Sapporo TV Tower

The Sapporo TV Tower, standing 147.2 meters tall at the eastern end of Odori Park, has been one of Hokkaido’s most recognizable landmarks since its completion in 1957. Modeled in spirit on the Eiffel Tower, this slender steel lattice structure serves both as a functioning broadcast antenna and as the city’s most visited observation platform, offering unobstructed views along the full length of Odori Park and across Sapporo’s famously regular grid layout to the surrounding mountains.

The observation deck at 90.38 meters provides a particularly spectacular perspective during Sapporo’s famous seasonal festivals: in February, the Snow Festival sculptures below take on extraordinary scale when viewed from above; in summer, the park’s fountains and flowerbeds are visible in their full geometric glory. Sunset views westward along Odori Park toward the mountains reward those who time their visit to coincide with the golden hour.

Beyond the observation deck, the tower houses exhibition spaces, a café, and gift shops selling Hokkaido specialties and tower-themed souvenirs. The tower’s base serves as an informal meeting point for Sapporo residents and a starting point for exploring the underground Pole Town and Aurora Town shopping arcades that connect the city’s central stations beneath the winter streets. The tower also features a rooftop clock visible from much of central Sapporo, maintaining its role as the city’s timekeeper as it has since the Showa era.