Sapporo Clock Tower

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Sapporo clock tower.

Sapporo clock tower (さっぽろ時計台 Sapporo Tokeidai) is a wooden structure and well-known local tourist attraction, located at North 1 West 2, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, the largest city on the island of Hokkaidō, northern Japan.

The building is of American design and is one of the few surviving Western style buildings in Sapporo, a city developed in the 1870s with assistance from the American government. It is known by many as the symbol of the city and is a main feature of almost all domestic and international tours of Sapporo. The clock after which it is named continues to run and keep time, and the chimes can be heard every hour.

1 History
2 Sapporo clock tower now
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The tower was built in 1878, and is all that remains of the drill hall of the former Sapporo Agricultural College (now Sapporo University). The building was one of the earliest to be built in this city. The city itself was chosen as the administrative centre of Hokkaidō in 1868, which is the date currently recognised as the official birth of the city.

Currently, this is the oldest building standing in Sapporo.

The clock was installed in July 1881 by E. Howard and Co. (headed by a co-founder of what would eventually become the Waltham Watch Company) of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

In 1970, Sapporo clock tower was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.^[1]

[edit] Sapporo clock tower now

The clock tower now houses a museum introducing the history of the Agricultural College and the development of Sapporo. It is open to visitors year round, but closed on Sundays and over the New Year period. Admission is 200 yen for adults and free for children, with discounts for groups.

On display in the museum is one of the few remaining original American blue-eyed Dolls in Hokkaidō, named Fanny Pio ^[2].

It is possible for members of the public to rent the large hall upstairs for private functions. It is also occasionally used for concerts.

Viewing and photographing the building is very popular among visitors to Sapporo, and visiting it forms a part of any tour of the city. However many expect to see a large structure and are disappointed at the relatively small size compared to the tall office buildings which now surround it. This has led to some classing the Tokeidai as one of the "3 great disappointments of Japan" (日本三大がっかり　Nihon san-dai gakkari)