Old Hokkaido Government Office Building, Akarenga

Phone: 011-204-5019 (Hokkaido Cho – Weekdays 8:45 to 5:30pm – Japanese)
011-204-5000 (Hokkaido Prefectural Government Main Office Sat, Sun & Holidays)

Address: North 3 West 6, Central Ward, Sapporo

Fee: Free

Open: 8:45am to 6pm

Closed: The end and beginning of the year.

They are doing renovation work on the exterior of the building so you can not go inside until the renovation work is completed sometime in 2023. The garden around the building is still open though.

URL: https://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/chosha/

GPS: 43.063939089090866, 141.34797223652137

No free parking

Access:

It’s an 8-minute walk from Sapporo Station, if you use the Subway, Namboku Line, Toho Line, or JR Line.

It’s a 9-minute walk from Odori Station, if you use the Subway, Namboku Line, Tozai Line, or Toho Line.

Google Map

The Former Hokkaido Government Office Building (Red Brick Office)

Heading west on Kita Sanjo Dori, you’ll see the old Hokkaido Government Office Building, known by the nickname “red brick,” standing as the street comes to a dead end. The former Hokkaido Government office building was used for approximately 80 years until a new government office was built. Constructed in 1888, the building is an example of American neo-baroque architecture. Architectural details such as the warped glass created in the Meiji Period and the heat-retaining double doors stored in an ornamental frame exude functional beauty. The building and its free historical exhibits about Hokkaido are open to the public. We recommend asking the volunteer staff for explanations about the building to appreciate its depth.