Hokkaido Jingu

photo by lienyuan lee · CC BY 3.0

photo by yamai36 · CC BY 3.0

For 58 years, until 2012, one of its cherry trees marked the official blossoming in Sapporo.

The great torii (the gateway that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine) opens onto dense woodland in Maruyama Park, the green heart of Sapporo. Until 2012, one of its cherry trees was for 58 years the official specimen by which the city measured the arrival of the blossom, before being moved because of the tree's age.

Founded in 1869, at the start of the colonisation of Hokkaido, the shrine enshrines four deities: three linked to the land and to the development of the island, plus the spirit of Emperor Meiji, added after his death. It is the most important Shinto shrine on the island. The Sapporo Matsuri, its annual festival, falls on 14–16 June: the 15th is the main ceremony (例祭), the 16th the procession through the city streets (神幸渡御).

ℹ️ The park and the shrine are always open and admission is free. The offices and the sale of amulets keep their own hours, which should be checked on the official website.

🚉 Maruyama koen · 11 min walk

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org

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