Nakajima Park, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Nakajima Park, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan 中島公園 main

Phone: 011-511-3924

Address: 1 Nakajima Park, Central Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0931

Open: 24 Hours

Charge: Free

URL: https://www.sapporo-park.or.jp/nakajima/

For The Taxi Driver:
〒064-0931 札幌市中央区中島公園1

GPS: 43.04868716083728, 141.3546717327574 (Google Maps)

Barrier-free Parking: None
Universal Restroom: Yes
Wheelchair Rentals: 1 Wheelchair Available

Nakajima Koen Subway Station — Hoheikan 011-511-0985

Young children go sledding next to the observatory in winter.

Free Ski Hire: This is a wonderful place in winter with the whole park covered in snow. You can rent cross country ski gear for free at the south end of the park. It is fun skiing the whole track and even good for beginners. The equipment rental is run by the municipal sports centre and is absolutely free. The staff are so friendly and helpful.

Sapporo Nakajima Park Cross-country Course (600m)

Skating, Classic　Moderate

Distance: 0.6 km　Duration: 30 minutes

Ascent: 3m　Descent: 3m

Highest point: 39m　Lowest point: 29m

Cross-country Skiing Map 北海道札幌市　中島公園で歩くスキー

Nakajima Park is a little slice of nature just a few subway stops from JR Sapporo Station. Locals love it for walks and jogs and in the winter, it turns into a quiet, snow-covered retreat. One of the coolest things you can do here is cross-country skiing, even if you’ve never tried it before.

You don’t need to bring any gear—the Nakajima Sports Centre/Athletic Center (Google Maps), right by the course, lends out skis, shoes and poles for free. It’s open to everyone, so whether you’re a local or just visiting, you can give it a go without any hassle.

There are three courses to choose from: 200m, 300m, and 600m. The shorter ones are flat and easy, perfect if you’re a beginner. The 600m trail is a bit more challenging, with a few hills and a steep slope at the end, so it’s better once you’ve gotten the hang of it.

Skiing through the snow-covered trees is a peaceful, almost meditative experience. Whether you’re in it for some light exercise or just want to enjoy the winter scenery, Nakajima Park has a special kind of charm this time of year.

Sapporo City Nakajima Athletic Center 9am to 9pm 011-530-5906 / Skiing 10am to 4pm / Ski boots up to 30cm

kids sledding in Nakajima park near the astronomical observatory — Sledding near the astronomical observatory

When visiting Nakajima Park, explore the wonders of space at the Sapporo City Astronomical Observatory

The Sapporo City Astronomical Observatory is a public observatory that was completed in 1958. The facility is equipped with a 20-cm diameter refracting telescope, and hosts night time star gazing (free to the public) for six days every month, usually between Fridays and Sundays. Don’t miss this opportunity to view seasonal constellations as well as the moon and other planets in our solar system.
*Please visit the facility’s official website for more information about the night time star gazing schedule.

Spring

View Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, with a diameter eleven times larger than Earth’s. You’ll be able to see the planet’s unique striped pattern as well as the four Galilean moons discovered by Galileo (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto).

Early Summer

Views of Saturn, the most popular planet for viewing, are at their best. The rings of Saturn, which consist of countless grains of ice, provide a truly mystical and beautiful sight. Shortly after sundown Jupiter and Venus align in the western sky. This is the only time of year when you can see the three planets in one night.

Summer

The main attraction of the sky is still Jupiter. It can be seen in the south to southwestern sky aligned with the red colored star Antares in the constellation Scorpius. Meteor showers are also a popular summertime event. Large numbers of people come to the astronomical observatory’s small hill to look up excitedly at the shooting stars. Don’t forget the bug repellant, though!

Autumn

This time of year is ideal for viewing the moon and seasonal constellations. The moon’s surface patterns and craters can be seen quite clearly, too. These three-dimensional views are the alluring part of moon observations. The remarkably beautiful Gamma Velorum in the Andromeda constellation is another exciting part of this season. Like other double stars, it appears to be one star when seen with the naked eye, but two stars are visible through the telescope.

Winter

Winter is the best season to view stars clearly. In addition to winter constellations and the moon, star clusters and nebulas (clouds of interstellar gas, thought to be the birthplace of stars), can also be seen. The telescope has a light concentration that is 800 times that of the human eye, bringing a new dimension to the enjoyment of bright stars such as Betelgeuse in Orion’s Belt, part of the “Winter Triangle.”

*Information is current as of 2016. The best times to view planets vary slightly each year. Please visit the facility’s official website for the latest information.

The telescope is open to the general public for free to view the sun from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 4pm.
Closed: Monday, Tuesday afternoon, the day after a national holiday, and the year-end and New Year’s holidays

Rankings & Info: The Main Parks Around Sapporo

Park Name 公園	Parking 駐車場	Play Area/Playgrounds 遊び場	Crowding 混雑	Surroundings 周辺	Ranking With Kids 子連れ度
Odori Park 街中＆遊具エリアあり！大通公園	✖ Mainly coin parking.	○	✖ It can get super crowded during festivals.	◎	4
Nakajima Park すすきの付近の自然！中島公園	✖ Mainly coin parking.	△	△	◎	4
Maruyama Park 北海道神宮と隣接！円山公園	○	△	○	◎	6
Asahiyama Memorial Park 夜景と景観がおすすめ！旭山記念公園	○	△	○	△	3
Moerenuma Park 広大＆綺麗で整備！モエレ沼公園	○	○	△	✖ It's far away from most places.	9
Yurigahara Park 電車とお花！百合が原公園	△	○	○	△	8
Takino Suzuran Park 奥地だけど遊び放題！滝野すずらん公園	◎	◎	✖	✖	9
Makomanai Park 自然環境で遊べる！真駒内公園	○	△	○	△	5
Toyohira Park 地下鉄隣接＆自然！豊平公園	△	△	◎	○	3
Tsukisamu Park 大型遊具&自然！月寒公園	△	○	△	○	8
Nishioka Park 水源池＆自然！西岡公園	○	✖	○	△	4
Noushi Park 遊具No,1で大人気！農試公園 https://noushi-park.jp/language/en/	△	◎	✖	○	9
Kawashimo Park 室内施設でプールも！川下公園	○	○	○	△	7
Atsubetsu Yamamoto Park 大型遊具＆整備環境！厚別山本公園	△	◎	✖	✖	8
Hiraoka Park 広大な梅林と自然！平岡公園	○	○	△	△	7