Horse riding experience in Sapporo

Mt. Hakkenzan is a small mountain (498m) located in the south of Sapporo, near Jozankei Hot Spa. The mountain is formally named Mt.Kan-non-iwa-yama. Hakken means eight swords in Japanese and the name of Mt.Hakkenzan is derived from its shape.

Sapporo ("important river flowing through a plain" in Ainu language) is the capital of Hokkaido and Japan's fifth largest city. Sapporo is also one of the nation's youngest major cities. In 1857, the city's population stood at just seven people. In the beginning of the Meiji Period, when the development of Hokkaido was started on a large scale, Sapporo was chosen as the island's administrative center and enlarged according to the advice of foreign specialists. Consequently, Sapporo was built based on a North American style rectangular street system. Sapporo became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held there. Today, the city is well known for its ramen, beer, and the annual snow festival held in February.