Maruyama Park (Maruyama Koen)
3 Miyagaoka, Chuo, Sapporo, Hokkaido
When Sapporo residents want to relax, play, or soak up nature, they head for Maruyama Park (Maruyama Koen). On the western side of the city, the park’s sprawling grounds include the Maruyama Wild Forest, a designated natural treasure, and several attractions including the Hokkaido Shrine, the Maruyama Zoo, and the Maruyama Baseball Stadium.
Maruyama Park is a popular stop on sightseeing tours of Sapporo, between other highlights such as the Nijo Market and Sapporo TV Tower; guides tend to fill you in on the history of the park. Whether on a tour or visiting independently, you will find plenty of things to do in Maruyama Park, from strolling along pathways to take in the city from the park’s viewpoints to visiting the zoo, watching a baseball game, and enjoying the spectacle of hundreds of blooming cherry trees in the spring.
Most of the park is accessible for wheelchair users and strollers.
The park is open 24 hours a day and free to enter.
Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a leash.
From Odori Station, take the orange Tozai subway line three stops to Maruyama Koen Station—the journey takes 15 minutes. Odori Station is connected to Sapporo Station by the green Namboku subway line. You can also walk—it takes around 45 minutes on foot from Odori Station and 55 from Sapporo Station.
In spring, Maruyama Park bursts into life as its hundreds of cherry trees bloom—while the park gets crowded during cherry blossom season, it’s a festive atmosphere. In the fall, the park’s maple trees are the stars of the show as their leaves change into a riot of reds and golds.
Located at the north end of the park, the Hokkaido Shrine (Hokkaido-Jingu Shrine) is Sapporo’s most important Shinto shrine and honors four guardian gods, including Emperor Meiji. The shrine is a popular place to view cherry blossoms in spring and is especially busy over the 3-day New Year holiday when hundreds of thousands of people visit to pray for health and peace in the coming year.
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