Sapporo romantic charms – 2-hour tour

Asahiyama Memorial Park was opened in 1970 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the city of Sapporo. It used to be a farm and the land was given to Sapporo in 1946. The park was rebuilt in 2004 and is now a wonderful place to sit and stare over Sapporo, a city which is always surprisingly much larger than you think it is. The park’s peak, at 137.5 metres (451 ft) above sea level, offers a great panoramic view of Sapporo, and the Sea of Japan beyond. The Asahiyama Memorial Park contains a rest house, food and drink stands, a hanging bridge, playground, and space for kids. At night the illuminated fountain and lights of the buildings in central Sapporo beyond, create a popular spot for couples to enjoy the night views of Sapporo. The park is also the venue of the Sapporo Asahiyama Music Festival held every year in July, with the background of the Toyohira Hanabi.

Ishiya is a Sapporo-based chocolate company famous for Shiroi Koibito (White Lover), a butter cookie with white chocolate in between. The Shiroi Koibito Park is the place where you can learn more about the history of chocolate, make your own cookies and take a look at the Ishiya factory. There’s actually even more to see there.

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.

The Sapporo Beer Museum is a museum located in the Sapporo Garden Park. Registered as one of the Hokkaidō Heritage sites in 2004, the museum is the only beer museum in Japan. The red-brick building was erected originally as a factory of the Sapporo Sugar Company in 1890, and later opened as a museum in July 1987. The building also houses the Sapporo Beer Garden in the south wing. The Sapporo Beer Museum has three floors. The panels displaying the history of people involved in beer industry and the Sapporo Brewery Inc. are exhibited. Other exhibited items include beer bottles, signs, posters, miniatures of the building, and instruments for brewing beer. Some of them were actually used in the brewery before World War II.