Sapporo, capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, is famous for its beer, skiing and annual Sapporo Snow Festival featuring enormous ice sculptures. The Sapporo Beer Museum traces the city’s brewing history and has tastings and a beer garden. Ski hills and jumps from the 1972 Winter Olympics are scattered within the city limits, and Niseko, a renowned ski resort, is nearby.

Odori Park, a long, narrow green space, runs through the center of town and hosts the winter snow festival as well as a summer beer festival and an energetic team dance competition. Other attractions include Sapporo TV Tower, with panoramic views, and the American-designed wooden Clock Tower, which was built in the 1800s and now houses a local history museum. Miyanomori Art Museum has an extensive collection of works by the artists Christo and his late wife and former collaborator, Jeanne-Claude. Sapporo is also a jumping-off point for Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, known for lakes, volcanoes and the hot-springs resort of Noboribetsu.

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