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The vast and quiet Nopporo Forest Park (野幌森林公園) contains two of Sapporo’s most important museums: the Hokkaido Museum and the Historical Village of Hokkaido. This 2000-hectare prefectural forest park has been preserved from the late 19th-century.
Sightseeing
Nopporo Forest Park
野幌森林公園
15min walk from Shinrin-koen Station
Extends from Sapporo to Ebetsu to Kitahiroshima, there are 14 well-signposted hiking routes through the park, including routes to the scenic reservoir of Mizuho-no-ike (瑞穂の池) and the historic Sapporo Coffee-kan (札幌珈琲館: Former Hokkaido Forest Tree Breeding Farm Building). May to November is the best time to hike. The Visitor’s Center (自然ふれあい交流館) is located at Osawa-guchi gate in Ebetsu.
Hokkaido Museum
北海道博物館
20min walk or 5min by bus from Shinrin-koen Station
If you want to know more about Hokkaido’s history and nature, this red-brick museum should be your first stop. Explores from 1.2 million years ago to the frontier history to the modern day, with valuable collection, photos, artifacts and diorama of ecosystem. The Ainu culture hall has a thatched house, traditional cloths, tools and exhibitions of their history.
Historical Village of Hokkaido
北海道開拓の村
25min walk or 7min by bus from Shinrin-koen Station
In the attractive historical village of Kaitaku-no-mura is a fine open-air museum. Built from the Meiji to early Shōwa periods, over 50 buildings from around Hokkaido were moved or restored in Nopporo Forest Park. Kaitaku-no-mura is divided into four areas: the town, the mountain village, the fishing village and the farming village.
Hokkaido Archaeological Operation Center
北海道埋蔵文化財センター
30min walk from Shinrin-koen Station
Adjoining Bunkyodai elementary school, this modest facility has Hokkaido’s archaeological finds, earthenware, wooden tools, boulders and jade articles from the Paleolithic era (20,000 years ago) in one exhibition room. During warmer seasons, you can walk from Nopporo Forest Park.
Hokkaido Prefectural Library
北海道立図書館
8min walk from Oasa Station
About 300m south of JR Ōasa Station, this scenic library offers several thousand books and archives related to Hokkaido, Karafuto and Chishima islands.
Shinrinkoen Onsen Kiyora
森林公園温泉きよら
8min walk from Shinrin-koen Station
This compact onsen is a good place to rest after a hike. Several tubs, including an open-air bath, are filled with 100% brown moor (organic matter of vegetable origin) hot spring water. There are also 10 kazoku-buro (private baths – not onsen) behind the building.
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Hotels
There are a few foreigner-friendly hotels just a short walk from Shin-Sapporo Station.
Photo: じゃらんnet
Hotel Emisia Sapporo
ホテルエミシア札幌
3min walk from Shin-Sapporo Station
This 32-story hotel offers good suburban views from Western-style rooms and a top-floor restaurant, plus the pleasant basement spa and sauna. Buffet breakfast using local ingredients.
Photo: じゃらんnet
Shin-Sapporo Arc City Hotel
新さっぽろアークシティホテル
1min walk from Shin-Sapporo Station
A very accessible hotel inside the Arc City shopping complex, on the same floor of JR Shin-Sapporo Station. It has 135 simple rooms and a 24-hour convenience store. Affordable lunch is popular with locals.
Photo: じゃらんnet
La’gent Stay Shin-Sapporo
ラ・ジェント・ステイ新さっぽろ
5min walk from Shin-Sapporo Station
Opened in 2023, Shin-Sapporo’s newest hotel has functional rooms and communal baths. There is also a casual Italian restaurant. It is directly connected to both the JR and subway stations.
Map
Getting There
JR TRAINS
Shinrin-koen Station (森林公園), four stops east of Sapporo (13min) by local train on the JR Hakodate Line, is the nearest gateway to Nopporo Forest Park, the Hokkaido Museum and the Historical Village of Hokkaido.
Shin-Sapporo Station (新札幌) is about 3km west of the forest park on the JR Chitose Line. The rapid trains run from New Chitose Airport (28min), Sapporo (9min) and Otaru (45min). All the limited express trains to/from Sapporo also stop here.
An alternative forest park’s entrance is Osawa-guchi Gate in Ebetsu, about a 30-minute walk from Oasa Station (大麻), one stop east of Shinrin-koen. Don’t go to Nopporo Station.
BUS
JR Bus 22 runs from Shin-Sapporo Station bus terminal stop 10 to Kaitaku-no-mura (開拓の村: 20min) via JR Shinrin-koen Station (east gate), Atsubetsu-higashi-shogakko-mae (厚別東小学校前), Nopporo-Shinrin-koen (野幌森林公園: forest park) and the Hokkaido Museum.
JR Bus loop 82/loop 83 runs between Shin-Sapporo Station and Bunkyodai-Minami-machi (文京台南町: 22min) via Oasa Station south gate.
JR Passes are available to use.
Information
Nopporo Forest Park Visitor’s Center
野幌森林公園自然ふれあい交流館
Located at Osawa-guchi gate in Ebetsu, this center has displays on flora and fauna of the forest park. It also has picnic tables, hiking maps, vending machines, toilets and free wi-fi (ask the staff). Five hiking routes start here.
It is a 30-minute walk from JR Oasa Station, or a 10-minute walk from Bunkyodai-Minami-machi bus stop on the JR Bus loop 82/loop 83.
Shinrin-koen Station
森林公園 | 신린코엔
Address：1-4 Atsubetsu-kita, Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Distance：12.2km from Sapporo Station
Elevation：19m