A local guide from a soba shop by Nakajima Park, Sapporo
Nakajima Park on a Snowy Day
In winter, the Japanese garden in Nakajima Park closes for the season.
Still, around the park there are several places where you can spend time indoors, even on a snowy day.
We are a small soba shop a few minutes’ walk from the park. Here are places to stop by in winter, and two ideas for spending half a day.
Indoor places open in winter
Hoheikan (豊平館)
Photo: こはなさん / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons A Western-style hotel built in 1880 by the Hokkaido Development Commission, now an Important Cultural Property of Japan. You can walk through the restored guest rooms and see the chandeliers and plaster ceiling decorations. There is a café on the first floor.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Café: 11:00–15:00 from November to March
- Closed
- The second Tuesday of each month (the next weekday if it is a holiday), and Dec 29–Jan 3
- Admission
- Adults ¥350, high school and university students ¥150, junior high school students and younger free
- From our shop
- About 7 min on foot
Sapporo City Observatory (札幌市天文台)
Photo: 100yen / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons Look through a 20 cm telescope at the sun in the daytime, and at seasonal stars on evening open nights. No reservation needed.
- Hours
- Daytime: 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00. Evening viewing on set dates only (18:00–20:00 from November to February)
- Closed
- Mondays, Tuesday afternoons, the day after a national holiday, and the New Year holidays
- Admission
- Free
- From our shop
- About 6 min on foot
There is no restroom at the observatory. When it is busy, you may wait outside for your turn.
Watanabe Junichi Museum of Literature (渡辺淳一文学館)
Photo: 663highland / CC BY 2.5 / Wikimedia Commons A literature museum facing the Kamogamo River along Nakajima Park. It shows the author’s manuscripts and materials from works that became films and TV dramas. The café on the first floor can be used on its own.
- Hours
- November to March: 9:30–17:30 (last entry 30 minutes before closing)
- Closed
- Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday)
- Admission
- Adults ¥500, high school and university students ¥300, elementary and junior high school students ¥50
- From our shop
- About 6 min on foot
Hokkaido Museum of Literature (北海道立文学館)
Photo: ダブルで / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons Permanent and special exhibitions on literature from Hokkaido. The permanent exhibition reopens after a renewal on November 28, 2026 (the museum is closed until then for air-conditioning work).
- Hours
- 9:30–17:00 (last entry to the exhibition rooms 16:30)
- Closed
- Mondays (open if Monday is a holiday), and Dec 28–Jan 4
- Admission
- Permanent exhibition: adults ¥500, high school and university students ¥250, free for junior high school students and younger and for visitors 65 and over (special exhibitions vary)
- From our shop
- About 11 min on foot
Koguma-za Puppet Theater and the MA・SO・BO Room (こぐま座)
Photo: 663highland / CC BY 2.5 / Wikimedia Commons The first public theater in Japan dedicated to puppet shows. Performances are mainly on weekends and holidays. The materials room in the same building is free, and children can try traditional toys such as kendama and spinning tops. Good for families with children.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00
- Closed
- Koguma-za: Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday). The MA・SO・BO Room is open except during the New Year holidays (please check the official website for Monday opening)
- Admission
- The MA・SO・BO Room is free. Puppet show prices vary by program
- From our shop
- About 9 min on foot
Half-day course ideas
Times are only a guide. These courses do not apply during the New Year holidays or on each place’s closing days.
For a couple’s special day
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday
13:30
Walk through the Meiji-era rooms at Hoheikan
14:45
Watanabe Junichi Museum of Literature, with a break at the café
15:50
Arrive at Fukuneko SOBA (the experience starts at 16:00)
16:00
Make soba, then enjoy it as part of your meal
Around 18:00
On November–February evening viewing nights, see the stars at the observatory on your way back
With family
Saturday
11:00
Soba making and a meal at Fukuneko SOBA (elementary school age and up as a guide)
13:15
Traditional toys at the MA・SO・BO Room, and a puppet show if Koguma-za has one that day
14:00
Daytime viewing at the observatory (whether you can see the sun depends on the sky)
15:00
Hoheikan
Even without booking the experience, you can have soba at lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, 11:30–14:00.
Soba making at Fukuneko SOBA
Make soba from flour, then enjoy the noodles you made with appetizers, salad, a meat dish, tempura and Japanese sake. It takes about 2 hours and is held inside our shop, on the second floor of the building. Our host guides international guests with a translation app.
- One private group per day
- 2–6 guests
- ¥6,300 per person (tax included)
- About 2 hours
- Start times: 11:00 or 16:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays; 16:00 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
- Online booking closes 7 days before. Guests under 20 and drivers get a soft drink instead of sake.
If you want to enjoy the snow
Nakajima Park also holds events in the snow. Dates are announced each year.
Cross-country skiing
Beginner courses (200 m, 300 m and 600 m) are set up in front of the Nakajima Sports Center. In winter 2026 they were open from January 4 to March 1, with equipment rental. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
Night Cross-Country Skiing in Nakajima Park
The cross-country course is lit up in the evening. For 2027 it is planned for January 23 to February 7, 17:00–20:00, according to the organizer.
Yuki Akari in Nakajima Park
Photo: t-konno / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons An evening of snow and candlelight. In 2026 it was held on February 7 and 8 at the 9-jo Hiroba square. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
Closed in winter
- The Japanese garden and the Hassoan teahouse are usually closed from early November to late April.
- The public restrooms in the park close in winter (in winter 2025, only the restrooms at 9-jo Hiroba and Jiyu Hiroba stayed open).
FAQ
- Can I visit the Japanese garden in Nakajima Park in winter?
- It is usually closed from early November to late April.
- Do I need a reservation for the Sapporo City Observatory?
- No reservation is needed, and it is free. Daytime viewing is 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00. It is closed on Mondays, Tuesday afternoons, the day after a national holiday, and during the New Year holidays.
- How do I get to Fukuneko SOBA?
- It is a 3-minute walk from the Nakajima Koen-dori streetcar stop, or a 10-minute walk from Nakajima Koen Station on the Namboku subway line. We are on the second floor of the building.