Sapporo, Japan

Sapporo is the capital and largest city of the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan. One of Japan's newest and nicest cities, Sapporo's population has grown from 7 in 1857 to nearly two million today. Being a new city, especially by Japanese standards, means it has little in the way of traditional architecture and the like of cities such as Kyoto. But what it lacks in "Japanese-ness" it makes up for with its lovely open, tree-filled boulevards to enjoy in summer and excellent snow (and facilities to cope with said snow) in the long winter. Japan's fifth-largest city, and also one of its newest, Sapporo is clean, friendly and relaxed, with numerous parks and wide, tree-lined streets. Families play on stone sculptures, people feed pigeons and there are festivals all year round. Museums and a wonderful botanical garden make for fun-filled sightseeing. The variety of shopping arcades, restaurants and nightlife in Susukino gives visitors and residents plenty to do. In the beginning of the Meiji Period, when the development of Hokkaido was started on a large scale, Sapporo was chosen as the island's administrative center and enlarged according to the advice of foreign specialists. Consequently, Sapporo was built based on a North American style rectangular street system. Sapporo became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held there. Today, the city is well known for its ramen, beer, and the annual snow festival held in February.