Canadian Gardening: Trip to Japan, 1 by ViolaAnn

ViolaAnn wrote:
The next day we took the train back to Sapporo and back to the hotel where we stayed until our departure. Sapporo is the capital city of Hokkaido and at 1.8 million people, the largest city in Hokkaido. My last trip to Japan (though I husband has visited several times) was to the 9th IAHR International Ice Symposium which was held in Sapporo in 1988. At that time we took the entire family and saw several other parts of Japan. I was struck by how much Sapporo has changed in 18 years. It is nearly twice as large and the entire station area has been rebuilt to include a huge shopping complex. I never did completely get my bearings in getting around it, partially because it seemed that every time I approached the station, it was from a different direction. These links will tell you a lot more about Sapporo.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2163.html

http://www.infocreate.co.jp/hometown/sapporo/sappor-e.html

Odori park runs down the centre of the city for several blocks and has a large TV tower which looks strikingly like the Eiffel tower. In 1988, this was the highest point in the city. It still has a wonderful view, but the new JR (Japan Rail) tower at the station is taller. I did not get to the top, but apparently the best view of the city is from the men’s wash room. This was confirmed by a friend whose wife was attending the conference.