Sapporo Art Forest

About

Tucked into the forested hills of Sapporo's Minami Ward, Sapporo Art Park opened its doors on July 27, 1986. Its walking paths climb and descend gentle slopes lined with 74 sculptures by 64 artists, each standing under the light of a different season — green in summer, fallen leaves in autumn, and in winter the same path becomes a snowshoeing trail. At the Sapporo Art Museum, which opened in September 1990, exhibitions from local, national, and international artists rotate through the galleries, while the Craft Hall's workshops for pottery, dyeing, weaving, and woodworking wait for visitors' hands. The relocated home of Meiji- and Taisho-era novelist Takeo Arishima now houses exhibits on his life alongside a café. Built across forty hectares in three phases between 1984 and 1999, the park marks its fortieth anniversary this year.