Hōhei Kan — Attraction in Sapporo

Beautifully preserved hotel from the late Meiji Era. Most of the original features are still intact, and it’s full of fascinating history. I was lucky to meet a volunteer guide who gave a free tour in Japanese (and some simple English) — highly recommend joining if you see him!

The building has a Western-style design with unique Japanese touches. Look for the star emblem of the Hokkaido Development Commission on the roof — you can also spot it on other historic buildings in Hokkaido. Each room has a ceiling medallion design, corresponds to the room's name, like lilies, wisteria, peonies, grapes, or even a Japanese phoenix. The Murasaki Room once hosted the Meiji Emperor himself.

Some features, like the glass windows, were imported since Japan couldn’t make them at the time. Others, like the chandeliers, were made in Japan with a beautiful East–West fusion design. Originally gas-lit, they still have the old gas knobs!

The first-floor bedrooms are now used for exhibitions (videos in Japanese only — wish they had English subtitles). You’ll find the original beds on the second floor, and some rooms still have their charcoal fireplaces. The venue can even be rented for weddings — rates are on their website.

A must-visit for history lovers, architecture fans, or anyone...

There isn‘t that much to see but it‘s still an interesting place to visit! The tickets are very cheap (for university students just 150¥!) and english information is available. It‘s fun to imagine being a guest in the hotel a hundret years ago!

I just think that the building is too sparely decorated. There are very few furniture inside, some rooms are just empty. On walls you can see hooks where it seemed there was a painting hanhing, but now they are just blank. I think it would be nice the interior was more than the original since it looks a little bit lost in it‘s empty state.

Nevertheless, a good spot to experience some history in the...

The gate is on the right side, and you have to enter through the modern looking building. The ticket is not so expensive. It’s a good place to stop by when traveling during the melting heat of the summer. There are honestly not many exhibitions going on, but we ended up spending more time than we thought here. Just chilling to watch their videos about the establishment, walk around, enjoy the time at their cafe is enough. The architecture is not absolutely outstanding but it’s definitely considered fancy for Japan in the past, especially with the European style and the...