Sapporo TV Tower Observation Deck Ticket

Sapporo TV Tower, the landmark of Odori Park

Completed in 1957 to carry the city's first television signals, the Sapporo TV Tower is a red-and-white steel lattice tower about 147 metres tall, standing where Odori Park meets the eastern edge of downtown. A large digital clock on its side has told the time to passers-by for decades, and the tower has become one of the most recognisable symbols of Sapporo, appearing on postcards and in almost every travel photo of the park.

Your ticket gives access to the observation deck at about 90 metres, reached by lift from the ticket floor. Is Sapporo TV Tower worth visiting? It is not the tallest viewpoint in the city, but its position is unique: no other deck lines up so perfectly with the park, and you can reach it in a few minutes from most central hotels, making it an ideal first stop to understand the layout of Sapporo.

The views from the observation deck

Looking west, Odori Park stretches about one and a half kilometres in a straight line of lawns, flower beds and fountains, with Mount Okura and its ski-jump hill rising at the far end. To the south-west stands Mount Moiwa, and on clear days you can see across the Ishikari plain towards the sea. Below, the neat grid of streets shows how Sapporo was planned from scratch in the late nineteenth century.

After dark the deck becomes a night-view spot, with the park, office towers and avenues glowing beneath you. In winter, when Odori Park is covered in snow and lit by illuminations, the view is especially beautiful, and during the Snow Festival in early February the giant snow sculptures line the park right below the tower. A visit usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, longer if you wait for sunset.

Planning your visit: hours, tickets and access

Sapporo TV Tower opening hours generally run from 09:00 to 22:00, with the last entry a little earlier; hours can change for maintenance or special events, so we confirm them when you book. Your ticket is dated but not timed, so you can arrive whenever you like on that day. Children aged 6 to 15 have their own ticket, and the deck is reached by lift, which helps guests with reduced mobility.

How to get to Sapporo TV Tower? It stands directly beside Odori subway station, one stop from Sapporo Station on the subway or about a 15-minute walk south along the main avenue. From New Chitose Airport, the rapid train reaches Sapporo Station in about 40 minutes. The best time to visit is a clear late afternoon, when you can watch the city change from daylight to night lights in one visit.

Around the tower: Odori Park and central Sapporo

The TV Tower is the perfect starting point for exploring the city centre. Odori Park itself is a favourite place to stroll, with flower displays in summer, colourful leaves in autumn and seasonal events throughout the year, including the winter illuminations and the famous Snow Festival. A few minutes' walk to the north is the Sapporo Clock Tower, a wooden building from 1878 that is one of the oldest Western-style structures in Hokkaido.

South of the park lie a long covered shopping arcade and a historic fish market where you can try fresh seafood bowls, and underground passages link the area to Sapporo Station, which is useful in winter. For dinner, Sapporo has a growing number of halal restaurants in the centre, and we are happy to recommend some. If you would like more of the city, we can also arrange private transfers to Mount Moiwa or day trips from Sapporo.