Sapporo
About Sapporo
Sapporo, meaning "important river flowing through a plain" in Ainu language, is the capital of Hokkaido and Japan's fifth largest city. Sapporo is also one of the nation's youngest major cities.
Its total land area is 1,121.12 km2 and located in the southwest corner of Hokkaido.
In 1857, the city's population stood at just seven people.
In the beginning of the Meiji Period, when the development of Hokkaido was started on a large scale, Sapporo was chosen as the island's administrative center and enlarged according to the advice of foreign specialists. Consequently, Sapporo was built based on a North American style rectangular street system.
Sapporo became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held there. Today, the city is well known for its ramen, beer, and the annual snow festival held in February.
Demography
The population of Sapporo has been growing since 1869, and is about 1,890,561 as of March 2007. Its population density is 1,686 persons per km2. It is about one-third of that of Hokkaido. Now Sapporo has the 5th largest population in Japan.
Economy and Culture
Sapporo is known as the birthplace of Miso Ramen, a ramen noodle using miso, and Sapporo Ramen is also widely known.
The tertiary sector dominates Sapporo's industry. Major industries include information technology, retail, and tourism, as Sapporo is a destination for winter sports and events and summer activities due to its cool climate.
The city is also the manufacturing center of Hokkaido, manufacturing various goods such as food and related products, fabricated metal products, steel, machinery, beverages, and pulp and paper.
Weather
Sapporo is characterized by four distinct seasons, including a cool summer and cold, snowy winter.
Beautiful days continue from April to June, when the city is filled with lush, green vegetation and blooming flowers. Although it becomes hotter in the daytime from late June, Hokkaido has no rainy season, unlike elsewhere in Japan. The height of summer is between July and August, with average temperatures sometimes exceeding 20 degrees.
In September, temperatures drop with each rainfall and the precipitation increases as autumn deepens. The leaves begin to change color in October and the temperature sometimes approaches 0 degrees. The first snowfall usually occurs in late October. From early December onward, the ground is continuously covered with snow.
The maximum snow depth between December and February can reach up to approximately 1 m, and the annual cumulative snowfall is about 5 m. The average temperature in January is -3 degrees. It becomes warmer in March and the average temperature exceeds 0 degrees around the time of the Vernal Equinox. Ice and snow covering the ground typically begins to melt in early April.
Sapporo's average temperature is about 8.5 degrees and the annual precipitation is about 1,100 mm.
Administrative Divisions
Sapporo has 10 wards (ku):
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