On the last day of our Hokkaido trip, we only had the morning in Sapporo before making our way to the airport. So, we first checked-out of our hotel room and left our luggage at the lobby. With only two or three hours to spend, our city tour for this day was limited to places within walking distance to the hotel. A place of interest that falls into this category is the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building 北海道廳舊本廳舍, which is about 10 minutes' walk from the hotel. This is a distinctive red brick building of the late 19th century.
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| Former Hokkaido Government Office Building 北海道廳舊本廳舍 |
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| Former Hokkaido Government Office Building 北海道廳舊本廳舍 |
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| Former Hokkaido Government Office Building 北海道廳舊本廳舍 |
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| Former Hokkaido Government Office Building 北海道廳舊本廳舍 |
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| Former Hokkaido Government Office Building 北海道廳舊本廳舍 |
Another popular tourist attraction is the Clock Tower. Like the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building, the late 19th century clock tower is another Western-style architecture in Sapporo.
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| Clock Tower |
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| Tourist transportation, in front of the Clock Tower. |
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| Sapporo street scene on a typical morning |
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| Sapporo JR Station |
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| Department store at Sapporo Station |
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| One more photo of Sapporo JR Station to mark the end of our Hokkaido trip |
After picking up our luggage from the hotel, we proceeded to take the train to New Chitose Airport. The Sapporo JR Station, which is just across the street from our hotel, can be reached by a short walk through the underground shopping arcade.
One may not have imagined that New Chitose Airport itself could well qualify as a tourist attraction. The number of shops at the airport possibly surpasses any airport that I have seen and rivals many department stores. With so many shops distributed on several levels, the airport can easily double as a shopping arcade. There is certainly no lack of choice for tourists who want to grab some last minute souvenirs or gifts to bring home. The airport also houses the Doraemon Waku Waku Sky Park, an entertainment zone that features the hugely popular manga (comics) character Doraemon. Somehow the airport also manages to fit in a chocolate production line in display.
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| An unlikely facility at an airport |
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