Moerenuma Park

Park

Prefecture

Hokkaido

Type

Park

N/A

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Restaurant

About This Destination

A 188.8-hectare park in northeast Sapporo built to Isamu Noguchi's master plan on top of a former landfill. Entry and parking are free, the Sea Fountain runs from late April to around mid-October, and the main sights are a 15-minute walk or more from the bus stops.

Isamu Noguchi finished the model for this park in 1988 and died that December, so the park that opened in full in 2005 was built from his model by people working under the Noguchi Foundation. The ground underneath is rubbish: about 2.7 million tonnes went into this landfill between 1979 and 1990. On top of it are 188.8 hectares of geometric hills, play sculptures and lawn. Mt. Moere, a stepped cone 52 metres high, gives the widest view, and the Glass Pyramid, called HIDAMARI, holds a French restaurant, a shop and a small Noguchi gallery, and is cooled in summer with stored snow. The Sea Fountain, 48 metres across and shooting water up to 25 metres, runs from April 29 to mid or late October, usually at 13:15 and 16:00, with an extra morning run on weekends and an evening show under lights on weekend nights. On weekdays only the 15-minute programme runs; the full 40-minute version is a weekend thing from June. Distances are the catch. The park reckons 1.5 to 2 hours to see it on foot, and the Higashi-guchi bus stop is about 15 minutes from the pyramid, so a rental bike from the east car park helps.

Location

Prefecture: Hokkaido

Address: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Nearest Station: Kanjo-dori-Higashi Station

Opening hours: Mon–Sun 07:00–22:00

Closed: The park is open every day. The Glass Pyramid closes on the first Monday of the month from April 29 to November 3, every Monday from November 4 to April 28 (the next weekday if Monday is a holiday), and from December 29 to January 3.

Hours note: The east gate is open 7:00 to 22:00 all year, with entry until 21:00. The west gate opens 7:00 to 19:00 from April 20 to November 20 only; the south gate is open 7:00 to 19:00 in that period and 7:00 to 17:00 the rest of the year. The Glass Pyramid is open 9:00 to 18:00 from April 29 to November 3 and 9:00 to 17:00 the rest of the year.

Best time to visit: Late April to mid-October for the Sea Fountain and green lawns; winter for cross-country skiing and sledding on the hills

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Visitor Information

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Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Sea Fountain run?

From April 29 to mid or late October, usually at 13:15 and 16:00 every day, with a morning run and a lit evening show on weekends and holidays (also a morning run on summer weekdays). It stops in strong wind, rain or thunder, so check the timetable on the official site.

Is there an entry fee?

No. Entry and parking are both free. You pay only for things like the restaurant, the take-out shop and rental bikes.

How long does it take to see the park?

The park estimates 1.5 to 2 hours to walk around it. The outer path alone is about 3.75 km, so allow half a day if you want to climb Mt. Moere and catch a fountain show.