I had never been to an opera. My notion of an opera is a lot of dramatic singing in a period setting, in a language I don't understand. So when I heard that my wife's cousin Jun had composed an opera, and we were invited to attend opening night, well, I can't say that I was all that excited. We had not seen Jun since our wedding some 38 years ago, where Jun, at the time a young musician, played the Indian sitar for us.

So I'm not an opera fan, and frankly not a fan of cold weather either. Visiting Sapporo in mid-December was not on my Christmas list. Yet here we were, checking in to the Solaria Hotel after a short flight from Haneda. The forecast was for snow on all three days we were going to be in Sapporo. It's been a minute since I last saw snow up close. 

It was a Saturday afternoon when we arrived at New Chitose Airport, and after a train ride and short walk, we made it to the hotel in the late afternoon. Later we went to dinner at a local izakaya. The opera was on Sunday evening, and so at breakfast the next morning we planned to visit a couple of historic buildings in the city.

The Former Government Building

Right across the street from the hotel we could see the Former Hokkaidō Government Office Building Red Brick Building, so we started there. This iconic building was constructed in 1888 on the site of the Hokkaidō Development Commission Sapporo Main Office, known as the Kaitakushi. The Kaitakushi (開拓使) was Japan's early Meiji government agency that was in charge of developing and colonizing Hokkaido. The original building was constructed in 1873, and burned to the ground six years later. The Kaitakushi was disbanded in 1882, and a few years later the new Hokkaidō government was established. The building was reconstructed in 1888 using red bricks sourced from a couple of companies in Hokkaidō. It was designed in an American Neo-Baroque style by Seijiro Hirai, an engineer for the Hokkaido Government who had studied at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the United States.

The building was damaged significantly by fire in 1909 and restored two years later, and continued to be the Hokkaidō government office until 1968, when the government transitioned to a new building. In the last decade the building had undergone significant renovations, and upon completion in July 2025 it was reopened to the public. We were indeed lucky to be able to see it after all the work was done.

The interior features exhibits about the history and culture of Hokkaidō in general, and Sapporo in particular. Distinctive artwork can be viewed in the hallways, and each room has its own historical theme. You can even see the former governor's office. 

The Sapporo Clock Tower Building

We trudged through the snow to our next destination, the Sapporo Clock Tower. This western style building is the Former Sapporo Agricultural College Martial Arts Hall, and was constructed in 1878 at the behest of Dr. William Smith Clark, the first Vice-Principal of the former Sapporo Agricultural College.

The Clock Tower building, as well as some other buildings on the campus, was designed by William Wheeler, an architect from America that was recruited and paid by the Hokkaido Development Commission (Kaitakushi), acting on behalf of the Meiji government, and assigned to design buildings and infrastructure for the Sapporo Agricultural College and early Sapporo. This first iteration of the building had a tower, but it was mainly esthetic, not functional. There was no clock in the tower until 1881, when a new pendulum clock, purchased from the E. Howard & Co in the United States, was installed.

Today the building is a museum. The first floor has numerous exhibits and old photos of the history of the Clock Tower as well as the Sapporo Agricultural College and its students and professors. The second floor's layout is that of an auditorium, and reminded me of a church because the seats were identical to pews you'd see in a church. Which got me thinking, even the exterior of the building reminds me a bit of churches you can see in the countryside of Pennsylvania. 

Now, you might be underwhelmed with the Clock Tower, as it is not very big, and there is not that much to look at on the inside unless you are really into reading the historical passages posted with the displays. That said, I did enjoy reading about some of its history, and you may find it worthwhile to stop by, if for nothing more than a quick photo. 

The Opera

That evening we were off to see the Madrigal Opera "Hijikata Toshizo: A Life of Flames". It was still snowing as we entered the Kitahachi Theatre late; one of the actors, Jun, and an interviewer were on the stage doing a Q&A about the opera when we walked in, and clearly interrupted them a bit. It was embarrassing - we had such a tough time finding the theatre with Google Maps, which was not helpful. We wanted to use one of the many underground passageways to get as close to the theatre as possible because the snow and icy sidewalks. 

The venue was a small one, with two levels, but was just right for this unique opera. I confess that I could not understand most of the dialogue, but I did look up the history of Hijikata Toshizo and I found it fascinating. 

After the Tokugawa shogunate collapsed in 1868, Hijikata Toshizō and other former shogunate leaders refused to submit to the new Meiji government. They fled north to Hokkaido (then called Ezo) because they thought it was remote, lightly controlled, and strategically valuable. Their goal was to continue their defiance through armed resistance, which made Hokkaido the last battlefield of the samurai era.

The opera unfolded in three acts. Each act portrayed Hijikata tumultous life, starting in Kyoto, followed by the Boshin War, and his ultimate fate in Hakodate. It describes a period that started with the conflict in ideology between the Tokugawa shogunate and Emperor Meiji regarding the treaties it signed with foreign powers. This led to the Boshin War, which is often referred to as Japan's civil war, culminating in the Battle of Hakodate between the imperial soldiers and the army loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate. 

Specifically, the play follows Hijikata's actions during this period, ending at the Battle of Hakodate, where Hijikata died of a gunshot wound while leading a counterattack against Imperial forces at the age of 35. His flame was put out, and so was the Tokugawa shogunate. This defeat led to a unified government under Emperor Meiji - known as the Meiji Restoration.

Unfortunately, the opera was a one time only affair, so you won't be able to attend it yourself. If I find that to be inaccurate, I'll post and update here.

Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill

On our last day in Sapporo, we decided to rent a taxi and take a quick tour of the city. Six of us together jumped into a mini-van driven by a friendly and knowledable driver, and we were on our way. Our first stop was to Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill. 

Hitsujigaoka was originally established as an agricultural research facility. It was developed as the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce's Tsukisamu Cattle Breeding Farm in 1906. By 1950 it had be recast as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Hokkaido Agricultural Experiment Station's Livestock Division, and began conducting a wide range of testing and research on livestock, including breeding livestock, feed crops, and pasture grass in cold regions.

So why did our guide take us here, in a driving snowstorm? Well, the view is nice, overlooking a gradual valley of pastures. Apparently this spot had been very popular before the war, and became even more so after the war was over. The Austrian Pavilion was moved here after the 1972 Sapporo Olympics, and now serves as a restaurant an gift shop.

I guess the most interesting thing at Hitsujigaoka for me was the statue of William S. Clark. I mentioned Mr. Clark briefly above for his role in the construction of the Sapporo Clock Tower. But there is more to the story...

With the advent of the Meiji Restoration, the emperor wisely concluded that foreign talent needed to be brought into the country to facilitate progress in a number of areas. William S. Clark was one of many foreign experts that were invited to come to Japan during that period.  Mr. Clark was hired by the Japanese government to establish the Sapporo Agricultural College (SAC) in 1876. The governor of Hokkaido, Kuroda Kiyotaka, had tremendous confidence in Mr. Clark to build the infrastructure necessary to implement the advanced agricultural programs that he thought were essential for Japan's progress. Mr. Clark was only in Japan for 8 months, but his impact on Japan and Hokkaido in particular left an outsized legacy.

Despite his statue prominently displayed at Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, Mr. Clark had no role in the creation or operations of the agricultural research facilities at this site. But there is a certain appropriateness about his presence here, given his important work to advance the agricultural industry in Japan.

The Ski Lifts

When I think of Sapporo, I think of the Olympics in 1972, and of course, snow. I was a junior in high school then, and I do remember watching some of the ski events on TV. So our final stops of the day were to two ski lifts, both used in the Olympics in 1972.

Miyanomori and Okurayama are twin ski-jump venues built side by side to serve normal-hill and large-hill jumping, functioning together as a single Olympic and training complex. Both Okurayama and Miyanomori remain active ski jumping venues used for world-level competitions, training, and local events.

It was snowing when we arrived, so our pictures looked like a whiteout. Still, cool to see this historical sites.

Well, sure, there is a lot more to see in Sapporo, but that is all I have for now except for one more thing...

The Ramen

I just wanted to give a shoutout to the Hokkaidō Ramen Dōjō at Chitose Airport. If you havn't had time to try the local ramen, this is your place.

Sapporo ramen is best known for its rich miso-based broth, bold flavors, and cold-weather comfort. It’s one of Japan’s three classic regional ramen styles—and arguably the most immediately recognizable.

Enjoy!