Serving the largest city in Hokkaido, the JR Sapporo complex is massive. It is joined together with the Sapporo Subway lines as well. Three subway lines run in Sapporo: Namboku Subway line, Tozai Subway line, and Toho line.
The Sapporo train station is a shopaholic’s heaven. Joined to the station are several state-of-the-art malls: Paseo, Daimaru, and the ESTA building just to name some.
In the ESTA building, you can find BIC CAMERA, a Mecca for electronic appliances. There is also large UNIQLO and various apparel shops stacking up above 7 stories of BIC CAMERA.
Other than shopping needs, the selection of food and restaurants at Sapporo JR station is simply dizzying. Here’s an absolute must-visit: On the 6th floor of Stellar Place, in the zone called Stellar Dining, is the Kaiten Sushi restaurant Hanamaru. It is packed most times of the day and serves the freshest sushi prepared from scratch. The basement of Paseo is also a great start if you are looking for international options. There you can find Mexican and Thai food.
From Sapporo JR station you can access Odori and Susukino by an underground tunnel. It is split into two sections: Aurora Town and Pole Town. In Aurora Town (Sapporo to Odori), there are displays of artworks and also resting lounges for fatigued commuters. Pole Town connects (Odori to Susukino). From Sapporo (JR), it is possible to walk to Odori and Susukino entirely via underground tunnels. Not only is this great on rainy days, but the heating in the tunnels also provides the best comfort for commuters on cold days. Sapporo’s downtown is best discovered on foot, setting off from Sapporo JR station!
As such, the Sapporo train complex is constantly buzzing with energy. The JR Tower in Sapporo is also the tallest building in Hokkaido. It is possible to access the 38th floor in the JR Tower for a magnificent panoramic view of the city of Sapporo.
In order not to miss anything on your tour of Sapporo, be sure to drop by the Hokkaido-Sapporo “Food&Tourism” Information Center. There, you not only can get information about Sapporo; it also serves as a one-stop souvenir shop. Some Hokkaido dairy products like cheese are really good omiyage (souvenirs)!
Almost every line operated by JR Hokkaido runs through Sapporo station. You can get to Asahikawa in 1.5 hours by Super Ozora and Hakodate in 3.5 hours by Super Hokuto line. It is only a half an hour ride from New Chitose Airport.
