# Hokkaido Shrine

> Sapporo's main shrine, in the forest of Maruyama Park, founded in 1869 as the guardian of Hokkaido's settlement. Entry is free, but the gates close at 16:00 from November to February, and the first days of January bring long queues.

- Prefecture: Hokkaido
- Type: Shrine
- Address: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Closed: None. The grounds are open every day of the year, but the gate times change with the season.
- Hours note: Gate times: 6:00 to 17:00 from April to October, 7:00 to 17:00 in March, and 7:00 to 16:00 from November to February. New Year has its own hours: 7:00 to 18:00 on December 31, from midnight to 19:00 on January 1, 6:00 to 18:00 on January 2 and 3, and 6:00 to 16:00 from January 4 to 7. The shrine posts any changes on its website.
- Official site: https://www.hokkaidojingu.or.jp/

From Maruyama-Koen Station it is a 15-minute walk through the park, and the last stretch under tall trees feels a long way from downtown Sapporo. The shrine traces its start to 1869, when the Meiji government held a ceremony in Tokyo enshrining three kami as guardians of Hokkaido's settlement. It moved to this hillside in 1871 and was renamed Hokkaido Jingu in 1964, when Emperor Meiji was added as a fourth deity. The main hall burned in an arson attack in 1974 and was rebuilt in 1978, so the buildings are not old, but the forest around them is the point. Watch the gate times: 6:00 to 17:00 from April to October, but only until 16:00 from November to February. On January 1 the gates open at midnight, and the approach fills with stalls and queues for the first prayers of the year. The annual festival on June 14 to 16 brings the Sapporo Festival parade. In the grounds, Rokkatei's Jingu Chaya shop grills hangan-sama, soft rice cakes made with buckwheat flour and filled with red bean paste, said to be named after Shima Yoshitake, the official who carried the shrine's spirit to Sapporo. It closes at 17:00, or 16:00 from November.

## FAQ

### What time does Hokkaido Shrine open and close?

From April to October the gates are open 6:00 to 17:00, in March 7:00 to 17:00, and from November to February 7:00 to 16:00. New Year has special hours, including a midnight opening on January 1.

### How do I get to Hokkaido Shrine from Sapporo Station?

Take the Namboku subway line to Odori, change to the Tozai Line and get off at Maruyama-Koen, then walk about 15 minutes through the park. A taxi from JR Sapporo Station takes about 15 minutes.

### Where can I try hangan-sama?

Rokkatei's Jingu Chaya shop in the shrine grounds grills them, buckwheat-flour rice cakes with red bean paste inside. The shop is open 9:00 to 17:00, and 9:00 to 16:00 from November 1.

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Source: Hokkaido Shrine — Japan Voyage