cafe is top notch!
Do Some Shopping At Tanukikoji Shopping Street
Undoubtedly, one the of most popular things to do in Sapporo is shopping. One of the more popular areas is the Tanukikoji Shopping Street. This pedestrian only shopping street is HUGE. It runs for seven blocks and is about 900 meters. It’s home to over 200 shops, restaurants, and other stores. You can find essentially everything here be it souvenirs, clothing, food, dessert, entertainment. If you’re a shopper you’ll no doubt be spending some time here. It’s very close to Sapporo Station as well, just a 10-minute walk.
Check Out Es Con Field Hokkaido
The impressive stadium to the only baseball team in Hokkaido – the Nippon Ham Fighters – Es Con Field Hokkaido field opened in 2023 and seats 35k people. This is a beautiful stadium with a retractable roof, natural grass, and massive glass wall in the outfield which provides excellent natural lighting. The field is open to visit during the off-season as well. The food court, brewery, stadium tour, and massive team store were all open in the middle of December. It’s a little further out from Sapporo and is a 20 minute walk from the train station to the stadium but it’s certainly worth it. If you visit during the season, seeing a game here should certainly be high on the list for any baseball fan.
Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill
This attraction is a bit of a trek if using public transit as you will need to take the bus. The pros: The scenic view of the famous bronze statue of Dr. William S. Clark. Clark was a famous American professor who came over to Hokkaido in 1876 and established the Sapporo Agricultural College, which is now Hokkaido College. His parting words “Boys, be ambitious” are immortalized on the statue as well. It’s a fantastic view with a wide open field in the background with the Sapporo Dome visible.
The cons: There’s not much else here. There’s some additional smaller buildings that serve as mini museums, and a restaurant and a place to grab some ice cream, but outside of that there’s not a ton here. It also costs yen to enter the parking lot. With the amount of time it takes to get here and how little is actually here, I wouldn’t place this at the top of the list of things to do in Sapporo.
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Genghis Khan BBQ Is A MUST TRY If Visiting Hokkaido Japan
Things Get SPICY At This Miso Ramen Joint in Sapporo
Es Con Field Hokkaido Home To The Nippon Ham Fighters Is A Must Visit
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Es Con Field Hokkaido Home To The Nippon Ham Fighters Is A Must Visit
The Nippon Ham Fighters are a Nippon Professional Baseball team (NPB, Japanese pro baseball) that are located in Sapporo, Japan. Having played their games in the Sapporo Dome since the team re-located from Tokyo to Sapporo back in 2004, the Fighters unveiled Es Con Field Hokkaido to kick off the 2023 season. I went and visited this stadium during the off-season and was very impressed with everything it had to offer!
The Background
Construction for Es Con Field Hokkaido began in May 2020 and was completed in January 2023, just in time for the 2023 season. The newest stadium in the NPB boasts a seating capacity of 35,000, has a retractable roof, and natural turf (a rarity for an NPB team). The field dimensions are as follows: left field 318 ft, center field 397 ft, right field 325 ft.
The standout feature of the stadium is the massive glass wall in the outfield. It essentially runs from left field to right field and it’s absolutely HUGE. When inside the stadium, it’s really a sight to behold and provides great natural lighting.
Outside The Stadium
The surrounding area is lush with greenery so the background setting of the stadium is quite peaceful when outside the stadium. There’s a couple of shops and restaurants next to the stadium and even a hotel that is directly next to Es Con Field Hokkaido. There’s a kids playground, a small pond surrounded by what looked like outdoor suites which were just a large room with a TV and deck with bbq. I’m not exactly what these were. I’d be interested to see how they’re utilized on game day.
I’d expect this area to be further developed in the future since there’s a lot of space within the vicinity.
Es Con Field Hokkaido is a little bit of a trek since it’s not in central Sapporo and doesn’t have a direct station. The nearest station is Kitahiroshima station which will be about a 20-minute walk to the stadium. I didn’t mind this walk since the area here is peaceful. During game days the walk would most likely be quite fun with boisterous and excited fans making the walk together. During the season I’m guessing they must have shuttle services from the station to the stadium but in those times it may just be faster to walk.
Inside the Stadium
Something that was pretty amazing to me about Es Con Field Hokkaido, outside of how great the exterior looked, was how accessible it was to the public in the middle of December. You could literally walk in through one entrance that takes you to the left field seats which were open to sit in. You could walk the concourse from left field to right field and along the first base line before areas were roped off.
The team store is massive, with a ton of Fighter apparel and souvenirs, really cool and it’s two stories as well!
The front of the team store 
The first floor of the team store 
Mural of Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani that’s between the team store and food court. I expected the team store to be open, just didn’t think it was going to be on the inside of the stadium, but didn’t think the food court would also be open AND the brewery (!) too. There was a cool area in centerfield where the brewery was located.
The entrance to the craft brewery 
The craft beer selection and snacks! Seeing that one the stadium had a brewery and it was open, I obviously had to grab a Playball Ale (800 yen, $5.29 USD) and roll pizza (Margherita roll 900 yen, $5.95 USD). The brewery is located in center field with both an “indoors” area and also a patio area that’s upstairs (this area’s bar wasn’t open).
I grabbed a seat at the counter that faces the field to enjoy my beer and food. Really cool place and location.
The Tour
Es Con Field Hokkaido offers a couple different tours. The Basic where you can walk around the diamond seat area and get to walk around in the dugout and stand on the field and then the Premium which includes everything from the Basic while also providing access to the players area / locker room. I went with the Basic (1800 yen, $12.42) USD). I really wanted to step onto the field and and see how the stadium looks from field level. You get some really great views of the stadium and the field and some behind the scenes looks into the inner workings of the stadium. It was a blast!
One place on the tour are the seats directly behind home plate 
Field level directly in the front of the first base dugout 
The media room Es Con Field Hokkaido Is Worth A Visit
If you’re a sports fan and are visiting Sapporo, Es Con Field Hokkaido should be on the list of places to visit. The stadium is gorgeous and it’s a treat to walk around the surrounding area and within the stadium itself.
The next goal will be to go when the Fighters are playing. The atmosphere from the walk from the station to the field and then the game atmosphere itself would be amazing I’m sure. Certainly something I want to plan for in the future!
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Things Get SPICY At This Miso Ramen Joint in Sapporo
Miso ramen can be found throughout Japan but the birthplace of this style of ramen is Sapporo. The specific nature of how miso ramen came to be has long been rumored that it occurred at a restaurant called Aji no Sanpei in Sapporo in the 1950s when a drunken customer asked that noodles be placed in their miso soup. How accurate the story is may be debatable, but a “strange” concoction born from the hunger pains of a drunken patron are surely believable.
Fast forward decades later and, as mentioned above, miso ramen has evolved and can be found throughout the country. Each area and restuarant will have their own unique spin on this unique tasting ramen BUT there’s only one place that can claim to be the creator of miso ramen and that’s Sapporo. It was a must try for me while I visited.
Karaiichi Sapporo Ramen Susukino
I stumbled upon Karaiichi Sapporo Ramen Susukino after coming back from my day trip to Otaru. It was a cold day ( I went in December) so a nice steaming hot bowl of ramen sounded like the perfect meal to have to cap the day off. I thought it was the perfect time to get some authentic miso ramen in Sapporo!
It’s a typical ramen restaurant that’s very tiny and seating consisting of countertop space. They did have an English menu here which was certainly helpful. Something that was very interesting here was the spice level.
If you take a look at the below (sorry the print is tiny) you can see that spice levels range from 1-30 with appropriate increases in price, then there’s TWO additional levels called “demon” and “Hell”. I mean….what does this ENTAIL? What does this even look like or taste like?? I certainly wasn’t brave enough to give either one of those a taste. I like spice but I draw the line when spice levels hit “demon” and “Hell” levels, haha.
The Food
I ended up getting the Spicy Miso Ramen, level 10 (1005 yen, $6.47).
Miso broth is thicker, made primarily with miso paste and can also include many other ingredient combinations of dashi, garlic, ginger,onions, scallions, tare, and other ingredients. There’s a lot of variation that can be found here.
This particular broth was definitely rich with a deep flavor. The spice was quite good at level 10. Definitely quite spicy, not overly so, with a great kick to it. It was just right. I can’t imagine what level 20 would be, let alone the last two levels!
The bowl of miso ramen comes with finely shredded bean sprouts, half an egg, a piece of chashu pork, and some ground pork as well. The chashu was fantastic. It was exremely tender and was falling apart as I attempted to pick it up.
The noodles were thicker and firmer and tasted extremely fresh. The egg was nice and creamy. I enjoyed the addition of the ground pork, it was a little different than what I was used to. The bean sprouts added a different texture to the bowl. Everything in the bowl really played well together, when combined with the spicy broth made quite a comforting bowl of ramen on a cold December night.
Miso Ramen in Sapporo
As mentioned above, miso ramen was CREATED in Sapporo, so if you’re a foodie it’s a must try. You could certainly go to the original ramen shop that created miso ramen – Aji no Sanpei – it’s still there (!) or you could find any number of ramen restuarants dispersed about the city serving miso ramen.
I was lucky enough to stumble up on Karaiichi Sapporo Ramen Susukino and was not disappointed. If you have a hankering for spicy miso or are looking to give it a try, this is a great option if you’re in the area. The Spicy Miso Ramen was fantastic here. I just love how many different spice levels they offer, as someone that loves spicy food it was great to see!
Karaiichi Sapporo Ramen Susukino
Address: Japan, 〒064-0805 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 5 Jonishi, 4 Chome−７−3 ソシアルビル 1F
