A Foodie's Winter Wonderland in Sapporo

The bustling city of Sapporo is a food lover’s paradise with a flavor for everyone, from Jingisukan or “Genghis Khan”, the lamb BBQ cooked tableside in the beer garden at the Sapporo Beer Museum to Sapporo-style ramen to creamy Hokkaido dairy

Jingisukan at Sapporo Biergarten

During snow season, travelers flock to the bustling city for winter sports, the Christmas Market and the Sapporo Snow Festival. For a quieter refuge, we headed to Moerenuma Park, northeast of central Sapporo.

Underneath the Tetra Mound, Moerenuma Park, Sapporo, JapanGlass Pyramid "Hidamari", Moerenuma Park, Sapporo, JapanPlay Mountain, Moerenuma Park, Sapporo, Japan

 

This breathtaking 400-acre park is acclaimed sculptor Isamu Noguchi’s last and largest work. Built on a former landfill, this expansive landscape is home to playgrounds, two hills for skiing, rivers and even a glass and steel pyramid reminiscent of the Louvre. The acoustics in this space are great – we were lucky enough to catch a concert from a local a cappella group. Noguchi’s sculptures dot the park grounds, including the striking Tetra Mound captured on our tees. Heading to this impressive park in the wintertime? Learn from our experience… We trudged through the snow-covered grounds in comically inappropriate footwear, longing for the snowshoes and cross-country skis we saw on the locals who went zooming by with grace.

Chirashi-don with uni, ikura, king crab in Otaru, Japan

Nearby: The town of Noboribetsu is a short train ride away. The many onsen or hot spring baths warm chilly bones in healing waters. Another short train ride west of Sapporo on the Hakodate line will bring you to Otaru, a town known for its fresh seafood, and Yoichi, home to the Nikka Whisky distillery.

[Edited by Erin Mooshagian. Erin is a freelance storyteller and content creator who loves working on travel, lifestyle, food and wine brands. In her spare time, she takes photos of pretty things and tries not to sabotage her thriving houseplants.]

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