Hokkaido’s Sapporo sparkles after dark

Nightlife in Hokkaido is a showcase of fabulous food, hip bars, only-in-Japan shopping, and spectacular views

It’s an autumnal holiday weekend in Hokkaido ’s capital, Sapporo. The entertainment district of Susukino, with its backdrop of neon billboards, is film-set fabulous. Flocks of night owls, dressed street chic, are ready for their close-ups, their hair and make-up Insta perfect.

The annual Rainbow Pride parade has just wrapped, and a queue is snaking along Ramen Yokocho, a narrow lane lined with outlets serving the city’s signature miso noodles.

Tanuki Koji Market beckons. The kilometre-long arcade is a destination in itself. Browse pet shops with adorable, frolicking puppies, Japanese supermarkets, second-hand luxury fashion boutiques, and outlets with more cosmetics than a Kardashian.

Welcome to Sapporo after dark. With more than 4,000 bars, restaurants and nightclubs, it is one of the largest nightlife centres north of Japan. 

Susukino is its kernel, with dance clubs, karaoke rooms, mixologists, beer halls, night markets, video game nights, and music.

Eating and drinking is a national pastime in Japan and drives the night-time economy, whether a bowl of herrings atop a tangle of soba noodles or a nine-dish degustation with wine pairings.

In the Tanuki Comichi alley, chef Tadao Watanabe teaches us how to correctly squish sushi as we position slivers of salmon, tuna, mackerel, prawn and crab atop handfuls of red-vinegar rice.

Happy tribes are trooping into izakayas like Bunka Shokudo, a Japanese bar for small, inexpensive dishes and snacks such as pickles and edamame to accompany drinks that might include a limited edition Fukutsukasa sake from the only brewer in the Kushiro region.

Sake is just one reason why discerning drinkers quench their thirst in Hokkaido. Also attracting visitors from overseas are the new directions in craft beer and gin, wine, and whisky.

At Hokkai Shabu Shabu, seated on the floor, we dive into hotpots of wagyu beef sliced mandolin-fine, accompanied by fresh cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, daikon and onions. We extract crab meat from fleshy claws. And are then entertained by two geishas who sing, dance and play the shamisen for us and recount their lives as two of just a dozen geishas in Sapporo.

The longest queues in Sapporo are for the parfait that is every night’s coda.Finishing a stretch of wining and dining with a shime parfait (shime indicates “conclusion”) is part of the Sapporo culture. More than a third of dairy farms in Japan are located in Hokkaido, which means a bounty of rich, soft-serve ice cream and fresh cream. Add the contents of a fruit barrow, a bakery and a lolly shop, all styled up just-so! … and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

But Yoichi Loop proves to be the standout dining experience. A unique retreat for wine enthusiasts in the town of Yoichi in Otaru, 56km north-west of Sapporo, the nine-dish degustation menu is shaped by the day’s harvest. Exquisite morsels deploy yellowtail, salmon, herring, Atka mackerel crab and venison, the latter with a side hustle of the peppery delicacy that is deer heart.

Like a symphony conductor, general manager and sommelier Takashi Kuratomi explains each of Chef Niki Isamu’s dishes and its paired wine. Diners can sleep off the four-hour indulgence in Hotel Loop above.

Hokkaido is Japan’s largest prefecture, occupying 22 per cent of the country’s total area. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, this northern-most island has extensive wetlands, beautiful lakes, marshes, rivers, forests – and mountains that offer magnificent night viewing spots.

Among them is Mount Moiwa, near the centre of Sapporo. From its 531m summit, accessible by ropeway or mini cable car until 10pm, take in the majestic Ishikari Plain and a sea of skyscrapers.

Other breath-taking night views in Hokkaido can be found at the Mount Hakodate Observatory, Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse, Otaru Canal, and Cape Chikyu (on New Year’s Day, locals flock to see the first sunrise of the year).

Moerenuma Park, on the outskirts of Sapporo, becomes an arty wonderland until 10pm. The park, designed by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, features illuminated art installations and unique man-made features. Its centrepiece, Hidamari, a glass pyramid, houses an information centre and a gallery space.

Festivals that shine at night are abundant in Hokkaido, whether curated around themes of film, light, lanterns, ice sculpture or food. 

The Sapporo International Short Film Festival starts in late November this year, as does the Sapporo White Illumination whose many events take place around Odori Park (look for the “love tree” covered in bright red hearts). To mark the Sapporo Snow Festival in February next year, Susukino will dazzle with ice sculptures and an Ice Bar where festival goers can be sure of a warm welcome – and a warm drink. 

https://en.visit-hokkaido.jp/

The writer was a guest of Hokkaido Tourism Organization