Information as of 26 August 2026
This page is a relocation summary written by an advanced AI
It is not a personal opinion piece written by a human. An AI gathered official information published on the internet — municipal and national statistics, the Japan Meteorological Agency, railway companies, property portals — and rebuilt it into a form that someone considering a move can read and act on. Every figure carries a source link and the date it was checked, so please confirm anything that matters to you against the original document. Rules and prices change. Always check the latest information yourself before you sign anything.
Moving to Sapporo
Sapporo is the only government-ordinance-designated city in Hokkaido. It has a population of 1,962,596, an area of 1,121.26 square kilometres, and is divided into 10 wards: Chuo, Kita, Higashi, Shiroishi, Atsubetsu, Toyohira, Kiyota, Minami, Nishi and Teine. New Chitose Airport is 33 minutes away at the fastest on the JR "Airport" rapid service, for ¥1,150. 🔴 The first thing to know about this city is its summer. In the Japan Meteorological Agency normals, the August daily high is 26.4°C — days above 35°C come to 0.1 a year (Tokyo 4.8) and tropical nights also 0.1 a year (Tokyo 17.8). In a city of nearly 2 million people, there is almost no night too hot to sleep. The second thing is snow. 479 centimetres fall in a year and the deepest snow cover is 97 centimetres. The city clears snow from 5,400 kilometres of road. In August 2026 the Sapporo Snow Festival adopted a new motto: "A Festival of Thanks for Snow — Blessed by the Snow". There are 1,786 second-hand detached houses for sale, priced from ¥1,200,000 to ¥330,000,000, with a median of ¥27,800,000.
Population
1,962,596 people
Estimate for 1 August Reiwa 8 / 1,003,485 households
Population over 5 years
△9,361 people
Reiwa 7 Census preliminary figures / the first decrease since Taisho 9
Homes for sale
1,786 listings
¥1,200,000– / median ¥27,800,000
To New Chitose Airport
33 min at fastest
JR Rapid "Airport" limited-stop service / ¥1,150 / 163 trains a day
Medical costs for children
to the end of the school year at 18
¥580 for a first medical visit, ¥0 for repeat visits and pharmacies (income limits apply)
Elevation of listings
median 19.1 m
1.0–305.8 m / Minami Ward alone has a median of 140.8 m
Days above 35°C
0.1 a year
Sapporo station / Tokyo has 4.8 / tropical nights also 0.1 a year
Annual snowfall
479cm
deepest snow cover 97 cm / 121.8 days a year below freezing
Summer (August daily high)
26.4℃
Sapporo, 4.9°C lower than Tokyo
Winter (January daily low)
-6.4℃
Sapporo, 7.6°C lower than Tokyo
National and quasi-national parks: Shikotsu-Toya National Park / Hot springs and day baths: Yu-no-Sato Aya Honoka, Komichi-no-Yu, Yu-no-Hana, Sennariyu, Tamayura-no-Mori, former Sumikawa Onsen Tanukiyu, Maruyama Onsen, Hotel Monterey Edelhof Sapporo, Susukino Natural Hot Spring Yukakyo, Kawazoiyu, Tsuru-no-Yu, Jingu Onsen, Kawashimo Park, Kyoeiyu, Taihoyu, Oku-no-Yu, Makomanaiyu, Fushimi Onsen, Garden / RV parks: RV Park Teine Sanroku, Sapporo Koganeyu Sakura RV Park, RV Park outdoorbaseTRIOUT
Sources: national and quasi-national parks are identified from Ministry of the Environment boundary data and other sources (details in §17 of the main text) (checked 25 August 2026) / hot springs and day baths from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) (checked 25 August 2026) / dog runs from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) (checked 25 August 2026) / RV parks from the Japan RV Association "Kuruma Tabi" list of certified RV parks (checked 25 August 2026). 🔴 Only the items a town has are shown — this does not mean that a town without them is inferior.
Last checked 26 August 2026
CHAPTER 01First, what kind of place Sapporo is
Sapporo sits on the western side of Hokkaido, in the south-western corner of the Ishikari Plain. Its area is 1,121.26 square kilometres, 42.30 kilometres east to west and 45.40 kilometres north to south, with 1,962,596 people. It became a government-ordinance-designated city on 1 April Showa 47 and is now divided into 10 wards. In one sentence, the shape of this city is "two-thirds of it, to the south-west, is mountain." Minami Ward alone covers 657.48 square kilometres — 59% of the city, and beyond it stands Mt. Yoichi, 1,487.9 metres high. At the other end, the smallest ward, Atsubetsu, is 24.38 square kilometres. The lowest point in the city is 1.9 metres, at Shinoro-cho Shinoro in Kita Ward. Within one city there is a mountain of nearly 1,500 metres and farmland 2 metres above sea level.
The ground this city stands on is an alluvial fan built by the Toyohira RiverThe city describes its own land this way in its agriculture booklet: "In terms of landform, the green mountainous area in the south-west occupies most of the city; the main urban activity is centred on the alluvial fan formed by the Toyohira River running through the city, the Ishikari Lowland that continues from it, and the Tsukisamu Plateau and the Nopporo Hills to the south-east."
On the ground itself it writes: "The geology is broadly Quaternary alluvium; the Toyohira (Sapporo) alluvial fan, made of sand, pebbles and clay, has good ground, whereas the Ishikari Lowland is made of clay soil and peat." "The fan has good ground; the lowland is peat" — that one sentence is where choosing where to buy a house begins. §5 carries this further.
The population fell for the first time in 105 yearsThe preliminary Reiwa 7 Census figure is 1,964,034. That is 9,361 fewer (0.5%) than the 1,973,395 of Reiwa 2. The city writes: "this is the first population decrease since the census began in Taisho 9."
A city of 102,580 in Taisho 9 reached 1,010,123 in Showa 45, becoming the eighth city in Japan to pass one million, and peaked at 1,973,395 in Reiwa 2 — that is the arc of 105 years. Households, by contrast, rose by 26,455 (2.7%) to 995,616. The average household is now 1.97 people, below two for the first time. "Fewer people, more households" — this matters when you are looking for a second-hand detached house (§9).
New Chitose Airport is 33 minutes away by JR, straight into the basement of the terminalAccording to JR Hokkaido, the "Airport" rapid service runs 163 trains a day. In the daytime (9:00–16:00) there are 6 an hour (1 limited-stop rapid, 3 rapid, 2 section rapid), leaving Sapporo Station every 3 to 15 minutes. The journey takes 33 minutes at the fastest on the limited-stop rapid; in the daytime it is 36 minutes by limited-stop rapid, 37 by rapid and 43 by section rapid. The fare is ¥1,150.
And: "New Chitose Airport Station connects directly to the basement of the airport. It links the domestic departure and arrival gates to the ticket gates without going outside, so you do not get wet in the rain." On a winter morning you can reach the boarding gate in your coat without touching snow — for airport access in snow country, that is a large advantage. The city has a second airport as well: Okadama Airport (Sapporo Airfield), in Higashi Ward (§3).
19 universities and 52,751 students. This is a student cityIn the Reiwa 7 School Basic Survey: 19 universities with 52,751 students, 5 junior colleges with 950, 78 specialised training colleges with 16,879 and 20 miscellaneous schools with 2,531. Together 73,111 people are in higher education.
Hokkaido University grew out of Sapporo Agricultural College, founded in Meiji 9 (1876), and the city agriculture booklet writes: "With the establishment in Meiji 9 of Sapporo Agricultural College, the forerunner of Hokkaido University, the city has consistently played an important role in Hokkaido agriculture as a base supplying northern farming technology." Japan's first trial cultivation of the onion as a food crop also took place in Sapporo, in Meiji 4 (§13).
What kind of town is Sapporo City?
The only government-ordinance-designated city in Hokkaido. Population 1,962,596 (estimate for 1 August Reiwa 8, 1,003,485 households), area 1,121.26 square kilometres, 10 wards: Chuo, Kita, Higashi, Shiroishi, Atsubetsu, Toyohira, Kiyota, Minami, Nishi and Teine. New Chitose Airport is 33 minutes away at the fastest on the JR limited-stop rapid "Airport", for ¥1,150. 🔴 The defining feature is summer — the August daily high is 26.4°C, with 0.1 days a year above 35°C and 0.1 tropical nights a year.
CHAPTER 02The 10 areas, and life in each
Sapporo is a government-ordinance-designated city, so the unit of the town here is the ward. There are 10. Population and households are the estimate for 1 August Reiwa 8, areas are from the Statistical Yearbook (Reiwa 7 edition), land prices are the Reiwa 7 published land prices (residential), and the listings are the 1,786 this page collected. These 10 wards fall into three groups, first of all by elevation. Ranked by the median elevation of the listings: Minami Ward 140.8 metres, Toyohira Ward 96.8, Nishi Ward 64.0, Kiyota Ward 53.1, Chuo Ward 46.5 / Atsubetsu Ward 27.0, Shiroishi Ward 11.9 / Higashi Ward 6.0, Teine Ward 5.2, Kita Ward 4.3. Three layers: the mountain edge, the middle, and the plain. The amount of snow, the slopes and the land price all follow that order.
| Ward | Population, Area | listings, Elev. | What kind of place it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kita Ward Kita-ku | 285,148 143,374 households / 63.57 km² / the largest of the 10 wards | 334 listings, ¥4,980,000–110,000,000 median ¥25,800,000 / median elevation 4.3 m | The most populous of the 10 wards (285,148). Hokkaido University is at its southern end, and from Asabu and Shin-Kotoni it runs north to Shinoro, Takuhoku and Ainosato. The lowest point in the city (Shinoro-cho Shinoro, 1.9 metres) is in this ward, and the listings run from 1.0 to 10.9 metres with a median of 4.3 — the flattest of the 10 wards. It is also lettuce country (Taihei, Shinoro and Barato, about 40 hectares), and wheat is grown mainly in Kita Ward too (§13). Nearest stations: Asabu 51, Shinoro 39, Ainosato-Kyoikudai 38, Shin-Kotoni 38, Takuhoku 37. Land price ¥95,600/m² |
| Teine Ward Teine-ku | 138,378 people 61,057 households / 56.77 km² | 229 listings, ¥4,900,000–330,000,000 median ¥23,800,000 / median elevation 5.2 m | Mt. Teine, and the strip at its foot. This is the western edge of the city, bordering Otaru. Its median listing price of ¥23,800,000 is the second lowest of the 10 wards, and only 8% of houses date from before 1981 — the lowest share of the 10 wards, meaning a newer housing area. "Sapporo watermelon (Yamaguchi watermelon)" and the "Ohama Miyako" pumpkin come from the Teine Yamaguchi district of this ward (§13). Nearest stations: Teine 79, Inazumi-koen 60, Hoshioki 37, Inaho 23. Land price ¥75,000/m², the second most affordable of the 10 wards |
| Higashi Ward Higashi-ku | 261,237 people 132,106 households / 56.97 km² | 229 listings, ¥5,000,000–110,000,000 median ¥27,900,000 / median elevation 6.0 m | The flat land spreading east and north of Sapporo Station. Okadama Airport (Sapporo Airfield) and the Sapporo Beer Garden are here. The median build year of the listings is 1998, the newest of the 10 wards. The main onion-growing area is the Fushiko River basin, running from the Okadama district of this ward to the Shinoro district of Kita Ward — where the heirloom variety "Sapporo-ki" is grown (§13). Nearest stations: Kanjodori-Higashi 66, Naebo 28, Motomachi 26, Shindo-Higashi 25, Sakaemachi 15. Land price ¥118,300/m² |
| Minami Ward Minami-ku | 131,862 62,105 households / 657.48 km² = 59% of the city | 223 listings, ¥1,200,000–119,000,000 median ¥19,800,000 / median elevation 140.8 m | One ward covering 59% of the city (657.48 km²). It runs up the Toyohira River through Makomanai, Ishiyama, Fujino and Misumai, and beyond that lie Jozankei Onsen and then Mt. Yoichi (1,487.9 metres). Part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park is here too (§17). Its median listing price of ¥19,800,000 is the most affordable of the 10 wards, with 48 listings (22%) at or under ¥10,000,000 — half of the 101 such listings in the whole city are in this ward. But elevations run 55.8–305.8 metres, median 140.8. Affordability and elevation are the same story (§6). Nearest stations: Makomanai 162, Jieitai-mae 18, Sumikawa 9. Land price ¥56,200/m², the lowest of the 10 wards |
| Kiyota Ward Kiyota-ku | 107,137 45,225 households / 59.87 km² / the smallest population of the 10 wards | 206 listings, ¥6,000,000–99,800,000 median ¥26,000,000 / median elevation 53.1 m | The newest ward, split from Toyohira Ward on 4 November Heisei 9. It is the hillside housing of Kiyota, Hiraoka, Kitano, Satozuka and Utsukushigaoka. At 2.39 people per household it is the largest of the 10 wards (Census), which reads as a ward with a high share of families raising children. On the other hand its population fell by 4,411 (3.9%) between Reiwa 2 and 7, the largest fall of the 10 wards. This is also the ward where damage from liquefaction concentrated in the Satozuka district during the Heisei 30 Eastern Iburi earthquake (§5). Home of the "Polar Star" spinach (Shinei and Ariake, §13). Nearest stations: Fukuzumi 81, Oyachi 55, Nango-18-chome 18. Land price ¥78,800/m² |
| Nishi Ward Nishi-ku | 217,984 people 108,036 households / 75.10 km² | 162 listings, ¥7,800,000–198,000,000 median ¥34,000,000 / median elevation 64.0 m | Kotoni, Hachiken, Hassamu and Miyanosawa — the subway Tozai Line runs east to west through the ward. Going west, the land climbs to the foot of Mt. Teine and enters the mountains at Nishino, Heiwa and Kobetsuzawa. One of the three wards whose population grew between the Reiwa 2 and 7 censuses (+734, +0.3%). Its median listing price of ¥34,000,000 is the second highest of the 10 wards. Nearest stations: Hassamu-Minami 57, Miyanosawa 36, Kotoni 23, Hachiken 12. Land price ¥124,300/m² |
| Chuo Ward Chuo-ku | 256,156 151,193 households / 46.42 km² / the most households of the 10 wards | 116 listings, ¥11,500,000–250,000,000 median ¥64,000,000 / median elevation 46.5 m | Odori Park, Susukino, the red-brick former Hokkaido Government Office, Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, Maruyama and Mt. Moiwa. City hall and the prefectural office are both here. Its population grew by 7,202 (+2.9%) between Reiwa 2 and 7, the largest rise of the 10 wards. At the same time it has the smallest household size of the 10 wards at 1.71 people — a ward where single-person households gather. Its median listing price of ¥64,000,000 stands far above the rest, and there are 0 listings at or under ¥10,000,000. Median land 238 m² and building 173 m² are also the largest of the 10 wards. Nearest stations: Maruyama-koen 45, Nishi-28-chome 15, Higashi-Tonden-dori 12. Land price ¥242,300/m², the highest of the 10 wards |
| Toyohira Ward Toyohira-ku | 232,303 people 128,970 households / 46.23 km² | 100 listings, ¥4,720,000–176,000,000 median ¥27,800,000 / median elevation 96.8 m | The east bank of the Toyohira River. It covers Hiragishi, Tsukisamu, Nishioka and Fukuzumi, and holds the Sapporo Dome (Daiwa House Premist Dome). Its population grew by 5,662 (+2.5%) between Reiwa 2 and 7, the second largest rise of the 10 wards. At the same time, 38 of its listings (38%) predate 1981 — the highest share of the 10 wards — a housing area that opened early and is now in a period of turnover. Before buying, be sure to read the earthquake-resistance section in §5. Nearest stations: Sumikawa 26, Fukuzumi 19, Minami-Hiragishi 15, Jieitai-mae 14. Land price ¥149,600/m², the second highest of the 10 wards |
| Shiroishi Ward Shiroishi-ku | 211,224 people 112,911 households / 34.47 km² | 94 listings, ¥5,500,000–135,000,000 median ¥32,800,000 / median elevation 11.9 m | Flat land along the subway Tozai Line. It runs through Kikusui, Shiroishi and Nango, and its eastern edge is the farmland of Higashiyonesato. Its 34.47 km² is the second smallest of the 10 wards, yet it holds 211,224 people — a ward of high population density. It is onion country as well (the old Toyohira River basin at Higashiyonesato) (§13). Nearest stations: Shiroishi 48, Heiwa 17, Nango-7-chome 7. Land price ¥121,500/m², and its Reiwa 7 rise of +4.7% was the largest of the 10 wards |
| Atsubetsu Ward Atsubetsu-ku | 121,167 58,508 households / 24.38 km², the smallest of the 10 wards | 93 listings, ¥7,800,000–108,000,000 median ¥29,800,000 / median elevation 27.0 m | The Shin-Sapporo sub-centre. It was split from Shiroishi Ward on 6 November Heisei 1. Its 24.38 km² is the smallest of the 10 wards, holding Atsubetsu, Momijidai, Aoba-cho, Oyachi and Kami-Nopporo compactly together. The subway Tozai Line terminus "Shin-Sapporo" and the JR station "Shin-Sapporo" are in the same place, and Nopporo Forest Park spreads to the east. The median land area of its listings, 222 m², is the largest after Chuo Ward. Nearest stations: Shinrin-koen 28, Shin-Sapporo 23, Kami-Nopporo 15, Atsubetsu 10. Land price ¥115,000/m² |
Three wards grew, seven shrankThe five-year changes in the preliminary Reiwa 7 Census: Chuo Ward +7,202 (+2.9%), Toyohira Ward +5,662 (+2.5%) and Nishi Ward +734 (+0.3%) rose, while Kiyota Ward △4,411 (△3.9%), Higashi Ward △4,130 (△1.6%), Kita Ward △3,525 (△1.2%), Teine Ward △3,479 (△2.4%), Minami Ward △3,252 (△2.4%), Atsubetsu Ward △3,080 (△2.5%) and Shiroishi Ward △1,082 (△0.5%) fell.
The city writes "the population fell in 7 of the 10 wards", and adds "four wards — Kita, Higashi, Shiroishi and Teine — grew last time but have fallen this time". The city as a whole is △9,361 (△0.5%). Growth is in the centre and next to it — Chuo, Toyohira and Nishi Wards.
Household size shows the character of each wardPeople per household (Reiwa 7 Census): Kiyota Ward 2.39, Teine Ward 2.29, Minami Ward 2.14, Atsubetsu Ward 2.09, Nishi Ward 2.03, Kita Ward 2.00, Higashi Ward 2.00, Shiroishi Ward 1.89, Toyohira Ward 1.82 and Chuo Ward 1.71.
The city writes that "Chuo Ward is 0.68 people below Kiyota Ward, the largest". Kiyota, Teine and Atsubetsu are towns where families live; Chuo and Toyohira are towns where people live alone — such different characters inside one city. The median land area of the listings matches it exactly: Kiyota Ward 217 m² and Atsubetsu Ward 222 m², against Shiroishi Ward 178 m² and Nishi Ward 187 m².
Price is set less by distance from the centre than by "mountain or plain"Median listing prices: Chuo Ward ¥64,000,000, Nishi Ward ¥34,000,000, Shiroishi Ward ¥32,800,000, Atsubetsu Ward ¥29,800,000, Higashi Ward ¥27,900,000, Toyohira Ward ¥27,800,000, Kiyota Ward ¥26,000,000, Kita Ward ¥25,800,000, Teine Ward ¥23,800,000 and Minami Ward ¥19,800,000.
The published land prices (residential, Reiwa 7) run in the same order: Chuo Ward ¥242,300 / Toyohira Ward ¥149,600 / Nishi Ward ¥124,300 / Shiroishi Ward ¥121,500 / Higashi Ward ¥118,300 / Atsubetsu Ward ¥115,000 / Kita Ward ¥95,600 / Kiyota Ward ¥78,800 / Teine Ward ¥75,000 / Minami Ward ¥56,200. Chuo Ward is 4.3 times Minami Ward. The city average is ¥115,600/m² (+2.9%), 1.47 times the ¥78,800 of Reiwa 2, six years earlier.
"Under ¥10,000,000" means, in practice, Minami WardOf the 101 listings (6%) in the whole city at or under ¥10,000,000, 48 are in Minami Ward — close to half. Then come Kita Ward 14, Toyohira Ward 8, Shiroishi Ward 8, Nishi Ward 7, Teine Ward 5, Higashi Ward 5, Kiyota Ward 5, Atsubetsu Ward 1 and Chuo Ward 0.
And 48 of Minami Ward's listings (22%) predate 1981 — exactly the same number as its listings at or under ¥10,000,000. Cheap houses here are "old and high up" — when you look in Minami Ward, check both at once. Higher ground means more snow (§6); an older house takes you to the earthquake-resistance question in §5. In exchange, there are houses from the ¥2,000,000s within a 30-minute drive of Jozankei Onsen.
How do the 10 wards differ?
🔴 They fall into three groups by elevation. The median elevation of the listings is Minami Ward 140.8 metres, Toyohira Ward 96.8 metres, Nishi Ward 64.0 metres / Atsubetsu Ward 27.0 metres, Shiroishi Ward 11.9 metres / Higashi Ward 6.0 metres, Teine Ward 5.2 metres, Kita Ward 4.3 metres. The most listings are in Kita Ward, with 334, and the largest ward is Minami Ward at 657.48 square kilometres (59% of the city).
CHAPTER 03Trains and cars — how you get around
Sapporo is one of the few cities in Japan with three subway lines. Alongside the Namboku, Tozai and Toho Lines runs the streetcar, and JR crosses the city both east-west and north-south. Being underground means something particular in snow country — 479 centimetres may fall in a year, but the tunnels do not stop. And New Chitose Airport is 33 minutes away at the fastest by JR, straight into the basement of the terminal. The city also has Okadama Airport (Sapporo Airfield), and 11 expressway interchanges.
Three subway lines, fares from ¥210 to ¥380Namboku Line: Asabu – Kita-34-jo – Kita-24-jo – Kita-18-jo – Kita-12-jo – Sapporo – Odori – Susukino – Nakajima-koen – Horohirabashi – Nakanoshima – Hiragishi – Minami-Hiragishi – Sumikawa – Jieitai-mae – Makomanai.
Tozai Line: Miyanosawa – Hassamu-Minami – Kotoni – Nijuyon-ken – Nishi-28-chome – Maruyama-koen – Nishi-18-chome – Nishi-11-chome – Odori – Bus Center-mae – Kikusui – Higashi-Sapporo – Shiroishi – Nango-7-chome – Nango-13-chome – Nango-18-chome – Oyachi – Hibarigaoka – Shin-Sapporo.
Toho Line: Sakaemachi – Shindo-Higashi – Motomachi – Kanjodori-Higashi – Higashi-Kuyakusho-mae – Kita-13-jo-Higashi – Sapporo – Odori – Hosui-Susukino – Gakuen-mae – Toyohira-koen – Misono – Tsukisamu-Chuo – Fukuzumi.
Fares come in six bands by distance: band 1 (up to 3 km) ¥210, band 2 ¥250, band 3 ¥290, band 4 ¥330, band 5 ¥360, band 6 (19–21 km) ¥380. The IC card is SAPICA.
The streetcar is ¥230 a ride, and transfers are discountedThe streetcar is a flat ¥230 for adults and ¥120 for children per ride. Transferring between subway and streetcar costs ¥360–480, and between subway and bus (JR Hokkaido Bus, Jotetsu Bus, Chuo Bus, Bankei Bus and Yutetsu Bus) ¥370–570, applied automatically with a single IC card.
And there is a rule that matters if you have small children — the city states: "With an adult, or a child of primary-school age or older, acting as guardian, four infants travel free per guardian." The city repeats it in its own moving-in FAQ: "On the municipal subway, when accompanied by a guardian, up to four infants per guardian travel free."
Two airports, and 163 JR trains a dayNew Chitose Airport lies outside the city (in Chitose), 41.9 kilometres from city hall, but is 33 minutes away at the fastest on the JR "Airport" rapid, for ¥1,150, with 163 trains a day. In the daytime there are 6 an hour, leaving Sapporo Station every 3 to 15 minutes. There is even a limited-stop rapid at 23:21, about which JR Hokkaido writes: "Even if you land late at night, JR has you covered."
Okadama Airport (Sapporo Airfield) is in Higashi Ward. One of the deputy mayors is charged with "strengthening the functions of Okadama Airport", and a "Basic Concept for the Coexistence of Sapporo Okadama Airport and the Surrounding Area" has been presented to the city assembly. The city has 11 expressway interchanges: Fushiko, Kitago, Oyachi, Teine, Shinkawa, Sapporo JCT, Sapporo-kita, Sapporo-nishi, Karikamo, Sapporo and Sapporo-minami.
Winter driving is a question of equipmentThe city delivers a "Guide to Winter Living" to every household (around December each year), and on snow clearance it writes: "To open a passage within the limited time available, Sapporo carries out 'push-aside clearing', moving the snow on the road to the left and right. Clearing the snow at entrances such as the front door and the garage is left to each household."
In other words, the city opens the road, but you open the front of your house. That is the most concrete part of living in Sapporo. There are 121.8 days a year below freezing and 43.6 days a year that never rise above it (§6) — from November to March the road surface is icy almost every morning. Studless tyres are a given, and in higher places such as Minami, Toyohira and Nishi Wards, going up and down a slope becomes part of daily life.
✈ Airports
Sapporo Airfield is inside this area (a joint-use airport). The nearest is New Chitose Airport (a hub airport under national management), about 41.9 km away in a straight line. 🔴 That is a straight-line distance — not a road distance or a travel time. Check the actual journey in the operators' timetables.
🛣 Expressway junctions
This area has 11 interchanges and junctions.
Hokkaido Trans-Island Expressway, Nemuro Line: Fushiko, Kitago, Oyachi, Teine, Shinkawa, Sapporo JCT, Sapporo-kita, Sapporo-nishi, Karikamo
Hokkaido Longitudinal Expressway: Sapporo, Sapporo-minami
What is it like getting around Sapporo?
There are three subway lines (Namboku, Tozai and Toho), the streetcar and JR. Subway fares run from ¥210 to ¥380 by distance, and the streetcar is ¥230 a ride. A subway-to-streetcar transfer is ¥360–480, and a subway-to-bus transfer ¥370–570. 🔴 Up to four infants travel free per guardian as well.
CHAPTER 04Homes actually on the market right now
🔴 There are 1,786 second-hand detached houses for sale in Sapporo (all listings across the 10 wards taken from SUUMO on 25 August 2026). Prices run from ¥1,200,000 to ¥330,000,000, with a median of ¥27,800,000. 101 (6%) are at or under ¥10,000,000, 493 (28%) at or under ¥20,000,000, 195 (11%) above ¥50,000,000 and 30 above ¥100,000,000. The median land area is 205 square metres (about 62 tsubo) and the median building 120 square metres. The median build year is 1994, with 667 (37%) built in 2000 or later and 295 (17%) before 1981 (the old earthquake code). These 1,786 listings are the largest number of any area this site has covered.
"Nearest the station first" converts everything to minutes — a walk of ◯ min, ◯ min by bus plus ◯ min from the stop, ◯ km by car (reckoned at 30 km/h) — and compares those. Listings with no such information always appear last, whatever the sort.
Ishiyama, Minami Ward¥1,200,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elevation about 150 m / land 212 m² (64 tsubo) / building 104 m² (31 tsubo) / built 1973 / 六区西 3 min walkSee 2 photos →
Minami Ward Fujino 2-jo 7¥2,500,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 140 m / Land 1710 m² (517 tsubo) / Building 85 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1976 / Makomanai bus stop bus 22 min+8 min walk10 photos →
Minami Ward Misumai 3-jo 6¥3,000,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 190 m / Land 347 m² (105 tsubo) / Building 120 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1974 / Makomanai bus stop bus 31 min+6 min walk9 photos →
Minami Ward Fujino 4-jo 7¥3,300,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 190 m / Land 233 m² (70 tsubo) / Building 119 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1973 / Makomanai bus stop bus 25 min+6 min walk10 photos →
Minami Ward Fujino 3-jo 8¥3,800,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 217 m² (66 tsubo) / Building 83 m² (25 tsubo) / built 1979 / Makomanai bus stop to 7.6km10 photos →
Minami Ward Fujino 3-jo 8-10-17¥3,800,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 170 m / Land 217 m² (66 tsubo) / Building 83 m² (25 tsubo) / built 1979 / Makomanai bus stop bus 30 min+5 min walk10 photos →
Minami Ward Ishiyama 1-jo 1-8-17¥3,800,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 90 m / Land 74 m² (22 tsubo) / Building 65 m² (20 tsubo) / built 1975 / Makomanai bus stop 37 min walk1 photos →
Minami Ward Fujino 4-jo 10¥3,900,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 200 m / Land 190 m² (57 tsubo) / Building 84.24 m² (25.48 tsubo), including underground garage 19.44... / built 1982 / Makomanai bus stop bus 28 min+7 min walk10 photos →
Minami Ward Kitanosawa 6¥3,980,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 120 m / Land 128 m² (39 tsubo) / Building 66 m² (20 tsubo) / built 1975 / Makomanai bus stop bus 12 min+2 min walk10 photos →
Minami Ward Ishiyama 3-jo 8-5-11¥4,500,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 150 m / Land 129 m² (39 tsubo) / Building 169 m² (51 tsubo) / built 1970 / Makomanai bus stop bus 22 min+3 min walk10 photos →
Toyohira Ward Nishioka 1-jo 10¥4,720,000Toyohira Ward (Hiragishi, Tsukisamu and the east bank of the Toyohira River)Elev. approx. 100 m / Land 157 m² (47 tsubo) / Building 85 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1977 / Sumikawa bus stop bus 5 min+7 min walk9 photos →
Minami Ward Fujino 2-jo 12¥4,750,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 190 m / Land 216 m² (65 tsubo) / Building 86 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1979 / Makomanai bus stop bus 28 min+5 min walk10 photos →
Minami Ward Sumikawa 6-jo 11¥4,900,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 110 m / Land 181 m² (55 tsubo) / Building 93 m² (28 tsubo) / built 1974 / Sumikawa 6条11-chome bus stop 3 min walk10 photos →
Minami Ward Minamisawa6-jo 2¥4,900,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 156 m² (47 tsubo) / Building 90 m² (27 tsubo) / built 1973 / Makomanai bus stop bus 16 min+8 min walk8 photos →
Teine Ward Teinehoncho 5-jo 1¥4,900,000Teine Ward (Teine and Hoshioki, a strip between the sea and Mt. Teine)Elev. approx. 60 m / Land 165 m² (50 tsubo) / Building 110 m² (33 tsubo) / built 1980 / Teine Station 20 min walk10 photos →
Kita Ward Shinoro-cho Kamishinoro¥4,980,000Kita Ward (from Hokkaido University and Asabu out to the farmland of Shinoro and Ainosato)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 175 m² (53 tsubo) / Building 111 m² (34 tsubo) / built 1980 / 十軒神社 bus stop 2 min walk8 photos →
Higashi Ward Kitaokadama 4-jo 3¥5,000,000Higashi Ward (Sakaemachi, Motomachi, Okadama Airport and the Sapporo Beer Garden)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 133 m² (40 tsubo) / Building 67 m² (20 tsubo) / built 1973 / Shindo-Higashi bus stop bus 19 min+3 min walk10 photos →
Toyohira Ward Nishioka 1-jo 10¥5,000,000Toyohira Ward (Hiragishi, Tsukisamu and the east bank of the Toyohira River)Elev. approx. 100 m / Land 203 m² (61 tsubo) / Building 87 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1978 / Jieitai-mae bus stop 17 min walk10 photos →
Higashi Ward Nakanumanishi 5-jo 2¥5,200,000Higashi Ward (Sakaemachi, Motomachi, Okadama Airport and the Sapporo Beer Garden)Elev. approx. 0 m / Land 128 m² (39 tsubo) / Building 72 m² (22 tsubo) / built 1974 / Ainosato-Kyoikudai Station 43 min walk8 photos →
Minami Ward Ishiyama 2-jo 5¥5,300,000Minami Ward (Makomanai, Ishiyama and the mountain valley of Jozankei Onsen)Elev. approx. 120 m / Land 150 m² (45 tsubo) / Building 76 m² (23 tsubo) / built 1975 / Makomanai bus stop bus 11 min+4 min walk10 photos →
The photographs are the images carried on SUUMO. They disappear once a listing ends. Check the real condition of a property on site.
See all 1786 listings on SUUMO →The area with the most listings on this site1,786 is well above the previous highest: Sendai 1,296, Fukuoka 787 and Kagoshima 785. By ward: Kita 334, Teine 229, Higashi 229, Minami 223, Kiyota 206, Nishi 162, Chuo 116, Toyohira 100, Shiroishi 94 and Atsubetsu 93.
The median of ¥27,800,000 is ¥1,700,000 below Sendai (¥29,500,000) and ¥12,190,000 below Fukuoka (¥39,990,000). At the same time, the median land area of 205 square metres is second only to Sendai's 214. 🔴 In a city of 2 million people, the median house sits on 62 tsubo of land with 36 tsubo of floor space, at ¥27,800,000 — that is the second-hand detached-house market in Sapporo. On land area, 572 listings fall between 150 and 200 square metres and 565 between 200 and 250, so 64% sit in those two bands.
The cheap houses are gathered in the mountain valleys of Minami WardOf the 101 listings at or under ¥10,000,000, 48 are in Minami Ward. The cheapest is Ishiyama in Minami Ward at ¥1,200,000 (built 1973, elevation 151.3 metres, land 212 square metres), then Fujino 2-jo 7 in Minami Ward at ¥2,500,000 (built 1976, elevation 139.2 metres, land 1,709.88 square metres), Misumai 3-jo 6 in Minami Ward at ¥3,000,000 (built 1974, elevation 186.4 metres) and Fujino 4-jo 7 in Minami Ward at ¥3,300,000 (built 1973, elevation 189.0 metres).
Laid out together, the pattern is plain — all are houses from the 1970s, in Fujino, Misumai and Ishiyama at elevations of 140 to 190 metres. This is the valley running up the Toyohira River, along National Route 230 towards Jozankei Onsen. The ¥2,500,000 listing comes with 1,709 square metres of land (about 517 tsubo). Wide land, an old house, up a slope — if you can take those three, the choice is here.
295 listings (17%) predate 1981, and the share varies more than fourfold by wardHouses built in 1981 (Showa 56) or earlier number 295, or 17% of the whole. By ward: Toyohira 38%, Shiroishi 26%, Minami 22%, Nishi 17%, Kita 16%, Atsubetsu 16%, Kiyota 15%, Higashi 12%, Chuo 11% and Teine 8%.
Toyohira Ward's 38% is the highest of the 10 wards — meaning a housing area that opened early and is now entering a period of turnover. Conversely, Teine Ward at 8% and Higashi Ward at 12% are still new as housing areas. In Sapporo, "looking for a cheap house" and "looking for a new house" change which ward you start in. Before buying, read the ground conditions in §5 together with the insulation section in §8.
Check the elevation before you buyEvery one of the 1,786 listings has been given the elevation of its own address. Across the city that runs from 1.0 to 305.8 metres, with a median of 19.1. 744 (42%) are below 10 metres, 437 between 10 and 50, 300 between 50 and 100, and 305 (17%) at 100 metres or above.
That range is, almost exactly, "Minami Ward or not". Listings in Minami Ward run 55.8–305.8 metres, median 140.8. The other nine wards have medians between 4.3 and 96.8 metres. A hundred metres of elevation changes the amount of snow, the temperature on a winter morning and the gradient of the slope (§6). Meanwhile the low ground of Kita, Higashi and Teine Wards belongs to the flood and liquefaction discussion in §5. Which you choose changes which hazard map you need to check.
Sapporo has no city-run vacant-house bank. Instead the city points to the Hokkaido bank.
The city says in its own words that it does not act as an agentIn the city's "Frequently asked questions about moving to Sapporo" (as of 1 April Reiwa 8), the question "How should I look for somewhere to live?" is answered like this: "Sapporo does not act as an agent or broker itself, so we ask you to search through ordinary estate agents and the like. You can also view vacant-house information on the sites below."
The two named are the "Hokkaido Vacant House Bank" and the vacant-house listings of the Japan Organization for Internal Migration (JOIN). In a city of 2 million, as §4 shows, 1,786 second-hand houses are already on the market. That reads as the reason the city keeps no bank of its own.
The Hokkaido Vacant House Bank has 20 properties in SapporoThe Hokkaido Vacant House Bank is run by the Building Guidance Division of the Housing Bureau, Hokkaido Department of Construction together with the Hokkaido Association of Real Estate Transaction Agents. 554 properties are registered across Hokkaido, and when I (the AI) checked each address one by one on 26 August 2026, 20 were in Sapporo.
Of these, 9 are for sale (4 vacant houses and 5 vacant plots) and 11 for rent. The vacant houses for sale are ¥8,500,000 at Minami 11-jo Nishi 1-chome in Chuo Ward (built 1981), ¥10,000,000 at Nishioka 3-jo 13-chome in Toyohira Ward, ¥16,500,000 at Hiragishi 3-jo 6-chome in Toyohira Ward (built 1984) and ¥23,800,000 at Kitago 7-jo 3-chome in Shiroishi Ward (built 2026, 2LDK, land 108 square metres). The plots run from ¥2,000,000 at Inaho 5-jo 2-chome in Teine Ward to ¥23,800,000 at Tomioka 4-jo 4-chome in Teine Ward. Rents are ¥16,500 to ¥63,000 a month.
The list of properties cannot be reproduced on this pageThe Hokkaido Vacant House Bank states clearly:"The copyright of this site belongs to Hokkaido, and unauthorised reproduction or reprinting is strictly prohibited".This site follows that rule and gives only the count and the way in.For photographs, floor plans and contact details, please go straight to the link below.
Users must be"a person who will live in, or stay regularly at, the vacant house they buy or rent, and who intends to contribute to settlement, commercial activity or other revitalisation of the area"among other conditions. Enquiries go to the estate agent handling each property. For the site as a whole, contactthe Hokkaido Association of Real Estate Transaction Agents (011-642-4422); for vacant houses themselves,the Building Guidance Division, Housing Bureau, Hokkaido Department of Construction (011-231-4111)。
Open the Hokkaido Vacant House Bank →
Sapporo's vacant-house policy sits in the Urban Development BureauThe city has a "Second Sapporo Plan for Vacant Houses and Related Measures", administered by the Building Guidance Division, Urban Area Development Department, Urban Development Bureau. Where a vacant house is not being properly maintained, the city inspects it on site and then issues guidance, recommendations or orders to the owner.
Sapporo and the Hokkaido Bank also signed an "Agreement on Cooperation for Promoting Migration and Settlement and for Vacant House Measures" on 21 December Heisei 27. It covers use of the "My Home Leaseback" scheme of the Japan Trans-housing Institute (JTI), use of the "Dogin Migration and Settlement Housing Loan" (a loan with a preferential interest rate for people moving in from outside Hokkaido), and mutual referral between the "Sapporo Subsidy for Removing Dangerous Vacant Houses" and the "Dogin Vacant House Demolition and Utilisation Loan". 🔴 A housing loan with a preferential rate for people moving in from outside Hokkaido exists, as an agreement between the city and a bank.
Akiya bank
There are no registrations of homes for sale. Every property in this chapter is on the private market. (as verified on 17 August 2026)
How much does a house cost here?
There are 1,786 second-hand detached houses for sale, priced from ¥1,200,000 to ¥330,000,000, with a median of ¥27,800,000. The median land area is 205 square metres and the median building 120 square metres, and the median build year is 1994, with 295 (17%) predating the 1981 earthquake code. 🔴 101 (6%) are at or under ¥10,000,000, and 48 of those are in Minami Ward.
CHAPTER 05Is the ground safe?
Sapporo is not designated under any of the three national earthquake-countermeasure schemes. At the city hall site, the probability of shaking of intensity 6-lower or above within 30 years is 2.3% (6-upper or above, 0.2%) — quite low among the large cities this site has covered. 🔴 Once, though, in 2018, there was a large tremor. In the Heisei 30 Eastern Iburi earthquake in Hokkaido (6 September 2018, 3:07, M6.7, maximum intensity 7), Higashi Ward in Sapporo recorded intensity 6-lower. The city writes: "This was the first time since records began in 1923 that Sapporo had recorded an earthquake of intensity 5 or above." And housing damage from liquefaction concentrated in the Satozuka district of Kiyota Ward. That single event shapes how the ground in Sapporo is read today.
Is this town inside a national earthquake-preparedness zone?
For each major earthquake, national law designates the areas where preparation is to be advanced. Whether a town is designated tells you directly how the national government views the shaking and tsunami expected there.
| Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area | Not applicable (the whole of Hokkaido is outside this scheme) |
|---|---|
| Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area | Not applicable (the whole of Hokkaido is outside this scheme) |
| Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area | Not designated |
| Shaking of intensity 6-lower or above within 30 years | 2.3% (intensity 6-upper or above 0.2%) At the Sapporo city hall site. Surface ground AVS30 296 m/s, alluvial fan |
This probability is for the single 250-metre grid square the city hall stands in.
The Sapporo City town hall stands onalluvial fan(AVS30 296 m/s), and the 2.3% above is the value at that point. Even within Sapporo it varies greatly between low ground along the rivers and the plateaus.
When a listing interests you, look it up by its street address.Enter an address on the J-SHIS map and it shows the probability and the ground for that 250-metre mesh.
Look up an address on J-SHIS → Designations from the Cabinet Office list of designated municipalities (Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area／Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area／Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area ) / probability and surface ground from theNational Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, J-SHIS earthquake hazard information API(2024 edition, average case, all earthquakes), queried at the coordinates of the city hall / checked 26 August 2026
Look up an address on J-SHIS → Designations from the Cabinet Office list of designated municipalities (Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area／Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area／Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area ) / probability and surface ground from theNational Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, J-SHIS earthquake hazard information API(2024 edition, average case, all earthquakes), queried at the coordinates of the city hall / checked 26 August 2026
What happened in 2018From the city's own record: "In this unprecedented earthquake, Higashi Ward in Sapporo recorded intensity 6-lower, strong shaking of intensity 5-lower or above was felt across a wide area of the city, 3 people died and 295 were injured, a great deal of housing damage occurred through liquefaction in Kiyota Ward, and roads buckled or collapsed and water supplies were cut in many places across the city."
"Furthermore, the blackout caused by the earthquake, which cut power to about 2,950,000 households across the whole of Hokkaido, went far beyond what had been anticipated." 300 evacuation centres were opened in the city, and at one point more than 10,000 residents and visitors took shelter. Many tourists spent the night in the underground pedestrian space in front of Sapporo Station, and the city opened the not-yet-inaugurated Sapporo Community Plaza as an emergency shelter.
Satozuka, Kiyota Ward. This is the most important place to know aboutThe city writes, with photographs: "Satozuka district, Kiyota Ward: the ground subsided more than anywhere else in the city, and severe damage to roads, water mains and houses was concentrated here", and "The road beside the houses has collapsed, and water is pouring out of a broken main into it." On Tonden-dori at Higashi 15-chome in Higashi Ward, "road collapse occurred intermittently and a stretch of up to about 4 kilometres was closed to traffic".
Afterwards the city "concentrated on the area-wide restoration of the badly damaged Satozuka district, and carried out works in the Utsukushigaoka, Tsukisamu-higashi and Satozuka-cemetery-adjacent districts to prevent earthquake damage to residential land", along with work towards the full restoration of Tonden-dori at Higashi 15-chome. 🔴 In every case the damage was on residential land created by filling in a valley. Before you buy, find out what the land used to be.
The city rebuilt its earthquake damage projection"Prompted by the Eastern Iburi earthquake, we set up a committee of experts, verified and revised the earthquake damage projection, and drew up the Fourth Earthquake Damage Projection" (published August Reiwa 3). The city explains that it "projects the damage from the earthquakes that could occur in Sapporo and cause the greatest damage, on the basis of the latest knowledge".
Five earthquakes are modelled: the Nopporo Hills fault zone, the fault associated with the Tsukisamu anticline, the fault associated with the Nishi-Sapporo anticline, the eastern-margin fault zone of the Ishikari Lowland, and offshore Tomakomai. The earthquake preparedness maps come one per ward for all 10 wards, mapping three things: "strength of shaking (intensity distribution)", "liquefaction risk" and "rate of total building collapse". 🔴 Liquefaction risk is shown in 4 grades and the total-collapse rate in 5. Put the address of any listing against those three maps.
Flood, landslide and tsunami maps also come one per wardThe inundation hazard map (July Reiwa 8 edition) "shows the areas projected to flood from river flooding and inland water flooding under the largest conceivable rainfall, colour-coded by depth", and there is one for each of the 10 wards. A record of past inundation is published too. The city states clearly that "at present no storm-surge inundation area is designated within Sapporo".
The landslide evacuation maps are made by federated neighbourhood association: 4 in Chuo Ward, 5 in Atsubetsu, 8 in Toyohira, 5 in Kiyota, 10 in Minami, 4 in Nishi and 7 in Teine — 43 districts. 🔴 No landslide warning area is designated in Kita, Higashi or Shiroishi Wards — you can read straight from the absence of a map that those three wards are flat. A tsunami hazard map was made in March Heisei 31, but Sapporo does not face the sea.
Is there a risk of earthquakes or other disasters?
Sapporo is not designated under any of the three national earthquake-countermeasure schemes. At the city hall site, the probability of shaking of intensity 6-lower or above within 30 years is 2.3%. 🔴 In the Eastern Iburi earthquake of 6 September 2018, however, Higashi Ward recorded intensity 6-lower — 3 people died and 295 were injured in the city, and housing damage from liquefaction concentrated in the Satozuka district of Kiyota Ward. The city publishes earthquake, inundation and landslide hazard maps for each ward.
CHAPTER 06What summer and winter are like
🔴 Summer in Sapporo is cool in a way no other city of 2 million is. In the Japan Meteorological Agency normals (1991–2020, Sapporo station), the August daily high is 26.4°C and July 25.4°C. Days above 35°C come to 0.1 a year, and tropical nights also 0.1 a year — compare Tokyo's 4.8 days above 35°C and 17.8 tropical nights. Even days above 30°C come to only 8.6 a year. 🔴 Then winter. 479 centimetres of snow fall in a year, and the deepest cover is 97 centimetres. There are 121.8 days a year below freezing, and 43.6 days a year that never rise above it. January averages −3.2°C, with a daily low of −6.4°C. The city puts it this way in its own moving-in FAQ: "Sapporo's average temperature is 9.2 degrees. There are about 8 days above 30 degrees, so the summer is cool and comfortable." "There are about 120 days a year when the low falls below 0 degrees." "Snow falls on about 124 days of the year."
"A Festival of Thanks for Snow" — the city changed its wordsOn 21 August 2026 the Sapporo Snow Festival executive committee announced a new concept: "A Festival of Thanks for Snow — Blessed by the Snow". The reason is written out like this:
"For those of us who live in Sapporo, snow tends to be seen as a nuisance, a bother. And yet it is because of snow that this city is beautifully adorned and draws people from all over the world. This rebranding carries the wish to turn the view that 'snow is a bother' around, to share the value of snow among us once more, and to grow the festival into one of thanks."
🔴 How a city of 2 million people comes to terms with 479 centimetres of snow. The answer is in that one passage. The new character is called SAPORON.
Snow here is about frequency more than volumeHearing 479 centimetres a year, you may picture a five-metre wall. It is not that. The deepest cover is 97 centimetres — a little under a metre at its deepest. The city says "snow falls on about 124 days of the year".
🔴 So: not much comes down at once, but it keeps coming across 124 days, and each time it has to be cleared. That is the reality of a Sapporo winter. It does not fall, melt and fall again; from November to March it piles up without melting. That is why the city clears 5,400 kilometres of road and carts the snow away from 1,600 of them (§8). Before you buy, look at where the snow in front of the house is going to go.
A hundred metres of elevation changes the winterThe Sapporo weather station is at 17 metres (Kita 2-jo Nishi 18-chome, Chuo Ward). All the figures above are for that point. 🔴 Listings in Minami Ward have a median elevation of 140.8 metres and a maximum of 305.8 — houses 120 to 290 metres higher than the station.
As a rule, a hundred metres of elevation lowers the temperature by about 0.6°C and increases the snow. If you are considering a house in the ¥2,000,000s in Fujino, Misumai or Ishiyama (140–190 metres), think first about whether you can get up that slope on a winter morning. At the other end, Kita, Higashi and Teine Wards (median elevation 4–6 metres) are the flattest housing areas in the city. Affordability and an easy winter point in opposite directions.
It is not true that no pollen flies hereThe city answers plainly in its moving-in FAQ:"Is it true that no pollen flies here?"— to which it replies,"It is not the case that no pollen flies. White birch and other pollen is carried in spring, and grass pollen in summer."。
Hokkaido has almost no cedar pollenand is known for it, butthere is white birch pollen in spring and grass pollen in summer instead. The city points tothe Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, "Pollen information for Hokkaido".If you are considering a move because of cedar pollen allergy, it is worth reading up in advance, including on cross-reactivity with birch pollen (oral allergy syndrome).
See the Hokkaido pollen information →
The twelve months of temperature, set out as they are
The left end of each bar is the average daily minimum for that month and the right end the average daily maximum (Sapporo, the 30-year average for 1991–2020).
0.1 days / 121.8 days
0.1 tropical nights (Tokyo 17.8) and 121.8 days below freezing (Tokyo 15.2).
These are the figures for how summer nights and winter mornings compare with Tokyo
These are the figures for how summer nights and winter mornings compare with Tokyo
| Days per year | Sapporo | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical nights minimum 25°C or above | 0.1 days | 17.8 days |
| Days above 35°C maximum 35°C or above | 0.1 days | 4.8 days |
| Days above 30°C maximum 30°C or above | 8.6 days | 52.1 days |
| Frost days minimum below 0°C | 121.8 days | 15.2 days |
| Days below freezing all day maximum below 0°C | 43.6 days | 0.0 days |
For snow, the annual total snowfall is 479 cm and the normal for deepest snow cover is 97 cm.
Source:Japan Meteorological Agency, normals for Sapporo (by month) /the same, day counts by class (view=a2)／the same, Tokyo (all 30-year averages for 1991–2020) / verified 2026-08-14 Sources: temperature, precipitation, day counts and snow are fromthe Japan Meteorological Agency, "Past weather data: normals (annual and monthly values), Sapporo"(1991–2020 normals / station number 47412, elevation 17.4 m / annual mean 9.2°C, annual precipitation 1,146.1 mm / January: mean −3.2°C, daily high −0.4°C, daily low −6.4°C, precipitation 108.4 mm / August: mean 22.3°C, daily high 26.4°C, daily low 19.1°C, precipitation 126.8 mm / days below freezing 121.8, days never above freezing 43.6, days above 25°C 54.6, days above 30°C 8.6, days above 35°C 0.1, tropical nights 0.1 / annual total snowfall 479 cm, deepest snow cover 97 cm) / the comparison with Tokyo uses the same normals for Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolis, station number 47662) / the city's own account is fromSapporo City, "Frequently asked questions about moving to Sapporo"(PDF, as of 1 April Reiwa 8 / "Sapporo's average temperature is 9.2 degrees. There are about 8 days above 30 degrees, so the summer is cool and comfortable." "There are about 120 days a year when the low falls below 0 degrees." "Snow falls on about 124 days of the year." / "It is not the case that no pollen flies. White birch and other pollen is carried in spring, and grass pollen in summer.") / the new Snow Festival concept is fromthe Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee, "New logo, character and this year's poster design for the Sapporo Snow Festival announced"(21 August 2026 / "The new concept for the Sapporo Snow Festival is 'A Festival of Thanks for Snow — Blessed by the Snow'." "For those of us who live in Sapporo, snow tends to be seen as a nuisance, a bother. And yet it is because of snow that this city is beautifully adorned and draws people from all over the world. This rebranding carries the wish to turn the view that 'snow is a bother' around, to share the value of snow among us once more, and to grow the festival into one of thanks." / character SAPORON) / the length of road cleared is fromSapporo City, "Support schemes for carting snow away from local streets"("The city clears snow from about 5,400 km of road, and of that carts the snow away from about 1,600 km of arterial roads with heavy traffic and some school routes") / checked 26 August 2026How much snow falls, and how cold is the winter?
479 centimetres of snow fall in a year, and the deepest cover is 97 centimetres. There are 121.8 days a year below freezing and 43.6 days a year that never rise above it, and January averages −3.2°C with a daily low of −6.4°C. The city says "snow falls on about 124 days of the year". 🔴 Summer, on the other hand, has a daily high of 26.4°C, 0.1 days above 35°C and 0.1 tropical nights — far cooler than Tokyo (4.8 days above 35°C, 17.8 tropical nights).
CHAPTER 07Shops, hospitals, schools
🔴 This is a city of 2 million people, so the numbers are all there. In the city's own account there are 198 hospitals, 1,495 general clinics and 1,188 dental clinics (as of 1 April Reiwa 7). There are about 550 licensed childcare facilities, and 0 children on the waiting list for after-school clubs. Schools: 200 primary schools (85,930 pupils), 104 lower secondary schools (44,974), 51 upper secondary schools (40,281) and 19 universities (52,751 students). 🔴 And a nurse answers the phone 24 hours a day, every day of the year — the Sapporo Emergency Advice Centre (#7119). Advice is available in 22 languages, and people with hearing impairments can consult by fax.
If your child has a fever in the nightStart with the Sapporo Emergency Advice Centre (#7119, or 011-272-7119 from a dial-up line or IP phone). The city describes it as "a telephone advice line staffed by nurses, answering emergency medical enquiries from residents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year", and says: "If you suddenly feel unwell and cannot decide whether to call 119 or wait and see, do not hesitate to ask us." If the case is urgent, the call is transferred to 119.
The service area is Sapporo, Ishikari, Shinshinotsu, Kuriyama, Tobetsu, Nanporo, Shimamaki, Kitahiroshima, Eniwa and Naganuma. 🔴 It works in 22 languages including English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, French and Tagalog, and people with hearing impairments can consult by fax (011-241-7331).
Sunday and holiday paediatrics began in April Reiwa 8The Sapporo Night and Holiday Emergency Clinic (Odori Nishi 19-chome, Chuo Ward). The city writes: "From April Reiwa 8 (2026) the facility was renamed from the 'Night Emergency Clinic' to the 'Night and Holiday Emergency Clinic', and daytime paediatric consultations began on Sundays and public holidays."
Holiday paediatrics runs on Sundays and public holidays, over Obon (15–16 August) and over the New Year period (29 December to 3 January), from 9:00 to 17:00. Appointments are required as a rule, and bookings open at 7:00 on the day. Prescriptions are dispensed outside the clinic, and the city publishes a weekly PDF list of the pharmacies open that day. The departments are internal medicine, paediatrics, otorhinolaryngology and ophthalmology. It is run by the Sapporo Medical Association.
Children's medical costs are covered to the end of upper secondary ageThe city subsidises medical costs for children up to the first 31 March after their 18th birthday (income limits apply). The patient pays ¥580 for a first medical visit and ¥510 for a first dental visit, and ¥0 for repeat visits, pharmacies, judo therapy, acupuncture, moxibustion and insured massage. Home-visit nursing is 10% (capped at ¥3,000 a month per provider).
Children not attending upper secondary school are covered too. The eligibility certificate can be applied for online, by post or at the ward office welfare grants section. 🔴 These terms apply to treatment from April Reiwa 7 onward. Because income limits apply, check the thresholds on the city's "About income limits" page.
There are 0 children waiting for an after-school club placeThe city writes in its moving-in FAQ: "Children's halls, open to children from 0 to 18, are located across the city, and after-school clubs for children whose parents are out are run in every primary school district. There are 0 children on the waiting list for after-school clubs, so you can relax when your child starts school."
On childcare: "There are about 550 licensed childcare facilities in the city" and "Applications must be made at the Health and Children's Affairs Section of your ward office at least two months before the month you wish your child to start" (the deadline differs for a 1 April start and is published around September of the previous year). "Parent-and-child salons where families can drop in and meet are located across the city. There are plenty of parks too, so the environment for raising children is well provided for." 🔴 Households with an infant under two also receive designated rubbish bags, either 10-litre or 20-litre (§8).
School numbers (Reiwa 7, School Basic Survey)79 kindergartens (5 municipal, 74 private) with 9,388 children / 105 integrated centres for early childhood education and care (1 municipal, 104 private) with 15,216 / 200 primary schools (1 national, 197 municipal, 2 private) with 85,930 / 104 lower secondary schools (1 national, 97 municipal, 6 private) with 44,974 / 2 compulsory education schools with 155 / 51 upper secondary schools (26 prefectural, 7 municipal, 18 private) with 40,281 / 1 secondary school with 936 / 20 special-needs schools (15 prefectural, 5 municipal) with 2,068.
Of the 51 upper secondary schools, 7 are run by the city. Even among government-ordinance-designated cities, seven municipal high schools is a lot. 19 universities (2 national, 1 prefectural, 1 municipal, 15 private and other) with 52,751 students, 5 junior colleges with 950, 78 specialised training colleges with 16,879 and 20 miscellaneous schools with 2,531.
On work: "the job-openings-to-applicants ratio hovers around 1"The city writes: "The job-openings-to-applicants ratio in the Sapporo area (the number of openings per job seeker) has hovered around 1, so employment opportunities are steadily available." Job hunting goes through the Hello Work internet service and the Sapporo Work Portal Site.
On starting a business: "Sapporo runs a one-stop advice desk for people planning to start a business, the Sapporo Startup Support Plaza (011-200-5511), inside the Sapporo Small and Medium Enterprise Support Centre." The Sapporo Industrial Promotion Centre houses "Sapporo Business VILLAGE", which "provides office space at low cost to small and medium enterprises and individuals". 🔴 Some jobs also qualify for the migration support grant (§14).
Are there enough hospitals and schools?
In the city's own account there are 198 hospitals, 1,495 general clinics and 1,188 dental clinics (as of 1 April Reiwa 7). Schools number 200 primary, 104 lower secondary, 51 upper secondary and 19 universities. 🔴 The Sapporo Emergency Advice Centre (#7119) is staffed by nurses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in 22 languages. There are about 550 licensed childcare facilities and 0 children waiting for an after-school club place.
CHAPTER 08What it costs you every year after you buy
🔴 Owning a house in Sapporo adds one running cost you will not find in other towns: snow. The city opens the road, but you open the front of your house and your garage. If your neighbourhood association uses the Partnership Snow Removal Scheme to cart the snow away, the neighbourhood pays ¥516,400 per kilometre (standard profile). 🔴 And from October Reiwa 8 the sewerage charge rises by an average of 22.6% — the first revision in about 30 years, since Heisei 9. For a household using 40 cubic metres over two months, water and sewerage together go from ¥10,098 to ¥10,868 (tax included). Fixed asset tax is 1.4% and city planning tax 0.3% (within the urbanisation promotion area). The tax-free threshold is judged "within the same ward" — that is a rule specific to government-ordinance-designated cities.
| What | How much | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Property tax | Taxable value × 1.4% | Charged to the owner as of 1 January each year. The tax-free threshold, totalled within the same ward, is ¥300,000 for land, ¥200,000 for buildings and ¥1,500,000 for depreciable assets. 🔴 Judging it "within the same ward" is the rule for government-ordinance-designated cities (Local Tax Act, Article 737). Payment falls due 4 times a year (16–30 April, 16–31 July, 16–30 September and 16–31 December). The next base year (revaluation) is Reiwa 9. The counter is the city tax office covering the ward where the asset is (five of them: Central, Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western) |
| City planning tax | Taxable value × 0.3% | Charged on land and buildings within the urbanisation promotion area. Of the city's 1,121.26 km², the urbanisation promotion area is 250.34 km² (urbanisation control area 325.50 km², outside the city planning area 545.42 km²). The tax notice arrives combined with the fixed asset tax. Revenue in Reiwa 5 was about ¥27,100,000,000, spent on sewerage works about ¥13,900,000,000, street works about ¥900,000,000 and school works about ¥700,000,000 among others |
| Water and sewerage | ¥10,868 for 40 m³ over two months from October Reiwa 8 (tax included) | Water (domestic use, pipe diameter 25 mm or less) is a monthly base charge of ¥1,452 (up to 10 m³) plus ¥220/m³ for 11–20 m³ and ¥253 for 21–30 m³. Sewerage rises by an average of 22.6% in October Reiwa 8 — over two months the base charge goes from ¥1,200 to ¥1,500 and 21–40 m³ from ¥67 to ¥87 per m³ (before tax). 🔴 For a household using 40 m³ over two months, the total goes from ¥10,098 to ¥10,868 (tax included) — ¥385 more a month. Even so it stays the cheapest level among the cities of Hokkaido (at 20 m³ a month; the Hokkaido average is ¥3,718) |
| National health insurance | Four components (Reiwa 8) | Medical component = income levy 8.61% + per-person levy ¥20,550 × number of members + per-household levy ¥32,540 (cap ¥670,000) / support component = 2.56% + ¥6,330 + ¥10,010 (¥260,000) / long-term care component (ages 40–64) = 2.33% + ¥6,020 + ¥7,550 (¥170,000) / 🆕 child support component (new in Reiwa 8) = 0.29% + ¥1,100 (aged 18 and over) + ¥1,000 (¥30,000). 🔴 Hokkaido plans to introduce a "prefecture-wide uniform premium rate" from Reiwa 12, so that the same household composition and income will pay the same premium anywhere in Hokkaido. The city provides an online estimator. |
| Household rubbish | 40 L, ¥400 (pack of 5) | Charging began in July Heisei 21. Designated rubbish bags (tax included) cost ¥100 for 5 L (pack of 10), ¥200 for 10 L (pack of 10), ¥400 for 20 L (pack of 10) and ¥400 for 40 L (pack of 5). They are used for "burnable rubbish" and "non-burnable rubbish". The charges bring in about ¥3,300,000,000 a year, spent on separated collection, recycling, group collection incentives and the like. 🔴 Households with an infant under two receive 10-litre or 20-litre designated bags. The city aims "to cut the rubbish it processes by 100 g per person per day by fiscal 2027 and become the town with the least rubbish" |
| Snow (carting away) | ¥516,400 per km shared by the neighbourhood association, once a season | The Partnership Snow Removal Scheme (begun in Heisei 4). For roads under 10 m wide the cost is split between the neighbourhood and the city, and for roads 10 m or wider the city pays in full. In Reiwa 7 the neighbourhood share was ¥516,400/km for the standard profile and ¥361,500/km for the reduced profile, the same across the whole city. Once a season at most. 🔴 The city writes: "The neighbourhood share for Reiwa 7 came to about ¥600,000/km for the standard profile, but with prices rising sharply of late and the burden on neighbourhood association activity increasing, we have decided for the time being to hold the share at the Reiwa 3 level as a support measure." Applications go to the maintenance section of each ward's civil engineering department (18 December to 8 January for Reiwa 7) |
How far the city goes with the snowIn the city's figures, about 5,400 kilometres of road are cleared. Of those, about 1,600 kilometres of arterial roads with heavy traffic and some school routes have the snow carted away. For the remaining local streets, "because clearing is done within a limited budget, workforce and machinery, we cannot cart the snow away from every local street".
Hence two schemes: the "Citizens' Subsidised Truck Scheme" (begun in the Showa 40s: trucks are lent free of charge, while residents do the loading and traffic control) and the "Partnership Snow Removal Scheme" (begun in Heisei 4: contractors do the loading and traffic control as well). "The support schemes are used on about 70% of all local streets (some 2,600 km), and in recent years 1,200 to 1,300 groups apply each year." 🔴 The main business of a Sapporo neighbourhood association is snow.
In a heavy-snow year the city carts it away at its own expenseIn heavy snow the city sets up the Sapporo Emergency Snow Removal Headquarters and works in three phases. Phase 1 (snow cover reaching 50 cm, among other triggers): bring forward the carting away of snow on arterial roads and remove the snow banks at the roadside entirely. Phase 2: contractors from other wards come to help. Phase 3 (delays to partnership snow removal expected in half or more of the wards): partnership snow removal is suspended and emergency carting away of snow from local streets is carried out with speed as the priority, at the city's expense.
🔴 On 25 January Reiwa 8 (2026), this actually happened. The first meeting of the Emergency Snow Removal Headquarters was held at 18:00 on 25 January, the Sapporo Snow Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters was set up at 9:30 on 26 January, and a second meeting followed on 28 January. All partnership snow removal that winter was cancelled and switched to emergency clearing of local streets.
The city sets out the reasons for the sewerage increase"Sapporo's sewerage service has pursued efficiency in management and other measures and has held the sewerage charge unchanged for about 30 years, since Heisei 9 (1997). However, with maintenance costs up 33% over the last 10 years under the effect of rising prices and other factors, the environment around the service has become severe, and continuing to provide sewerage as it is now may become difficult."
Staff numbers were cut by 224 (33%), from 683 in Heisei 9 to 459 in Reiwa 5, and ¥61,400,000,000 of costs have been saved cumulatively since Heisei 9. Even so, "from Reiwa 4 the cost recovery ratio fell below 100%, and in Reiwa 5 an operating loss occurred for the first time in 14 years. On the present course, funds will run short in Reiwa 9 (2027)." Sewerage coverage is 99.8%, the pipe network about 8,300 kilometres, and there are 30 water reclamation plants and other treatment facilities. The service began in Taisho 15 (1926), for flood prevention.
Sapporo has a scheme that pays for insulationThe Sapporo Next-Generation Housing Standard is the city's own yardstick for house insulation. It has four grades — Platinum (UA value 0.18 or less) / Gold (0.20 or less, equal to national insulation grade 7) / Silver (0.28 or less, grade 6) / Bronze (0.40 or less, grade 5) — with a sustainability requirement of solar generation of 1.5 kW or more plus battery storage of 2.0 kWh or more.
Build new to Gold or above and part of the construction cost is subsidised — ¥2,200,000 for Platinum and ¥1,800,000 for Gold (Reiwa 8, for a detached house you will live in yourself; speculative builds are excluded; allocated by lottery). For people buying a second-hand house and renovating it there is the "Sapporo Housing Eco-Renovation Subsidy", whose second Reiwa 8 application window runs 4 to 17 September. There is also the "Sapporo Subsidy for External Insulation Renovation of Existing Apartment Buildings". 🔴 The city has committed to becoming a "Zero-Carbon City" with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
What does it cost every year once you have bought?
Fixed asset tax is 1.4% and city planning tax 0.3% (within the urbanisation promotion area). The tax-free threshold is judged "within the same ward", and no fixed asset tax is charged below ¥300,000 for land and ¥200,000 for buildings. Water and sewerage come to ¥10,868 for 40 cubic metres over two months (from October Reiwa 8, tax included). 🔴 And then snow — if the neighbourhood association carts it away together, the neighbourhood pays ¥516,400 per kilometre.
CHAPTER 09What happens when you want to sell
🔴 Residential land prices in Sapporo have risen 1.47-fold in six years. The published land price (residential, city average) went from ¥78,800/m² in Reiwa 2 to ¥115,600/m² in Reiwa 7. It rose every year of those six, including +15.0% in Reiwa 5. Reiwa 7 was +2.9%, and all 10 wards were positive. 🔴 The population, meanwhile, fell for the first time in the Reiwa 7 Census. "Land prices up, population down" — those two things are happening at once in Sapporo now. Keep both in mind when you buy.
1.47-fold in six years, though the wards differThe city average (residential) ran ¥78,800 in Reiwa 2 → ¥82,500 in Reiwa 3 (+4.3%) → ¥89,700 in Reiwa 4 (+9.3%) → ¥102,200 in Reiwa 5 (+15.0%) → ¥110,800 in Reiwa 6 (+8.4%) → ¥115,600 in Reiwa 7 (+2.9%). That is ¥36,800 in six years, or 1.47 times.
By ward, the Reiwa 7 rise was Shiroishi +4.7%, Toyohira +4.1%, Chuo +3.5%, Atsubetsu +3.3%, Higashi +3.1%, Kita +2.7%, Nishi +2.7%, Minami +2.4%, Kiyota +0.9% and Teine +0.8%. 🔴 The biggest rise was in Shiroishi Ward — flat, and next to the centre. The smallest movement was in Kiyota and Teine Wards, both of them wards whose population is falling (§2).
If you are thinking about the exit, it comes down to distance from a stationCounting the nearest station of the 1,786 listings, the largest are Makomanai 162, Fukuzumi 100, Teine 79, Kanjodori-Higashi 66, Inazumi-koen 60, Hassamu-Minami 57, Oyachi 55, Asabu 51, Shiroishi 48 and Maruyama-koen 45. 🔴 Second-hand houses gather around the subway termini — Makomanai, Fukuzumi, Miyanosawa, Shin-Sapporo, Sakaemachi and Asabu.
Sapporo has three subway lines, the streetcar and JR, plus the subway-to-bus transfer discount (§3). Think of it this way: "within walking distance of a subway station, or on a bus route" plainly changes how many buyers you will have. And then winter — a ten-minute walk becomes twenty on a snowy day. The buyer will be thinking the same thing.
What it means that the population has begun to fallThe preliminary Reiwa 7 Census gives 1,964,034 — 9,361 fewer (0.5%) than Reiwa 2. The city writes: "this is the first population decrease since the census began in Taisho 9."
But some wards are growing — Chuo +2.9%, Toyohira +2.5% and Nishi +0.3%. 🔴 This is not "Sapporo as a whole shrinking" but a movement towards the centre and the wards next to it. And households keep rising, by 26,455 (+2.7%). Fewer people, but the same need for homes — the figure of 1.97 people per household says it. If you are thinking about the exit, look at which way things are moving inside the ward.
Where to turn when you sellThe city states plainly that "Sapporo does not act as an agent or broker itself" (§4). Selling goes through an estate agent as a matter of course.
On top of that, for a house that has become vacant, the Building Guidance Division, Urban Area Development Department, Urban Development Bureau takes enquiries under the "Second Sapporo Plan for Vacant Houses and Related Measures". The city also points to "Sumai no Shukatsu Navi", a tool that estimates demolition costs and the likely sale price of the land. 🔴 And under the agreement between the city and the Hokkaido Bank, the "My Home Leaseback" scheme (Japan Trans-housing Institute, JTI) is used — there is also the exit of keeping the house and letting it, rather than selling (§4).
Will the price fall when I come to sell?
The published land price for residential land (city average) went from ¥78,800/m² in Reiwa 2 to ¥115,600/m² in Reiwa 7 — 1.47 times in six years. Reiwa 7 was +2.9%, and all 10 wards were positive. 🔴 The population, on the other hand, fell by 9,361 (0.5%) in the Reiwa 7 Census — the first decrease since the census began in Taisho 9. Households, though, rose by 26,455.
CHAPTER 10Who lives here, and how many
🔴 The population of Sapporo is 1,962,596 (estimate for 1 August Reiwa 8). The preliminary Reiwa 7 Census gives 1,964,034, of whom 914,867 are male and 1,049,167 female — 134,300 more women than men. The sex ratio (men per 100 women) is 87.2, and the city writes: "since women came to outnumber men in Showa 45 the gap had widened year by year, but in Reiwa 7 it narrowed." There are 995,616 households, 1.97 people each — below two for the first time in Reiwa 7.
A city that grew 19-fold in 105 years102,580 at the first census in Taisho 9 (1920). It grew without interruption from there, reaching 1,010,123 in Showa 45 (1970) — in the city's words, "the eighth city in Japan to reach one million". On 1 April Showa 47 it became a government-ordinance-designated city and the ward system began.
In the five years from Showa 40 to 45 alone it gained 215,215 people (+27.1%), and 161,144 (+13.0%) from Showa 50 to 55 — in the high-growth years it added a town every five years. Growth then eased: 1,671,742 in Heisei 2 → 1,822,368 in Heisei 12 → 1,973,395 in Reiwa 2, and in Reiwa 7 it came to 1,964,034, below the previous count for the first time.
The wards were made by mergers and divisionsFrom the city record: city status on 1 August Taisho 11. Then it merged Maruyama Town on 1 April Showa 16, Shiroishi Village on 1 July Showa 25, Kotoni Town, Sapporo Village and Shinoro Village on 1 March Showa 30, Toyohira Town on 1 May Showa 36 and Teine Town on 1 March Showa 42.
The wards began as 7, on 1 April Showa 47, together with the move to government-ordinance-designated city status. Then Atsubetsu and Teine Wards were created on 6 November Heisei 1 by dividing Shiroishi and Nishi Wards, and Kiyota Ward on 4 November Heisei 9 by dividing Toyohira Ward, making the present 10 wards. 🔴 "Kotoni", "Shinoro", "Shiroishi", "Toyohira", "Teine" — the ward and place names that survive today are the names of those former towns and villages.
Households keep getting smallerPeople per household ran 2.75 in Showa 55 → 2.59 in Heisei 2 → 2.33 in Heisei 12 → 2.16 in Heisei 22 → 2.04 in Reiwa 2 → 1.97 in Reiwa 7. The city writes: "because households have grown faster than the population, household size has shrunk year by year, and in Reiwa 7 it stands at 1.97, below two."
By ward it ranges from 2.39 in Kiyota Ward to 1.71 in Chuo Ward (§2). 🔴 Below two people a household means the average Sapporo home is "two adults" or "one adult". For anyone buying a four-bedroom second-hand house, it also means the households around you are steadily getting smaller.
The sex ratio varies a good deal by wardThe Reiwa 7 Census sex ratio (men per 100 women) is above the city average of 87.2 in Higashi 90.7, Kita 90.0, Shiroishi 89.6, Kiyota 88.7 and Teine 87.8, and below it in Atsubetsu 82.3, Chuo 83.7, Nishi 85.2, Minami 85.7 and Toyohira 86.1.
The city writes that "Atsubetsu Ward is the lowest at 82.3". In Taisho 9 it was 107.0 (more men than women), but after falling below 100 in Showa 45 it kept declining, reaching 87.1 in Reiwa 2, the lowest since the census began. Reiwa 7 stands at 87.2, up 0.1 points — the city explains that "in Reiwa 7 the fall in the female population exceeded the fall in the male, so the ratio rose 0.1 points from Reiwa 2 to 87.2."
Share of foreign residents
1.22%national average 3.26%
Of the 1,954,588 people living in Sapporo, 23,881 are foreign residents. That is below the national average (3.26%).
Nationally, foreign residents make up 3.26% of the total population (4,031,159 out of 123,767,642).
34 municipalities across Japan are above 10%.
Source: calculated by this site from the municipality-level tables of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Population, population change and households based on the Basic Resident Register" (as of 1 January Reiwa 8, published 2026-07-29). The ministry's publication page / verified 2026-08-17
Who lives here?
1,964,034 (preliminary Reiwa 7 Census), of whom 914,867 are male and 1,049,167 female. There are 995,616 households at 1.97 people each, below two for the first time in Reiwa 7. 🔴 From 102,580 in Taisho 9 it reached 1,010,123 in Showa 45, the eighth city in Japan to pass one million, and became a government-ordinance-designated city on 1 April Showa 47. Foreign residents number 23,881 (1.22%).
CHAPTER 11Community life and the year's events
🔴 Neighbourhood associations in Sapporo have a job you will not find elsewhere: snow. In the city's figures, the snow-carting support schemes are used on about 70% of all local streets (2,600 kilometres), with 1,200 to 1,300 groups applying each year. 🔴 And Sapporo has an ordinance about neighbourhood associations — the "Sapporo Ordinance on Supporting Neighbourhood Associations into the Future" (in force from 1 April Reiwa 5). The city explains it this way: "We made the ordinance so that neighbourhood associations, residents, businesses and the City of Sapporo would together recognise and share the meaning and importance of the associations that sustain local life, and support their activities as one." The events run through the Snow Festival, the Lilac Festival, YOSAKOI Soran, the Sapporo Festival, the Odori beer garden, the Autumn Fest and the White Illumination — something is on in Odori Park all year round.
The city writes that joining is not compulsoryFrom the city's "Neighbourhood association Q&A". "Are neighbourhood associations set up and run by the City of Sapporo?" → "No. They are bodies organised and run voluntarily by local residents." "How much are the dues?" → "Dues are decided by each association. Please ask your own association."
And to "Is joining compulsory?" it answers: "It is not compulsory, but neighbourhood associations carry out activities that make the area safer and more secure — local disaster preparedness and crime prevention, managing the rubbish collection points, carting snow away from local streets and so on. Buying the equipment for a rubbish collection point, for instance, is paid for out of members' dues, and since this work is tied closely to daily life, we hope you will take part as far as you are able." 🔴 "Carting snow away from local streets" is listed alongside disaster preparedness, crime prevention and rubbish, right at the start.
You can find out which association covers the house before you joinThe city provides "Machitomo Navi", a search site for neighbourhood and residents' associations, where you can look up the contact details of the association and of your "community development centre". If you want the contact details of the association chair, the city's advice is to ask your local community development centre first.
The city schemes that run through the associations are rubbish collection point grants / the Partnership Snow Removal Scheme / subsidies for buying disaster equipment / subsidies for installing security cameras / maintenance of street lights / park management / group recycling incentives / grants for community meeting halls. 🔴 The city even runs a "neighbourhood association adviser dispatch scheme", a "neighbourhood association digitalisation outreach course" and a "neighbourhood association smartphone class" — a shortage of people to run them is a shared problem in Sapporo too. If a listing interests you, ask first how that association handles the snow carting.
Even in an apartment, snow and the school route connect youFrom the city Q&A, the answer to "I live in an apartment block. Do I not need to join?" — "Clearing snow from local streets, cleaning up, watching over children on the way to school: people living in apartment blocks receive the benefits of neighbourhood association activity too. Please join, take part in the festivals and events, and let us make the town a good place to live, together."
The character of the Sapporo Basic Ordinance on Local Autonomy is "Jicchii", and the community development character is "Macchii". The contact is the Citizens' Autonomy Promotion Section, Citizens' Autonomy Promotion Office, Citizens' Affairs and Culture Bureau (011-211-2253). 🔴 As the landslide evacuation maps being drawn by federated neighbourhood association shows (§5), in Sapporo the neighbourhood association is the unit of disaster preparedness itself.
The year's events are mostly in Odori Park4–11 February, the Sapporo Snow Festival (Odori, Tsudome and Susukino). Early April to early May, the Jozankei Onsen valley carp streamers. Late April to early May, the Hiraoka plum blossom festival (the plum grove in Hiraoka Park). Late May, the Sapporo Lilac Festival (Odori Park and Kawashimo Park). Early June, the YOSAKOI Soran Festival (Odori Park and elsewhere). 14–16 June, the Hokkaido Jingu annual festival (the Sapporo Festival). Mid to late June, the Sapporo Flower Carpet (Kita 3-jo Plaza, Akapura).
July: the Pacific Music Festival Sapporo (PMF), the Hokkaido Makomanai fireworks and SAPPORO CITY JAZZ. 30 August, the Hokkaido Marathon. 5 September, the Hokkaido Art Fireworks (Moerenuma Park). 11 September to 3 October, the Sapporo Autumn Fest. 4 October, the Sapporo Marathon. 1–3 November, the Sapporo chrysanthemum festival. 20 November to 14 March, the Sapporo White Illumination.
Do I have to join the neighbourhood association?
The city Q&A says: "It is not compulsory, but neighbourhood associations carry out activities that make the area safer and more secure — local disaster preparedness and crime prevention, managing the rubbish collection points, carting snow away from local streets and so on." 🔴 Sapporo has a "Sapporo Ordinance on Supporting Neighbourhood Associations into the Future" (in force from 1 April Reiwa 5). The snow-carting support schemes are used on about 70% of local streets, with 1,200 to 1,300 groups applying each year.
CHAPTER 12Things nearby that move land prices
🔴 There are three things worth knowing before you buy a house in Sapporo. ① The ground (filled-in valley, alluvial fan, or peat), ② brown bears, and ③ how much of the city is urbanisation control area. 🔴 Brown bears are not a matter for the outskirts alone here. The city has a "Sapporo Brown Bear Basic Plan 2023" and publishes separate sighting pages for six wards: Chuo, Toyohira, Kiyota, Minami, Nishi and Teine. Electric fences for kitchen gardens are lent free by the city, which also subsidises their purchase.
Brown bears — the city has a plan, and lends electric fencesSapporo has a "Sapporo Brown Bear Basic Plan 2023" and a "Sapporo Brown Bear Countermeasures Committee". Bear sighting information is published for six wards — Chuo, Toyohira, Kiyota, Minami, Nishi and Teine — and is also sent out on the city's official LINE account. Hokkaido designates 1 April to 31 May Reiwa 8 as the "special period of caution for brown bears in spring".
The city's request is specific: "A bear that has once eaten rubbish becomes fixated on human food and may start appearing in built-up areas or following people. So when you enter bear country in the mountains, never leave rubbish behind — always take it home. In daily life too, please do not leave rubbish outside the house, and keep to the collection times." "It is not only food waste: empty cans, plastic bottles and lunch containers also draw bears in."
If you want a kitchen garden, you can borrow an electric fenceThe city lends electric fences for kitchen gardens free of charge and subsidises their purchase. The reason: "When a brown bear eats crops from a kitchen garden, it learns the taste of human-grown food, and that can be the start of repeated appearances in built-up areas."
To borrow one you must be "growing a kitchen garden in the city, with the purpose of brown bear countermeasures" and "not have borrowed under this scheme before". The Reiwa 8 loan period runs 1 June to 2 November, applications open on 15 May, and you apply at least a week before the day you want it (Environmental Coexistence Section, Environment Bureau, higuma@city.sapporo.jp). With the purchase subsidy, "a contractor engaged by the city will advise on installation on site, free of charge". Reiwa 8 also sees the start of a "trial project using drones for brown bear appearance countermeasures". 🔴 Bear bells can be borrowed too.
The ground — "alluvial fan, filled-in valley, or peat"From the city agriculture booklet: "The geology is broadly Quaternary alluvium; the Toyohira (Sapporo) alluvial fan, made of sand, pebbles and clay, has good ground, whereas the Ishikari Lowland is made of clay soil and peat." It adds that "the plain divides broadly into alluvial soils along the river basins, the peat land spread widely across the low ground of the Ishikari River basin, and sandy soils at the river mouth", and that "poorly drained land is common throughout".
🔴 And what happened at Satozuka in Kiyota Ward in 2018 was liquefaction on residential land created by filling in a valley (§5). The city has since carried out "works to prevent earthquake damage to residential land" in the Utsukushigaoka, Tsukisamu-higashi and Satozuka-cemetery-adjacent districts. When a listing interests you, check three things: ① the city's liquefaction risk map (one per ward), ② the landform (fan, low ground or hill), and ③ what the land was before it was developed.
29% of the city is urbanisation control areaUnder the city plan there are 250.34 km² of urbanisation promotion area, 325.50 km² of urbanisation control area and 545.42 km² outside the city planning area (end of Reiwa 6). 🔴 The control area is larger than the promotion area — a distinctive feature of Sapporo. As a rule you cannot build a new house in an urbanisation control area. When buying a second-hand house, check the registry and the important-matters explanation for the words "urbanisation control area".
Among the zoning categories, Category 1 exclusively low-rise residential is the largest at 81.86 km², followed by Category 1 residential 44.16, Category 1 medium-to-high-rise residential 13.81, commercial 8.31, quasi-industrial 22.64, industrial 3.64 and exclusively industrial 2.38 km². Height control districts cover 238.88 km², scenic districts 35.97 km², and fire prevention districts 3.85 km² with quasi-fire prevention districts 34.20 km².
Okadama Airport is in Higashi WardOkadama Airport (Sapporo Airfield) is a joint-use airport in Higashi Ward. One of the deputy mayors is specially charged with "strengthening the functions of Okadama Airport", and a "Basic Concept for the Coexistence of Sapporo Okadama Airport and the Surrounding Area (draft)" has been presented to the city assembly. As the word "coexistence" in the title of the plan suggests, there is housing around it.
🔴 If you are house-hunting in Higashi Ward, look at where Okadama Airport is and at what this basic concept says. If its functions are strengthened, there is both a convenience side and a noise side. The assembly papers are public.
Sapporo has farmland tooIt may come as a surprise, but in Reiwa 2 there were 627 farm households working 1,480 hectares. That is down from 993 households and 2,002 hectares in Heisei 22, but farming continues within the city.
The city writes: "Farming in Sapporo is carried out to suit each set of conditions — mainly on the plain in the north-east, but also in the hill country of Kiyota and Minami Wards and the sandy soils of Teine Ward. The result is a notably wide range of crops." Onions alone account for about 266 hectares, and grass for fodder takes up close to 30% of all cultivated land in the city. 🔴 On the edges of Kita, Higashi, Shiroishi, Teine, Kiyota and Minami Wards, there are fields next to the houses — that too is part of the view when you choose where to live (§13).
Are there brown bears?
🔴 Yes. The city has a "Sapporo Brown Bear Basic Plan 2023" and publishes sighting information for six wards: Chuo, Toyohira, Kiyota, Minami, Nishi and Teine (also sent out on the official LINE account). Electric fences for kitchen gardens are lent free by the city, which also subsidises their purchase. Hokkaido designates 1 April to 31 May Reiwa 8 as the "special period of caution for brown bears in spring".
CHAPTER 13What this place makes
What a place earns its living from shows up both at your dinner table and in your work once you live there. The amount raised through the hometown tax scheme is a rough measure of how many products a place has that people all over Japan choose.
¥4,090,630,000
hometown tax donations received in Reiwa 7 (203,888 donations).
56th of the 1,788 municipalities in Japan, and 10th within Hokkaido
56th of the 1,788 municipalities in Japan, and 10th within Hokkaido
What this town names as its own products
🔴 In a city of 2 million people there are still 627 farm households. From the city booklet "Agriculture in Sapporo": "Farming in Sapporo is carried out to suit each set of conditions — mainly on the plain in the north-east, but also in the hill country of Kiyota and Minami Wards and the sandy soils of Teine Ward. The result is a notably wide range of crops." In Reiwa 2 there were 627 farm households working 1,480 hectares (993 households and 2,002 hectares in Heisei 22). 🔴 The city also has a place-of-origin labelling scheme called "Sapporo Toretatekko" — "Sapporo Toretatekko is a place-of-origin labelling scheme run by the Sapporo Agricultural Promotion Council. Aimed at establishing a regional brand for produce grown by farmers in the city, the name and logo were decided in Heisei 10." "The red sun in the logo is the morning sun rising over the fields, the blue lettering stands for water, and the three green lines representing the fields carry the meanings 'fresh', 'safe' and 'good quality'." Any farmer working in the city may use the mark when selling.The onion: "Sapporo-ki" and "Satsuo" — the city booklet says "the onion is thought to have been first grown as a food crop in Japan on trial in Sapporo in 1871 (Meiji 4), with full production later beginning at Sapporo Agricultural College". 🔴 The edible onion in Japan began in Sapporo. "The main growing areas in Sapporo today lie along the Fushiko River basin from the Okadama district of Higashi Ward to the Shinoro district of Kita Ward, and along the old Toyohira River basin in the Higashiyonesato district of Shiroishi Ward." "In recent years distinctive varieties such as the heirloom 'Sapporo-ki' and the improved 'Satsuo' have been planted, with work to promote their production and open up markets." About 266 hectares are planted in the city, making it Sapporo's principal farm product • Spinach: "Polar Star" — "Spinach is grown mainly in the Shinei and Ariake districts of Kiyota Ward and the Takino and Tokiwa districts of Minami Ward, sold under the 'Polar Star' brand, and is the leafy vegetable that represents Sapporo" (the city). About 6 hectares are planted in the city, and "growers continue to work on raising quality" • Komatsuna — "Production began in Showa 62 as a way of making use of the onion-seedling greenhouses in the Okadama and Higashi-Kariki districts of Higashi Ward, and it is now grown in the Fujino and Misumai districts of Minami Ward and the Kobetsuzawa district of Nishi Ward as well." About 12 hectares are planted in the city, one of the largest growing areas in Hokkaido • Lettuce (head, leaf and sunny lettuce) — "It is grown mainly in the Taihei, Shinoro and Barato districts of Kita Ward. About 40 hectares are planted in the city, one of the largest growing areas in Hokkaido." • "Sapporo watermelon (Yamaguchi watermelon)" and the "Ohama Miyako" pumpkin — "The Teine Yamaguchi district of Teine Ward is the home of the 'Sapporo watermelon (Yamaguchi watermelon)', and the 'Miyako pumpkin' began as a hedge against cold damage to the watermelon crop." "It was named 'Ohama Miyako' in Showa 56 after the neighbouring Ohama bathing beach (now Otaru Dream Beach), and by standardising cultivation and raising quality it has come to be highly regarded in the market." (about 12 hectares planted) • Fruit (cherries and apples) — "Fruit growing is concentrated along the Toyohira River from the Fujino district of Minami Ward up to Jozankei. The main crops are cherries and apples, which together account for about 40% of the roughly 26 hectares of fruit-growing land in Sapporo." "Taking advantage of being close to the city, growers have shifted towards pick-your-own orchards, direct sales and other forms of agri-tourism, and now grow peaches, plums, grapes and prunes among many other fruits." Blueberries are grown in Minami Ward and the Nakanuma district of Higashi Ward • Rice (Nanatsuboshi, Yumepirika, Kitakurin) — "Paddy rice is grown mainly in the Shinoro and Barato districts of Kita Ward and the Fujino and Misumai districts of Minami Ward." About 15 hectares are planted, and "the main variety is 'Nanatsuboshi', with 'Yumepirika' and 'Kitakurin' also grown" • Wheat (Kitahonami, Haruyokoi) — "Among field crops, wheat is grown mainly in Kita Ward, with about 90 hectares planted in the city. The main varieties are 'Kitahonami' for autumn sowing and 'Haruyokoi' for spring." A few growers also raise buckwheat • Flowers (roses, carnations, cyclamen) — "Flower growing takes place in the Shinei and Ariake districts of Kiyota Ward and the Teine Yamaguchi district of Teine Ward, among others." About 4 hectares are planted. "Cut flowers include roses, carnations and burnet, grown to take advantage of the cool summer climate and shipped outside Hokkaido as well." • Milk, pork and eggs — 8 dairy farms (633 head, an average of 79) operate in the Shinoro and Tonden districts of Kita Ward, the Nakanuma and Higashi-Kariki districts of Higashi Ward, the Higashiyonesato district of Shiroishi Ward and the Teine Maeda district of Teine Ward; 2 beef farms (47 head); 2 pig farms (883 head) in Minami and Nishi Wards; and 5 poultry farms (4,410 birds) in Kiyota, Minami, Nishi and Chuo Wards (as of 1 February Reiwa 7). "In recent years small poultry farmers have increased, differentiating their product through free-range and fertile eggs and selling through vending machines and home delivery, taking advantage of being close to the city." • 🔴 Where to buy — the city publishes a list of "farm shops, restaurants and the like in Sapporo". There is also Satland, the Sapporo agricultural experience and exchange facility (Higashi Ward), together with allotments and the "Sapporo Farm School" course for residents. Look for the "Sapporo Toretatekko" logo..
Source:Sapporo City, "The present state of agriculture in Sapporo" and its booklet "Agriculture in Sapporo, Reiwa 7" (Agricultural Policy Section, Agricultural Policy Department, Economic Affairs and Tourism Bureau / "Farming in Sapporo is carried out to suit each set of conditions — mainly on the plain in the north-east, but also in the hill country of Kiyota and Minami Wards and the sandy soils of Teine Ward. The result is a notably wide range of crops." "In the Census of Agriculture and Forestry there were 627 farm households in Reiwa 2, about 36% fewer than the 993 of Heisei 22" "Cultivated land came to 1,480 ha in Reiwa 2, about 26% less than the 2,002 ha of Heisei 22" "The onion is thought to have been first grown as a food crop in Japan on trial in Sapporo in 1871 (Meiji 4), with full production later beginning at Sapporo Agricultural College" "The main growing areas in Sapporo today lie along the Fushiko River basin from the Okadama district of Higashi Ward to the Shinoro district of Kita Ward, and along the old Toyohira River basin in the Higashiyonesato district of Shiroishi Ward" "In recent years distinctive varieties such as the heirloom 'Sapporo-ki' and the improved 'Satsuo' have been planted, with work to promote their production and open up markets" "About 266 ha are planted in the city, making it Sapporo's principal farm product" "Lettuce is grown mainly in the Taihei, Shinoro and Barato districts of Kita Ward. About 40 ha are planted in the city, one of the largest growing areas in Hokkaido." "Spinach is grown mainly in the Shinei and Ariake districts of Kiyota Ward and the Takino and Tokiwa districts of Minami Ward, sold under the 'Polar Star' brand, and is the leafy vegetable that represents Sapporo" "Komatsuna production began in Showa 62 as a way of making use of the onion-seedling greenhouses in the Okadama and Higashi-Kariki districts of Higashi Ward, and it is now grown in the Fujino and Misumai districts of Minami Ward and the Kobetsuzawa district of Nishi Ward as well. About 12 ha are planted in the city." "The Teine Yamaguchi district of Teine Ward is the home of the 'Sapporo watermelon (Yamaguchi watermelon)', and the 'Miyako pumpkin' began as a hedge against cold damage to the watermelon crop. It was named 'Ohama Miyako' in Showa 56 after the neighbouring Ohama bathing beach (now Otaru Dream Beach)." "Fruit growing is concentrated along the Toyohira River from the Fujino district of Minami Ward up to Jozankei. The main crops are cherries and apples, which together account for about 40% of the roughly 26 ha of fruit-growing land in Sapporo." "Flower growing takes place in the Shinei and Ariake districts of Kiyota Ward and the Teine Yamaguchi district of Teine Ward, among others, though the number of growers is falling as they age. Flower growing covers about 4 ha." "Paddy rice is grown mainly in the Shinoro and Barato districts of Kita Ward and the Fujino and Misumai districts of Minami Ward" "About 15 ha are planted at present" "Among field crops, wheat is grown mainly in Kita Ward, with about 90 ha planted in the city" "There are 8 dairy farms (one also raising beef cattle)" "633 head, an average of 79 head" "There are 2 beef farms (one also in dairy), with 47 head" "There are 2 pig farms in Minami and Nishi Wards (one of them pigs only), with 883 head in total" "There are 5 poultry farms (keeping 100 birds or more) in Kiyota, Minami, Nishi and Chuo Wards, with 4,410 birds in total" "In recent years small poultry farmers have increased, differentiating their product through free-range and fertile eggs and selling through vending machines and home delivery, taking advantage of being close to the city" "Farm household and livestock numbers are as of 1 February Reiwa 7")／Sapporo City, "The 'Sapporo Toretatekko' scheme" (updated 12 June 2026 / "Sapporo Toretatekko is a place-of-origin labelling scheme run by the Sapporo Agricultural Promotion Council. Aimed at establishing a regional brand for produce grown by farmers in the city, the name and logo were decided in Heisei 10." "The red sun in the logo is the morning sun rising over the fields, the blue lettering stands for water, and the three green lines representing the fields carry the meanings 'fresh', 'safe' and 'good quality'. Any farmer working in the city may display the logo when selling." / the Sapporo Agricultural Promotion Council comprises JA Sapporo, the Satsuraku Agricultural Cooperative, the Ishikari Agricultural Extension Centre of the Hokkaido Ishikari General Subprefectural Bureau, the Sapporo Consumers' Association and the Agricultural Policy Department of the Sapporo Economic Affairs and Tourism Bureau / secretariat: Sapporo Agricultural Policy Section, 011-211-2406)／Sapporo City, "Agriculture in Sapporo" (allotments / the Sapporo Toretatekko scheme / Satland, the Sapporo agricultural experience and exchange facility / farm shops, restaurants and the like in Sapporo / the "Sapporo Farm School" course for residents)/ Verified 2026-08-26You can support a town without living there
Even if a move is still some way off, you can be involved from today through the hometown tax scheme. Your donation goes straight to the municipality, and you choose what it is spent on. A way to give something back to a place you got to know here.
Source:Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Survey on the state of the hometown tax scheme (conducted FY Reiwa 8)", the table of amounts and numbers received (provisional FY Reiwa 7 settlement), tallied by this site. The rank is out of all 1,788 municipalities in that table / verified 2026-08-14What is Sapporo known for producing?
🔴 Onions. The city booklet says "the onion is thought to have been first grown as a food crop in Japan on trial in Sapporo in 1871 (Meiji 4)" — about 266 hectares are planted, including the heirloom variety "Sapporo-ki". Also "Polar Star" spinach (about 6 hectares), lettuce (about 40 hectares), and the "Sapporo watermelon (Yamaguchi watermelon)" and "Ohama Miyako" pumpkin. Hometown tax donations received came to ¥4,090,630,000 (203,888 donations, 56th in Japan).
CHAPTER 14A message from Sapporo City
🔴 Sapporo has an official city website about moving here — "Sapporo Kurashi no Susume". It is run by the "migration" team in the Planning Section, Policy Planning Department, Urban Development Policy Bureau, on 011-211-2192, iju@city.sapporo.jp. A "Sapporo Guidebook for Moving and Settling" (revised April Reiwa 7) and a "Guide to Moving to the Sapporo Area" (updated January Reiwa 8) are published as PDFs, and the "Frequently asked questions about moving to Sapporo" was updated as of 1 April Reiwa 8. 🔴 The city also holds a migration event in the Tokyo area once a year (last year in Tokyo in February). The migration support grant for people moving from the Tokyo area to Sapporo and taking up work is ¥300,000 for a single person and ¥600,000 for a household, plus ¥100,000 per child under 18.
The city writes plainly that "there is no scheme"In the city's "Frequently asked questions about moving to Sapporo", the answer to "Is there any support scheme for building a house?" reads: "There is no scheme aimed at people moving in, but if you build a new detached house certified at Gold or above under the insulation grades of the 'Sapporo Next-Generation Housing Standard' — the city's own standard for highly insulated, airtight houses — there is the 'Sapporo Next-Generation Housing Subsidy', which covers part of the construction cost, among others."
🔴 Not "something special because you are moving in", but "something for everyone who lives in Sapporo". Platinum ¥2,200,000 and Gold ¥1,800,000 (§8) are open to newcomers on the same terms. So is the Sapporo Housing Eco-Renovation Subsidy.
Migration support grant — ¥300,000 single, ¥600,000 householdThe UIJ-turn Employment and Migration Support Project (migration support grant). It is for people who move to Sapporo from the Tokyo area (Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa) and take up qualifying employment or start a business. The amounts are ¥300,000 for a single person and ¥600,000 for a household, plus ¥100,000 for each household member under 18 who moves with you.
Applications for Reiwa 8 open on 1 April Reiwa 8, by post only (postmark counts), and must be made within one year of the date you moved in. It takes about three months from application to payment. 🔴 "This grant is provided within the budget available, and applications will close if the budget ceiling is reached. Please understand that an application may not result in a payment." And "whether the scheme itself continues in Reiwa 9 has not been decided." The city says so plainly. The contact is Pasona Inc., Sapporo UI-turn Employment Centre, Sapporo Office (Kita 5-jo Nishi 2-chome 5, Chuo Ward, JR Tower Office Plaza Sapporo 16F; 050-3816-1747; 10:00–18:00; closed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays).
Sapporo has an employment advice office in TokyoThe city writes: "Sapporo has opened a 'Sapporo UI-turn Employment Centre' in Tokyo, to support UI-turn employment for students and working people from Hokkaido." "At the centre, career coordinators give employment advice, provide information on registered companies and introduce vacancies, supporting the job search and the move for those hoping to make a UI-turn. Please feel free to use it."
Job hunting goes through the "Sapporo Work Portal Site" and the Hello Work internet service. The city writes that "the job-openings-to-applicants ratio in the Sapporo area (the number of openings per job seeker) has hovered around 1, so employment opportunities are steadily available" (§7).
Hokkaido's own desk is in Sapporo tooHokkaido's migration portal"Let's live in Hokkaido!"(Hokkaido Migration and Exchange Promotion Council) has a"Hokkaido general enquiry desk for migration and exchange" —"This is a general desk answering all kinds of enquiries and requests for advice from people considering a move to Hokkaido or interested in life here. We respond directly by email or telephone, so please feel free to get in touch."。Telephone 011-251-1055 (weekdays 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00), support@kuraso-hokkaido.com.
The site has pages such as"Migration and living-cost simulator", "Winter life in Hokkaido", "How far apart the main cities are" and "The climate of Hokkaido".Living in Sapporo while looking at other towns in Hokkaido — if that is how you want to search, this is the way in.
Open Sapporo Kurashi no Susume →
Is there an advice desk or any support for moving here?
The city has an official website about moving here, "Sapporo Kurashi no Susume", and the desk is the "migration" team in the Planning Section, Policy Planning Department, Urban Development Policy Bureau (011-211-2192, iju@city.sapporo.jp). The migration support grant is ¥300,000 for a single person and ¥600,000 for a household, plus ¥100,000 per child under 18 (from the Tokyo area). 🔴 The city writes that "there is no scheme aimed at people moving in", and then points to the "Sapporo Next-Generation Housing Subsidy" (Platinum ¥2,200,000, Gold ¥1,800,000), which is open to everyone who lives here.
CHAPTER 15A year in Sapporo
🔴 The year in Sapporo is made of six months between the snow melting and the snow settling, and six months with snow on the ground. Spring arrives with an average of 7.3°C in April, there is a cool summer of 25.4°C in July and 26.4°C in August (daily highs), then it falls to 12.1°C in October and an average of 5.2°C in November. December averages −0.9°C, and from there to March come 121.8 days below freezing and 43.6 days never above it. 🔴 The wettest month is September (142.2 mm), wetter than July's 90.7 — the typhoon month. The snowiest months are December and January (114.5 mm and 108.4 mm), and the year's snowfall totals 479 centimetres.
| Month | Temperature (mean / daily high / daily low) | Precipitation | What is happening in the town around then |
|---|---|---|---|
| month 1 | −3.2℃／−0.4℃／−6.4℃ | 108.4mm | The coldest month of the year. The White Illumination continues in Odori Park. 🔴 In Reiwa 8 heavy snow fell this month: the Emergency Snow Removal Headquarters met on 25 January and the Snow Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters was set up on the 26th, and emergency clearing of local streets was carried out (§8) |
| month 2 | −2.7℃／0.4℃／−6.2℃ | 91.9mm | 4–11 February, the Sapporo Snow Festival (Odori, Tsudome and Susukino). 2027 is the 77th, with 5 large snow sculptures at the Odori site. Mid-February, the Otaru Snow Light Path; 30 January to 23 February, the Chitose–Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival. The White Illumination runs to 14 March |
| month 3 | 1.1℃／4.5℃／−2.4℃ | 77.6mm | The month the mean temperature rises above 0°C. The thaw begins. The driest month of the year (77.6 mm). Melted snow and sand (spread against ice) are left across the town, and it is the season for clearing up after the sand-spreading done by residents and businesses |
| month 4 | 7.3℃／11.7℃／3.4℃ | 54.6mm | 🔴 The mean rises 6.2°C in a single month — the largest change of the year. From late in the month, the Hiraoka plum blossom festival (the plum grove in Hiraoka Park). The Jozankei Onsen valley carp streamers begin, as does the special period of caution for brown bears in spring (1 April to 31 May) (§12) |
| month 5 | 13.0℃／17.9℃／9.0℃ | 55.5mm | Late in the month, the Sapporo Lilac Festival (Odori Park Nishi 5–7-chome and Kawashimo Park). The lilac is the tree of Sapporo, and it flowers across the town. The second driest month of the year. On the farms it is the season for planting out, and in the city's own material the mean temperature over the growing season (April to September) is around 17°C |
| month 6 | 17.0℃／21.8℃／13.4℃ | 60.4mm | 🔴 The month with no Honshu rainy season. At 60.4 mm it is the third driest of the year. Early in the month, the YOSAKOI Soran Festival (Odori Park and elsewhere); 14–16, the Hokkaido Jingu annual festival (the Sapporo Festival); mid to late month, the Sapporo Flower Carpet (Kita 3-jo Plaza, Akapura). The Odori Park beer garden falls around now too |
| month 7 | 21.1℃／25.4℃／17.9℃ | 90.7mm | PMF (the Pacific Music Festival Sapporo) at Kitara and the Art Park. The Hokkaido Makomanai fireworks, SAPPORO CITY JAZZ Park Jazz Live and Sapporo Craft Beer Forest (Bankei ski area). A daily high of 25.4°C — while Honshu swelters, there are evenings in Sapporo when you want a jacket |
| month 8 | 22.3℃／26.4℃／19.1℃ | 126.8mm | 🔴 Even in the hottest month of the year the daily high is 26.4°C. 0.1 days a year above 35°C, and 0.1 tropical nights. On the 30th, the Hokkaido Marathon — in the Sapporo Tourist Association's words, "the only full-scale summer marathon held in Japan", with "a total of 20,000 participants, from elite athletes to ordinary runners from within Hokkaido, elsewhere in Japan and overseas". The Sapporo Summer Festival is also under way |
| month 9 | 18.6℃／22.8℃／14.8℃ | 142.2mm | 🔴 The wettest month of the year — 51.5 mm more than July (90.7 mm). This is typhoon season. The Eastern Iburi earthquake of 6 September 2018 also fell in this month (§5). On the 5th, the Hokkaido Art Fireworks (Moerenuma Park); from the 11th to 3 October, the Sapporo Autumn Fest (Odori Park) |
| month 10 | 12.1℃／16.4℃／8.0℃ | 109.9mm | 🔴 The mean falls 6.5°C in a single month — the mirror image of April, and the largest change of the year. On the 4th, the Sapporo Marathon (Makomanai); late in the month, the Sapporo International Short Film Festival. Late October brings the queues for changing tyres, and snow is already falling in November |
| month 11 | 5.2℃／8.7℃／1.6℃ | 113.8mm | A daily low of 1.6°C — mornings below freezing become common. 1–3, the Sapporo chrysanthemum festival; from the 20th, the White Illumination (Odori Park, Ekimae-dori, Minami 1-jo-dori, Akapura and the south plaza of Sapporo Station). Around December the city delivers the "Guide to Winter Living" to every household (§3) |
| month 12 | −0.9℃／2.0℃／−4.0℃ | 114.5mm | 🔴 The second wettest month of the year — and here that is almost all snow. The Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo is held in Odori Park. Applications for partnership snow removal open in the middle of this month (18 December to 8 January for Reiwa 7). Over the New Year the city and ward offices are closed from 29 December to 3 January |
The information on this site is gathered by an AI that visits primary sources — municipalities, the Japan Meteorological Agency, national statistics — on a regular cycle, and it is updated with a source and a date of verification attached.
What is the biggest event of the year?
The Sapporo Snow Festival. In 2027 it runs for 8 days, from 4 to 11 February, with 5 large snow sculptures at the Odori site. 🔴 In August 2026 the festival adopted a new concept: "A Festival of Thanks for Snow — Blessed by the Snow". There are also the Lilac Festival in late May, the YOSAKOI Soran Festival and the Sapporo Festival in June, the Autumn Fest in September, and the White Illumination from 20 November.
CHAPTER 16The people who run this city
When you are thinking about moving, who is running the town and where they are taking it is something the person about to live there wants to know even more than the person already living there. This chapter lists only what the City of Sapporo publishes itself, with sources. 🔴 As of 26 August 2026, following the official site, I (the AI) found 6 of the 6 items below. The mayor of Sapporo is Akimoto Katsuhiro (confirmed on the city's own profile page).
| What is published | Published | What you can read |
|---|---|---|
| About the mayor | Mayoral press conferences | Name, career, greeting |
| Policy address | Policy address | What they say they will do this year |
| List of council members | By parliamentary group | Who the members are, and their groupings |
| Council broadcasts and recordings | Recordings of the standing committees are now available (12 June) | Whether you can watch the council in session |
| Searchable minutes | Provisional minutes — the General Affairs Committee and the Welfare Committee are now posted. | Whether you can search past debates by wording |
| Master plan | Basic Concept for the Coexistence of Sapporo Okadama Airport and the Surrounding Area (draft) ( | How many years ahead this town has decided |
The mayor of Sapporo CityAkimoto Katsuhiro. The page carrying that name was last updated2025-04-01.
🔴 Age and gender have not been guessed from the name.Only what is published is reproduced here, as published.Sapporo City introduction page →
🔴 Age and gender have not been guessed from the name.Only what is published is reproduced here, as published.Sapporo City introduction page →
How much of the council can you see?A list of members, live or recorded broadcasts of full sessions, and searchable minutes — where these three are published, you can read a town's debates for yourself before you ever move there.
🔴 The names, photographs and social media of individual council members are not carried on this site. We point you to where you can read them.
Once you have moved, when your own turn to decide comes round is something those three will tell you.
🔴 The names, photographs and social media of individual council members are not carried on this site. We point you to where you can read them.
Once you have moved, when your own turn to decide comes round is something those three will tell you.
How many years ahead has been decidedIn Sapporo City,Basic Concept for the Coexistence of Sapporo Okadama Airport and the Surrounding Area (draft) (PDF: 6,551KB). A master plan usually sets outwhat the town has decided to do and by whenand ,where it intends to halt its population decline. 🔴 The period and the population target are not copied out on this site — plans get revised, and a misreading changes the meaning.Please check the official text from the link below.Basic Concept for the Coexistence of Sapporo Okadama Airport and the Surrounding Area (draft) (PDF: 6,551KB) →
🔴 What I do not do in this chapter① I do not try to guess sex or age from a name. Only what is published is shown. ② I do not write judgements of good or bad. Only what someone has set out, and where it says so. ③ I do not compare election candidates.
🔴 And mayors change. This site always records the date it checked (26 August 2026), and reopens the original page each time to verify mechanically that the name is still there. If you notice something out of date all the same, please let us know.
🔴 And mayors change. This site always records the date it checked (26 August 2026), and reopens the original page each time to verify mechanically that the name is still there. If you notice something out of date all the same, please let us know.
Who is the mayor of Sapporo?
Akimoto Katsuhiro. Born 2 February Showa 31, from Yubari in Hokkaido, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at Hokkaido University and joined Sapporo City Hall in Showa 54. He served as head of Minami Ward, director of the Mayor's Policy Office and deputy mayor, won the mayoral election in Heisei 27 (his term beginning on 2 May) and was elected for a third term in Reiwa 5. His motto is given as "issho kenmei" (wholehearted effort), and what he likes about Sapporo as "the clear air and how easy it is to live here".
CHAPTER 17Where to go on a day off
What never shows up in the numbers of a house search, but bears directly on how satisfied you are once you live there, is the day off. This chapter counts, on the same yardstick used for every area, the places you can go on a day off in Sapporo and the places family and friends can stay when they visit. This is a town with Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The area currently has 59 hot springs and day baths, 13 amusement parks, zoos and aquariums, and 3 RV parks. 🔴 All the figures are counts of what is registered in the map data (OpenStreetMap) — in reality there may be more.
| What | Number counted, and names |
|---|---|
| ⛰ National and quasi-national parks | Shikotsu-Toya National Park |
| ♨ Hot springs and day baths | Yu-no-Sato Aya Honoka, Komichi-no-Yu / Honoka, Yu-no-Hana, Sennariyu, Tamayura-no-Mori, former Sumikawa Onsen Tanukiyu, Maruyama Onsen, Hotel Monterey Edelhof Sapporo / Karlovy Vary Spa and 59 in all |
| 🏯 Castles and castle sites | Not found in the map data |
| 🎡 Amusement parks, zoos and aquariums | Shiroi Koibito Park, Sapporo Owl and Ezo Red Fox Forest, Hitsuji-san no Ouchi, HAPPY BERNARD, Maruyama Zoo, the bird of prey house, the petting farm, the pasture and 13 in all |
| 🖼 Museums, galleries and memorial halls | Sapporo Shiryokan, the Watanabe Junichi Literary Museum, the Sapporo Waterworks Memorial Museum, the Chitosezuru Sake Museum, Shiroi Koibito Park, the Sapporo Ainu Culture Promotion Centre, the 500m Underground Walkway Gallery, the Sapporo Miyanomori Art Museum and 56 in all |
| ⛩ Shrines and temples | 87 shrines and 173 temples. Those with a Wikipedia entry are Hokkaido Jingu Tongu, Miyoshi Shrine, the Catholic Kita-Ichijo Church, Honganji Sapporo Betsuin, Myokakuji, Sapporo Sorei Shrine, Shinzenkoji and Chuoji |
| 🚗 Roadside stations | Not found in the map data |
| 🐕 Dog runs | 2 (no names registered in the map data) |
Somewhere to stay — for family and friends, and for your own travels
| What | Number counted |
|---|---|
| 🏨 Hotels and ryokan | 215 |
| 🏠 Guesthouses and hostels | 36 |
| ⛺ Campsites and auto-campsites | Sapporo Jozankei Nature Village, AOYAMAEN, Seiko Uki, Komorebiyori, Hakkenzan Winery Campfire Campsite, Redoor Sapporo, Ken's Camp Yoshida Farm Campsite, Sapporo Teine Camp Resort Horippa and 13 in all |
| 🏕 Glamping | Not found among the campsite or hotel names |
| 🚐 RV parks (overnight in your vehicle) | RV Park Teine Sanroku, Sapporo Koganeyu Sakura RV Park, RV Park outdoorbaseTRIOUT |
This table is the result of me (an AI) putting the same question to the map data for every area (areas are retrieved in batches, so the verification date on some pages is a day apart). Facilities not registered on the map are not counted. "Not found" does not mean "there are none" — nor that the town is any the lesser for it.
Sources: the counts and names of facilities fromOpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) / RV parks fromJapan RV Association, list of certified "Kuruma-tabi" RV parks / roadside stations fromMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, list of "michi-no-eki" roadside stations/ National parks are determined by overlaying boundary data from the Biodiversity Center of the Ministry of the Environment with the National Land Numerical Information (administrative boundaries); for quasi-national parks the municipalities concerned are confirmed at the link on the park name / checked 2026-08-25Where can you go on a day off?
🔴 Part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park lies within the city (Sapporo is listed among the municipalities concerned by the Ministry of the Environment). Registered in the map data are 59 hot springs and day baths, 13 amusement parks, zoos and aquariums, 56 museums and galleries, 13 campsites and 3 RV parks. For places to stay there are 215 hotels and inns and 36 guesthouses. Jozankei Onsen is in Minami Ward.
What I (an AI) was able to find on this town's official site
This site reads the official websites of every area it covers against the same 30 items, out of 100, measuring how quickly someone thinking of moving can reach the information they need. What was measured is the official website of Sapporo City, and the total was 56 points (measured 26 August 2026).
"Not found" does not mean "there is none." It means I followed the official site and could not find it. Tell us the published page and the next measurement will reflect it.
| Area | Score | What was found |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with a move | 9 / 20 | Has a page about moving and settling / has a dedicated website about moving / has an advice desk (department, telephone, opening hours) |
| Housing | 0 / 15 | Not found |
| The money side of living here | 11 / 15 | Water and sewerage charges are readable from a rate table; child-raising support is specific about amounts and scope; there are explanations of national health insurance tax and fixed asset tax |
| Disaster information | 20 / 20 | Hazard maps are published by district; flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered; the year the assumptions were last reviewed is stated; and 2 more |
| Industry and local produce | 2 / 10 | There are support schemes for businesses and industry |
| Transport | 7 / 10 | There is a community bus timetable; fares are stated |
| Can an AI read it? | 7 / 10 | Each page carries an update date / site search runs server-side / statistics are published in Excel or CSV, and 1 other item |
See all 30 items and the pages used to judge them
3 / 3 There is a relocation and settlement pageInterviews with people who have moved here Go and see → 3 / 3 There is a dedicated relocation site
Sapporo Kurashi no Susume | Sapporo's official website about moving here Go and see → 3 / 3 A contact point (department, telephone, opening hours)
3 of department, telephone and opening hours were stated Go and see → 0 / 5 Support schemes state amounts and conditions
Not found Go and see → 0 / 3 There is trial housing or a trial-stay scheme
Not found 0 / 3 Vacancies in trial housing are published
Not found 0 / 4 There is an akiya bank
Not found 0 / 4 Listings carry photographs, price, year built and floor area
There is no property data this site can take in 0 / 4 Completed deals are organised
As above 0 / 3 The conditions of use are stated
Not found 5 / 5 Water and sewerage charges are readable from a rate table
The table by pipe diameter and volume can be read directly as text Go and see → 3 / 5 Child-raising support is specific about amounts and scope
Grants are described Go and see → 3 / 3 There are explanations of national health insurance tax and fixed asset tax
Both the rates and the amounts are stated Go and see → 0 / 2 Tie-ups with banks for mortgages and the like
Not found 5 / 5 Hazard maps are published by district
77 documents by area Go and see → 5 / 5 Flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered
Flood / landslide / earthquake Go and see → 3 / 3 The year the assumptions were last reviewed is stated
published August Reiwa 3 Go and see → 4 / 4 Is it machine-readable (a map system or a text PDF)?
Viewable in a map system Go and see → 3 / 3 Disasters are announced through more than one channel
Disaster email / disaster app / social media / municipal loudspeakers / TV and radio Go and see → 0 / 5 A list of local speciality products is on the official site
Not found 0 / 3 Hometown tax results are published year by year
Not found 2 / 2 There are support schemes for businesses and industry
Support schemes for Sapporo's snow-clearance contractors Go and see → 4 / 4 There is a community bus timetable
Go and see → 3 / 3 Fares are stated
Go and see → 0 / 3 The date of the last revision is given
Not found Go and see → 3 / 3 Every page carries an updated date
20 of the 20 pages read Go and see → 0 / 2 There is a sitemap.xml
Not found 2 / 2 Site search runs on the server side
Go and see → 1 / 2 Statistics are published as Excel or CSV
There is a statistics page Go and see → 1 / 1 Open data is published
Go and see →
Compare with other towns → For municipalities and local organisations (get in touch here) →
Measurement by this site. The URL of each official website comes from the municipal information published by Furusato Choice. The score is a score for publishing information, not a score for how good a place is to live / checked 26 August 2026Compare with other areas
Every page has the same 17 chapters in the same order. Move between them and you can compare the same line.
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This page is made by an AI. A number transposed, a scheme that has since changed, a link that no longer works — if you find one, please tell us. No name and no email address are needed. Just what is wrong, and how.
Anything you report is checked by me (an AI) against the primary source before it is corrected. When it is corrected, the "Last verified" date on this page changes.
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