Sapporo Summer Guide 2025: Top Festivals, Outdoor Adventures & Local Delicacies
Sapporo is the central city of Hokkaido, the prefecture located at Japan's northernmost tip. It ranks among Japan's top tourist destinations due to being one of the country's premier gourmet cities with numerous tourist attractions.
Located in northern Japan, this city enjoys many comfortable days even during summer, making it popular as a summer retreat. Moreover, there are events and activities that can only be enjoyed during the summer season, as well as tourist spots that become even more attractive in summer, making it a place you should definitely visit during the Sapporo summer.
This article explains recommended ways to spend your time during Sapporo summer and spots you should visit during the Sapporo summer season. By reading this, you'll be able to enjoy your Sapporo summer experience even more.
Sapporo Summer Climate and Recommended Clothing
June:
Climate Characteristics
This is the transition period from spring to summer, gradually becoming warmer. The average temperature is around 19°C (66°F), making it comfortable, but the temperature differences between day and night, as well as day-to-day variations, are significant characteristics of early Sapporo summer.
Recommended Clothing
It's recommended to combine lightweight clothing with easy-to-remove outerwear for the changing Sapporo summer weather.
July:
Climate Characteristics
While cooler compared to Tokyo, this is when you can feel the arrival of the Sapporo summer. The average temperature rises to around 23°C (73°F), but minimum temperatures can still drop below 20°C (68°F) on some days.
Recommended Clothing
Short sleeves are fine during the day, but since mornings and evenings can be cool during Sapporo summer, having a lightweight cardigan or shirt provides peace of mind.
August:
Climate Characteristics
Peak Sapporo summer arrives, with average temperatures around 24°C (75°F). Maximum temperatures often exceed 30°C (86°F) on many days.
Recommended Clothing
Short sleeves are generally fine, but it's recommended to bring lightweight outerwear when going out at night during Sapporo summer. Since days can be hot, protect yourself from heat and sun with hats, sunglasses, parasols, and sunscreen during your Sapporo summer adventures.
Sapporo Summer Attractions
Sapporo, which remains relatively cool even in summer, is strongly recommended for summer travel. You can enjoy summer from various angles - savoring seasonal foods, participating in Japanese festivals, and enjoying nature in the comfortable climate. The Sapporo summer experience offers endless possibilities.
First, let's introduce the attractions of Sapporo summer from four different perspectives.
Savoring Hokkaido's Exquisite Drinks and Cuisine
First, we recommend the gourmet experiences available during Sapporo summer. Hokkaido, where Sapporo is located, is known as a gourmet destination, famous for vegetables and fruits grown on vast lands, as well as abundant seafood. Particularly regarding seafood, it has a reputation for being larger and better tasting than anywhere else in Japan. During the Sapporo summer season, corn, melons, sea urchin, and salmon roe reach their peak, making them especially recommended.
Additionally, enjoying food outdoors at beer gardens and terrace bar hopping is one of the highlights of Sapporo summer. Hokkaido is famous for both local beer and sake, with many varieties being brewed. Please enjoy the food and drinks nurtured in rich nature while feeling the pleasant breeze during your Sapporo summer experience.
Enjoying Fireworks and Summer Festivals - Traditional Summer Features
Sapporo summer is packed with events, including numerous summer festivals and fireworks displays that are traditional features of Japanese summer.
Many summer festivals and fireworks displays feature food stalls and food trucks. You can enjoy festival gourmet foods like takoyaki (octopus balls), fried chicken, and shaved ice, or participate in activities like lottery games, ring toss, and target shooting. Additionally, watching vibrant fireworks bloom against the pitch-black night sky during Sapporo summer is so mesmerizing that you'll forget to breathe.
Enjoying Traditional Summer Events and Bon Dancing
In Sapporo summer, many events that have been passed down from ancient times are held, where you can enjoy traditional Japanese culture. Among these, the most common is "Bon dancing." This is a traditional Japanese dance where everyone gathers around a small, high stage called "yagura" built in the center of a square, and dances while moving around the yagura.
Since it consists of simple, repetitive movements, even people participating in Bon dancing for the first time can enjoy dancing together.
Since you've come all the way to Japan, please try visiting events where you can not only "see" but also "experience" Japanese traditions.
Enjoying Nature Walks Such as Hiking
Although Sapporo is Japan's fifth-largest city, magnificent nature spreads out when you travel about 30 minutes from the city center. Sapporo, which is relatively cool even in summer, is the perfect place to enjoy Japan's summer nature both climatically and in terms of accessibility.
Nature-rich Sapporo has many places where you can go mountain climbing and hiking. There are various mountain climbing courses that can satisfy anyone from beginners to advanced climbers, and there are also hiking courses that are safe for families with small children. Please interact with Sapporo's great nature in a way that's perfect for you. We also recommend feeling nature in the large parks located in the city.
10 Recommended Tourist Spots You Can Enjoy Specifically Because It's Sapporo Summer
In Sapporo with its cool and pleasant weather, outdoor tourist spots are recommended. From here, we will introduce 10 recommended tourist spots that we definitely want you to visit to fully enjoy Sapporo summer.
Odori Park (Odori Beer Garden)
Source:PR TIMES
Odori Park is a uniquely shaped park approximately 1.5km long with an area of 7.8 hectares, located in a position that crosses through the center of Sapporo city. This lush green place serves as both a tourist spot and a place of relaxation and interaction for local people.
Odori Park serves as a venue for many events. I visited this park during the Sapporo Summer Festival. Beer gardens were held at 6 locations within the large park, and I could drink different brands and beers from different countries at each venue.
When I got drunk from drinking lots of beer, I would move around to sober up while feeling the pleasant breeze and nature, then try different beers at the next venue, repeating this process. It was a very happy time filled with "fun" and "deliciousness."
<Detailed Information>
• Address: 1-13 Odori Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
• Operating hours: Accessible 24 hours
• Closed: None
• Phone number: 011-251-0438 (Odori Park Management Office)
• Official website: https://odori-park.jp/
Sapporo Beer Garden
Source:Official website
Sapporo Beer Garden is a place where you can enjoy Genghis Khan (grilled mutton) and beer, which are both Sapporo's soul food and specialty products.
Sapporo Beer Garden has four restaurants, and you can enjoy different atmospheres and seasonings at each restaurant. I went to a restaurant called "Lilac," where you can eat seasoned Genghis Khan marinated with secret sauce. There were various flavors including soy sauce, salt, and herbs, and I felt that different charms of Genghis Khan were brought out by the different seasonings.
Actually, Sapporo is also the birthplace of Japanese beer. At Sapporo Beer Garden, you can also experience the history of Japanese beer at the museum.
<Detailed Information>
• Address: 2-10 Kita 7-jo Higashi 9-chome, Higashi-ku, Sapporo
• Operating hours: 11:30-21:00 (L.O. 20:40)
• Closed: December 31st
• Phone number: 0570-098-346
• Official website: https://sapporo-bier-garten.jp/
Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill
Source:Official website
Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is a place where you can enjoy the magnificent scenery characteristic of Sapporo, with sheep grazing right before your eyes. During Sapporo summer, lavender fields spread across the entire area.
The most famous feature of this beautiful park is the statue of Dr. Clark, known as the "Father of Hokkaido Development," who is renowned for his famous quote "Boys, be ambitious." In this park, he points to the sky with his right hand, guiding us toward the "eternal truth in the far distance" that we should aim for. When you visit this park, please take a photo posing the same way as Dr. Clark. If you keep that photo, it will surely serve as a guidepost leading you to a better future.
<Detailed Information>
• Address: 1 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
• Operating Hours: [October-May]: 9:00-17:00
[June-September]: 9:00-18:00
• Closed: Open year-round
• Phone: 011-851-3080
• Official Website: https://www.hitsujigaoka.jp/
Moerenuma Park
Source:Official website
Moerenuma Park was created with the concept of "making the entire space into one sculptural work," where you can enjoy art that blends into nature within the lush, expansive grounds.
The main attraction of this park is a glass pyramid called "HIDAMARI." This massive pyramid stands 32.3 meters tall, and the way it shines when hit by sunlight is absolutely beautiful. I particularly love how it's not a perfect triangular pyramid. Despite having an unbalanced shape, it mysteriously conveys harmony and tranquility.
This park also features a massive fountain that shoots water up to 25 meters high. Watching it feels like observing a "water sculpture" that never maintains the same form for even a second, making me realize that the fountain itself is also art.
<Detailed Information>
• Address: 1-1 Moerenuma Park, Higashi-ku, Sapporo
• Operating Hours: 7:00-22:00
• Closed: Open daily (individual facilities within the park have scheduled closures)
• Phone: 011-790-1231
• Official Website: https://moerenumapark.jp/english/
Nijo Market
Source:Wikipedia
Nijo Market is a market with over 125 years of history, featuring seafood, vegetables, fruits, and dishes made from these ingredients. It's an absolutely essential destination for experiencing Sapporo's gourmet scene.
The market is particularly famous for its seafood, where you can taste the freshest catch. There are many restaurants here serving seafood bowls. Please enjoy these luxurious seafood bowls where the rice is completely hidden under an abundance of fish. You can also stroll through the market eating as you go. Grilled oysters and grilled crab are sometimes available, so this is also recommended for those who want to enjoy fresh, just-grilled seafood. I found great happiness in walking around the market, enjoying the market atmosphere while eating my way through.
<Detailed Information>
• Address: Alpha Soseigawa Park 405, 4 Minami 3-jo Higashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
• Operating Hours: Around 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
(Hours vary by store)
• Closed: Open year-round
• Phone: 011-222-5308
• Official Website: https://nijomarket.com/information/
This tour is a 3-hour bar-hopping experience in Susukino, Hokkaido's largest entertainment district. It includes 3 drinks (non-alcoholic options available) and 3-4 dishes of Japanese drinking party cuisine.
The main appeal of this tour is having a local guide who knows Susukino's drinking scene inside and out. They recommend bars and dishes based on our preferences and also teach us about Japanese and Hokkaido drinking culture.
This tour is recommended for people who want to enjoy hidden gems and fine sake that aren't famous, and those interested in Japanese drinking culture. The 3-4 dishes included in this tour were enough to make me, with an average appetite, completely full. Please come hungry!
<Tour Details>
• Meeting Point: Under the giant NIKKA Sign outside of Susukino station
• Tour Area: Susukino
• Start Time: 18:00
Nagayama Memorial Park
Source:Google Maps
Nagayama Memorial Park is a park where you can enjoy two historic buildings. The first is a private residence built around 1880. This house represents a time when Japanese-Western eclectic residential architecture was being explored, with Japanese-style rooms and Western-style rooms adjacent to each other.
The second is an employee dormitory built in 1911, which was a cutting-edge Western-style building of its time. Actually, this building also has Japanese-style rooms, but compared to the first building, it gives the impression that the Japanese and Western rooms coexist more naturally.
Looking at these two buildings from different eras, you can feel the history of Japanese houses. If you're interested in Japan's traditional way of life, please visit this place during your Sapporo summer exploration.
<Details>
・Address: 6 Higashi, Kita 2-jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
・Operating Hours: Free entry and exit
・Closed: Open year-round
・Phone Number: 011-614-5800
Takino Suzuran Hillside Park
Source:Sapporo Tourist Association
Takino Suzuran Hillside Park is a vast 400-hectare park where you can enjoy abundant nature.
During Sapporo summer, this park offers various ways to enjoy nature including flowers, waterfall tours, BBQ, nature walks, water activities, fishing, camping, and bicycle rentals. It's a highly recommended place for both those who want to spend relaxing time and those who want to actively play in nature.
What I love most are the flower fields. You can enjoy multiple types of flowers throughout the park, but the Nepeta with its deep purple color left a particularly strong impression on me. The purple was so vivid it looked like it was painted with paint, making me feel as if I had entered a picture book world.
<Details>
・Address: 247 Takino, Minami-ku, Sapporo
・Operating Hours: [April 20 - May 31] 9:00-17:00
[June 1 - August 31] 9:00-18:00
[September 1 - November 10] 9:00-17:00
[December 23 - March 31] 9:00-16:00
・Closed: April 1 - April 19, November 11 - December 22
If April 19 or December 22 falls on Sunday, the park will be open
・Phone Number: 011-592-3333
・Official Website: https://www.takinopark.com/
Sapporofureainomori Fureai Center
Source:Google Maps
Sapporofureainomori Fureai Center is a nature park boasting a vast 120-hectare site where you can experience the great outdoors through the clean, crisp mountain air, bird songs, and the sound of wind rustling through leaves.
At this park, you can enjoy BBQ and walking trails. I particularly enjoyed the walking trails. Since it's a natural forest, there are many rare flora and fauna, and I was able to encounter squirrels. Watching them scurry about busily was very adorable.
The 6km walking trail becomes a steep mountain that even adults can fully enjoy if you go deep into it, but the front area is safe for small children to enjoy. Since anyone can enjoy it, please interact with nature at your own pace during your Sapporo summer adventure.
<Details>
・Address: 388 Shin-ei, Kiyota-ku
・Operating Hours: 9:00-17:00
・Closed: November 4 - April 28 (dates may vary by year)
・Phone Number: 011-883-8931 (Fureai Center)
・Official Website: https://www.city.sapporo.jp/ryokuka/midori/shizen/shirahatayama/hureainomori/
AOAO SAPPORO
Source:Official website
AOAO SAPPORO is a small aquarium located within the commercial facility "moyuk SAPPORO." This stylish and attractive aquarium offers visitors an atmosphere that feels like exploring a laboratory as you progress through the exhibits.
The main exhibition of this aquarium features penguins. You can observe penguins up close as they jump between rocks (blocks designed to look like rocks) and swim underwater. The tank has glass walls on the side, making it enjoyable to watch the penguins swimming underwater from a side view.
One of the reasons this aquarium is so entertaining is its room dedicated to creatures with unusual characteristics. You'll find many mysterious creatures, including fish that swim vertically, so be sure to see them with your own eyes.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 4th-6th floors, moyuk SAPPORO, 20 Minami 2-jo Nishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
- Operating Hours: 10:00-22:00
- Closed: None (temporary closures possible)
- Phone: 011-212-1316
- Official Website: https://aoao-sapporo.blue/
Sapporo Waterworks Memorial Museum
Source:Google Maps
The Sapporo Waterworks Memorial Museum is an interactive museum focused on "water" as its keyword, particularly recommended for families with children. You can enjoyably learn about water-related knowledge that is familiar yet often unknown, such as waterworks operations and the water bureau's disaster preparedness.
The "Science Park" corner is popular with children. This area is designed for fun play using equipment that utilizes the scientific properties of water, naturally fostering interest in water.
By visiting here, you can enjoyably learn about "water," which is very familiar in our daily lives.
Detailed Information:
- Address: Fushimi 4-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
- Operating Hours: 9:30-16:30 (Last admission 16:15)
- Closed: Mondays (If Monday is a holiday, closed the following weekday)
- Phone: 011-561-8928
- Official Website: https://www.swsa.jp/museum/
Monthly Introduction to Sapporo Summer Events
Finally, let me introduce some events you can enjoy during Sapporo summer from June to August. Since you're making the trip, why not visit not only tourist destinations you can enjoy anytime, but also events that can only be experienced on that particular day and time?
Must-See Events in Sapporo Summer - June
Sapporo Takino Hanabi
A fireworks festival featuring fireworks synchronized with music. If you purchase a premium package that includes BBQ and all-you-can-drink options, you can enjoy the most luxurious fireworks experience anywhere.
Yosakoi Soran Festival
An event where dancers of "Yosakoi," a traditional Japanese dance, gather. It's characterized by distinctive chants and naruko, a castanets-like instrument that makes clicking sounds.
Sapporo Flower Carpet
An event where large pictures are created using only flower petals and natural materials. Vivid and beautiful carpets made from rose and carnation petals appear.
Main Festival of Hokkaido Shrine
A festival with over 100 years of history. More than 1,000 citizens dressed in traditional Japanese costumes parade through the city while pulling "mikoshi" (portable shrines that carry the gods).
This Sapporo summer experience offers tourists a perfect blend of year-round attractions and seasonal festivities that showcase the city's vibrant culture and natural beauty.
Must-See Events in Sapporo in July
Sapporo Summer Festival (until August 13th)
Sapporo's largest festival
You can enjoy four events including beer gardens and Bon Odori (traditional dance). The Sapporo summer atmosphere truly comes alive during this spectacular celebration.
Hokkaido Makomanai Firework Display
A spectacular fireworks festival where Hokkaido's largest display of 22,000 fireworks is launched. It features flashy performances that collaborate with music, lighting, and flames.
Sapporo Craft Beer Forest
A craft beer festival enjoyed at summer ski slopes
Hokkaido's specialty local beers and popular local beers from all over the country gather together.
Yonbangai Matsuri
A festival that is truly like a Japanese festival with food stalls lined up
Parades carrying mikoshi (small houses considered to be vehicles for gods, one of Japan's traditional cultures) also march through the streets.
Must-See Events in Sapporo in August
Bankei Summer Festival Fireworks Festival
A spectacular fireworks festival where you can enjoy 7,500 fireworks from close range.
Fighters Super Fireworks Festival
A fireworks festival enjoyed from the dome after a baseball game
It's a special event where you can watch fireworks not only from the spectator seats but also from the ground where professional baseball games are played.
RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL
Japan's representative rock festival
It's a festival you can enjoy while fully experiencing nature and comfortable breeze, such as while having BBQ or lying on leisure sheets. The perfect way to experience Sapporo summer vibes!
Great Hokkaido Festival (Dai Hokkaido Matsuri)
A festival that condenses Hokkaido's attractions including specialty products, local products, tourism, and experiences
You can enjoy Hokkaido using all five senses.
To Fully Enjoy Japan's Summer, It's Best to Be Guided by Locals Who Know Each Area Inside and Out!
Since you're traveling to Japan, it's recommended to participate in local tours. By having them tell you stories about tourist spots and teach you must-see points that are easily overlooked, you can enjoy your trip 120%.
The vibrant Sapporo summer season offers countless opportunities for memorable experiences with knowledgeable local guides.
The most recommended among local tours is Magical Trip's tour. In this tour, local tour guides generously share information that only locals know, such as spots only locals know and the best ways to enjoy the city. Magical Trip's tour is recommended for people who want to travel to places not found in guidebooks or tourism magazines.
