Hello! I was recently hiking and have an unused can of bear spray. I won't need it anymore, but have already gone to Osaka, from where I will head to Tokyo. Seeing other bear spray related posts here, do you have any advice on how to proceed? I'm trying to give it away before flying out of Japan but my messages only reach so many people.
My girlfriend and I are traveling to Hokkaido in July and are looking for some specific shopping recommendations. We already know about Tanukikoji as well as the area around Odori Park, and we’ll definitely wander – but want to go to some shops that aren’t as obvious to tourists.
Here’s what we’re hoping to find.
- Guitar/instrument/gear shops
I’m a guitarist and from what I’ve heard there’s a lotta cool/weird/unique gear in the local music shops in Japan - guitars, pedals, random knick-knacks I wouldn’t find in America. I’m a big city-pop fan, (especially Takanaka) and would love to find some uniquely gear to bring home.
- Vintage clothing.
Japan notoriously has some of the best vintage clothing shops in the world, and I need a complete wardrobe overhaul. I know there are clothing stores all up and down Tanukikoji but I’d love to know what’s authentic and what’s a tourist trap. I don’t have an aversion to new clothes either, but I’d just be sad to go to Japan and not get in on the quality vintage scene. For what it’s worth my style is pretty androgynous, I wear clothes all up and down the gender spectrum so I’m open to anything.
HUGE bonus points if you know a place where I might find an authentic Yoshio Itoi Fighters jersey we’re going to a game the second day and it would be SUPER cool to have one of those to wear.
Language also shouldn’t be a barrier for us, we don't need places where the staff speaks English. My Japanese isn't perfect but when I travel I learn as much of the language as I can – usually enough to scrape by in shops and restaurants where they don’t speak English. It’s way more fun travelling when you can communicate with the locals + I think it’s rude to expect everyone to speak English.
I’d love to get some advice from locals, people who’ve spent a lot of time there, anyone who has advice that can make our time in Sapporo as sick as possible. I’ve heard that it’s a top-tier city as long as you know what to look for, and I want to know what to look for.
(sidenote: my dad does kintsugi and I’d love to bring him back some kintsugi gear if there are any craft shops – don’t need anything super special, just not American.)
I have an unused can of bear spray I am trying to give away before I fly out of Japan. Shoot me a message if you're interested.
I am staying near Kotoni station.
Hi all, planning to head to Sapporo in feb to do a small family trip. Would love to do some wildlife photography also since i have never been to japan before.
Will center around sapporo since we have young kids and driving 2-3hrs one way would be unrealistic.
Anyone have experience in finding wildlife in sapporo?
I know i wont be able to visit the cranes this time but plan to find the ezo owl, snow fairies, and maybe some foxes? Any other wildlife area is a might see?
Thanks in advance
looking to buy a set of tools for fretwork, thanks!
Hi :) I made a general post earlier but wanted to ask if anyone has additional places they liked for these things :) (This will also be more of a budget trip so no places toooo expensive lol) thanks!
>Daily year-round service between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita starts in October and seasonal service from San Francisco to Sapporo is three times a week from December through March
>Airline now serves Tokyo-Narita from six of its seven continental U.S. hubs
>Two new flights give United customers even more ways to explore Japan on the largest airline between the continental U.S. and Japan
>This winter United will fly up to 13 flights each day from the continental U.S. to four of Japan's airports including Sapporo (CTS), Tokyo-Narita (NRT), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), and Osaka (KIX)
United today announced it is expanding its service to Japan with new flights to Sapporo and Tokyo-Narita this winter. The airline will launch the first nonstop service from the continental U.S. to Sapporo, Japan and will be the only U.S. airline offering nonstop service between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita*. As the leading carrier between the U.S. and Japan, these new flights give travelers from across North America more ways to explore Japan and connect across Asia.
"Whether customers are dreaming of skiing in Sapporo, planning a business trip to Tokyo with some exploration added in, or an even bigger adventure across Asia, United gives travelers more ways to get there than any U.S. airline," said Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Global Alliances, United Airlines. "Our new nonstop service from San Francisco to Sapporo makes it easier to vacation in one of Japan's most unique destinations, while our new Chicago to Tokyo-Narita service gives business and leisure travelers a premium onboard experience and the flexibility to continue their journey across Asia on United to exciting destinations like Cebu, Palau and Ulaanbaatar, or onward on our joint venture partner ANA to cities like Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur."
United is the leading carrier between the continental U.S. and Japan. In 2025, the airline flew more than 1.8 million passengers between the two countries – more than all other U.S. carriers combined. This winter United will fly up to 13 flights each day from the continental U.S. to four of Japan's airports including Sapporo (CTS), Tokyo-Narita (NRT), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), and Osaka (KIX).
San Francisco to Sapporo, Japan
Starting December 11, United will launch three times weekly winter seasonal service between San Francisco (SFO) and Sapporo (CTS), marking the first nonstop flights between the continental U.S. and Sapporo. Sapporo offers travelers an entirely new way to experience Japan in the winter from fresh powder for world-class skiing to a rich culinary scene with must-try dishes like Sapporo ramen and Hokkaido seafood. The city is also home to the iconic Sapporo Snow Festival, where it transforms into a winter wonderland.
Flights are expected to operate on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. United will connect travelers from nearly 80 U.S. cities to Sapporo through its premier Pacific gateway in San Francisco, making it easier than ever to reach this unique Japanese destination.
Chicago to Tokyo-Narita
United will launch new daily year-round service between Chicago O'Hare and Tokyo-Narita beginning October 24. United will be the only U.S. airline offering service between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita, further expanding its position as the only U.S. carrier connecting Chicago to the Pacific region nonstop. The new service builds on the airline's existing service between Chicago and Tokyo-Haneda, providing travelers with even more ways to travel between the U.S. and Japan.
The new Tokyo-Narita flight unlocks easy, one-stop connections for travelers to 21 destinations across Asia-Pacific on United or Joint Venture partner ANA. Customers can connect on United to cities like Cebu, Guam, Kaohsiung, Palau, Saipan and Ulaanbaatar. The new flights between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita are expected to operate on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
With the two new routes, United will serve five airports in four Japanese cities from its hubs in the continental U.S. and Guam: Sapporo (CTS), Tokyo-Narita (NRT), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), Osaka (KIX) and Nagoya (NGO). The airline offers the most flights to Japan of any U.S. carrier and flights to 33 destinations across the Pacific.
Flights will be available for booking later today on united.com and the united app.
*Subject to government approval
-----------------------------------------
Statement provided by United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations and posted with permission as an external communication. Official statement can be viewed here.
Hi, I'm going to Hokkaido this summer as part of an academic trip, I'm specifically going to be in Sapporo. I was going to ask, how is the climate in Sapporo? Is it just as humid as the Kansai region? Just so I know what clothes to bring.
Was only able to find one store that sells booster boxes sealed.
Any recommendations?
Thank you!
Just stayed at the relatively new InterContinental Sapporo and overall had a really enjoyable stay, especially thanks to club lounge access.
Booked a standard King Room (42m2) and got upgraded to a high floor room as an IHG Ambassador member. The room itself was a very good size by Japan standards, and the views were fantastic. Fairly unobstructed views of Sapporo with the mountains in the distance.
The room felt very new and polished, though there’s no proper working desk and overall counter space could have been more generous. Automatic curtains and blinds, nice lighting, and a huge Japanese-style soaking tub (deep, square-ish, onsen-inspired) clad in natural stone honestly became one of my favorite parts of the stay. There’s no public bath/onsen in the hotel, but soaking in that tub after walking around Sapporo all day compensated for it surprisingly well. There’s a filtered water station on each floor so you don’t have to do tap water or buy bottled water from konbini.
Design-wise, the property leans more modern/contemporary luxury rather than traditional Japanese luxury. Calm and understated. They also have a surprisingly huge outdoor terrace area that’s great for smokers, fresh air, or just relaxing with the city views.
Service was good overall, though not outstanding.
Elite recognition was solid and the upgrade was proactive. Turndown service, however, felt quite average for an InterContinental. They mostly refreshed towels and toiletries, but didn’t really do a proper turndown setup like laying out slippers, preparing the bed, leaving sweets/cards, etc. They also missed turndown entirely one night.
Location is decent but not amazing. It’s not really the type of hotel where you can walk out directly into tons of attractions or restaurant areas. We usually either walked to Nakajimakoen Station or took taxis already lined up at the lobby entrance (booking via Uber or GO would incur additional fees).
The Club InterContinental lounge was probably the highlight of the stay for me. The operating hours are generous and it became incredibly useful during rainy weather in Sapporo.
Breakfast runs from 7:30am to 11am and was very solid but the menu was everyday. Afternoon tea from 2:30pm to 4:30pm was acceptable (the scones were especially hard and dry, a bit disappointing). We ordered an additional serving of the savory items to turn it into a late lunch.
Evening cocktails and canapés from 5:30pm to 7:30pm were excellent. Champagne is served during this period, and both the hot canapés and buffet selections were genuinely good quality and delicious. The hot canapés were so good that we kept ordering second servings. This was basically dinner for us.
After that, there’s a nightcap session from 8pm to 10pm. More low-key, but still nice to have. Champagne is no longer available then, but they still serve red wine, beers, and some classic cocktails.
Value probably depends heavily on whether you have lounge access. For us, it absolutely felt worth it, especially because the lounge effectively covered breakfast, late lunch, early dinner on some rainy days, and honestly most of our alcohol consumption as well.
🍵Matcha & Hojicha
☕️Other coffee shops
🍲Cafes/Eateries (Lunch Specials)
🍜Ramen Spots
🎨Art Museums
🧥Thrifting
📷Photography Spots
🌳 Parks
✨Free Activities
🪩 Clubbing
If you have the name of any places, this will be super helpful :) Thank you !!
We are flying to Sapporo in August this year for a cycling competition and I wonder if there are bike clubs, cafes or shops related to road cycling where you can meet some people or get advice on where to ride, maybe other competitions ins August/September on Hokkaido, e.g.
Also it would be interesting to know if cycling in Sapporo is possible. We haven’t book our hotel yet but if it’s not on the outer rim of the city, we will have to get there somehow.
Maybe there are some fellow cyclists here to answer that our give advice :)
Hello!
I'll be in Sapporo for 2 weeks. Looking for rock or metal bar recommendations! So far, I've found places such as Rock Bar Fxxk Up and Metal Master, but any other suggestions?
Would be great if we could smoke inside too. Many thanks y'all!
The Costco i go to in ishikari has hotdogs that they make in the food area. This are cooked by the Costco staff. "These are not the droids im looking for."
The hotdogs im looking for are the kind that come packaged, normally in groups of 8, can be taken home, refrigerated and can be boiled or thrown on the grill
There is no IKEA that I can find here.
I do NOT want jhonsonville sausages. That is not what I am looking for. Those are not hotdogs. I am looking for "American Style hotdogs." You can find examples in the images above.
Everytime i make a post asking about hotdog locations there's always one guy saying he "saw them last week and OP doesnt know what he's on about." no you did not, and if you're referring to those weiners on the stick that's NOT what im looking for.
Me and my family (who are japanese) have spoken with the staff and Costco kitchen on this matter EXTENSIVELY. They used to sell them years ago; the same kind they have in the kitchen, but since they were only in packs of like 20-30 Japanese ppl didn't buy them much since there were so many in a single pack and they eventually stopped selling them. If they sold me some out the kitchen I would basically have to be buying enough to restock a small restaurant.
I make American food for my relatives in Otaru to include things like bbq ribs...I just want to make a full blown American BBQ dinner for my family and friends bc they've never had it before. I DONT WANT TO FIGHT ANYONE! I just want any relevant information as to where I can find hotdogs.
No I can not go to the Costco in tokyo I live in Sapporo.
Edit: Not trying to be aggressive just direct lol...the above are all things I've been told previously in this group about about hotdogs. Including "Just going to tokyo" lol...thank you in advance to anyone actually trying to help and provide relevant information ❤️
I'm visiting Sapporo from 20th May to 25th May!
First time visitor, will be staying close to Odori Park.
Just wondering if here are any festivals or events that are on that are worth visiting?
I'm into anime, gaming, outdoor activities and just general fun time 👍
Hello! I'm planning a trip to Japan, and I'd like to see the trees with red foliage in the fall (Momiji) and also see the snow. So, I made the following schedule to december 2026:
Do you think it's possible to see autumn and snow with this plan?
24F, looking for clubbing buddies in Sapporo 👀 I usually like EDM/hiphop vibes but honestly just wanna have a fun night out lol. also would love recommendations for solo-friendly places with good music and foreigner-friendly vibes!
Recently I have seen posts of people seeing bears or evidence bears have been around. As a local tour guide here in Hokkaido, it is your responsibility to report what you’ve seen to the police. If you are a guide then you have an even bigger responsibility.
With rising bear attacks in Japan, it is not just to protect yourself, but also whoever you’re with (customers or friends) and other hikers. Foreign tourists who come here to hike don’t have the same local information as we do, that is why we all need to look out for each other. When you report a sighting to the police, they will either put a sign up stating last time bear was sighted or temporarily close the route. At least you then know how recent a bear has been around if you do hike the trail.
Be careful about ‘guides’ who ignore this or people who say there are no bears in ‘this area’!
Stay safe!
Same as title, saw it today at Kita22.
Kinda curious 👀
