正式名称は「旧札幌農学校演武場」。1878（明治11）年、北海道大学の前身である札幌農学校に建設され、演武場（体育館）や中央講堂として使われた。創建当時は時計がついておらず、小さな鐘楼がついていたが、1881（明治14）年に塔時計を設置。この時計は電気や電池などを使わず、おもりの力を動力としており、現在もこのおもりを人力で週に2回巻上げている。設置から130年以上が経過したが、現在までワイヤーロープやねじなどの消耗部品以外は交換しておらず、明治の姿のままで動いている時計は、世界でも数台しかない。こうして、札幌と共に歴史を歩んできた時計台は、市民に愛され守られながら今日も札幌の街の時を刻み続けている。

Sapporo Clock Tower was called "Embujo" - meaning a 'military drill hall' - of the Sapporo Agricultural College (currently Hokkaido University). It was built on the premises of Sapporo Agricultural College, which is the predecessor Hokkaido University, in 1878 and was used as a gymnasium and a lecture hall. A small bell tower, instead of a clock, was part of the tower when it was first built, but it was installed as a clock tower in 1881. This clock uses force created from weights to operate instead of using electricity or batteries, and the clock weights are still being manually wound twice a week to this day. Over 130 years have passed since it was first installed, but nothing except for expendable parts has been replaced to this day, which makes it one of the few clocks in the world that appears the same and is still in operation since the days of the Meiji period. The clock tower, which has forged history along with Sapporo, continues to provide time for the city of Sapporo today as it is lovely protected by the city’s residents.

「少年よ、大志を抱け」の言葉で有名な北海道開拓の父、ウィリアム・スミス・クラーク博士をモデルに彫刻家・坂坦道氏により制作。右手を挙げる独特のポーズは「遙か彼方にある永遠の真理」を指し、そこに向かい大志を抱けとの思いが込められている。この像は、クラーク博士来道100年、アメリカ合衆国建国200年にあたる1976年（昭和51年）に建立された。クラーク博士は1876（明治9）年、アメリカ合衆国マサチューセッツ農科大学学長から札幌農学校（現・北海道大学）初代教頭として赴任。滞在期間はわずか8ヶ月だったが、学問はもちろんキリスト教を基礎とする人格教育に重きをおき、それらの教えはその後の北海道開拓にも多大な影響を与えた。

Dr. William Smith Clark, a pioneer in the development of Hokkaido, is famous for saying “Boys, be ambitious!” Everyone imitates his unique pose by raising their right hand when they stand on the Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill. This pose alludes to “the eternal truth far beyond,” and conveys Dr. Clark’s message to embrace the ambition that lies within this eternal truth. This statue was built in 1976, which marks 100 years since Dr. Clark visited Hokkaido and the 200th year of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. Dr. Clark left his position as President at Massachusetts Agricultural College in 1876 to become the first President of Sapporo Agricultural College. While he stayed for only eight months, his teachings, which focused on character building founded on Christianity and other subjects, greatly affected the exploration that took place in Hokkaido thereafter.

札幌〜上野間1200㎞を結ぶ寝台特急「北斗星」は、青函トンネルが開通した1988年3月13日にデビュー。機関車と客車で構成されており、客車のみでは動力源がなく走れないため、牽引する機関車が必要となるが、走行する区間によって動力の種類が異なるため、区間ごとに機関車を付け替えて運行する。北海道には非電区間が数多くあるため、函館〜札幌間はDD51型ディーゼル機関車が牽引、機関車を2両連結させて動力を増幅させ運転している。移り行く車窓の景色はもちろんのこと、ホテルのような優雅さと快適性、そしてゆっくりと流れる時間を楽しめることから、鉄道ファンのみならず、憧れの最高級寝台列車として人気を博した。

Hokutosei, limited express trains with sleeper cars, that connected the 1,200 kilometers between Sapporo and Ueno, debuted on March 13, 1988 when the Seikan Tunnel opened. A locomotive pulls the passenger trains, and the locomotive gets switched around based on zones because the type of locomotive power used is different based on the zones it runs on. Hokkaido has numerous zones without electricity, and thus the DD51 diesel locomotive powers the zone between Hakodate and Sapporo, with two locomotives connected in order to increase the driving force. The trains have been popular and admired as the most luxurious of sleeper car trains for their elegance and comfort, which are akin to those found in a hotel.

さっぽろ雪まつりは、大通会場の大雪像をはじめ、全部で300基を越える様々な雪氷像が制作される。市民雪像とは、市民が厳しい寒さの中で雪像づくりを楽しみながら、雪まつりへ参加するもので、各グループが趣向をこらした雪像は、市民や観光客の撮影スポットにもなっている。自衛隊が中心となって制作する見上げる程大きな大雪像も素晴らしいが、市民グループによる、その年の流行や話題の人などを題材にしたバラエティ豊かな雪像も一見の価値あり。

The snow sculpture made by local residents is an event in which residents participate in the snow festival by enjoying the process of creating an snow sculpture in harsh cold temperatures. The snow sculptures, which are inventively created by different groups, also serve as a site for photo opportunities among the local residents and tourists. A massive snow sculpture, centered on the Self Defense Forces that one can look up to, is outstanding, but small snow sculptures made by local residents that are based on a wide variety of themes, such as those that represent the trends or popular people of the year, are also worth seeing.

北海道のイメージキャラクターともいえるキタキツネ。北海道、樺太などに生息し、本州に生息するホンドギツネに比べるとやや大型で、ふっくら太く長い尾と、淡い茶色の毛が特徴。キタキツネは、真冬にかけて発情期に入り、春に巣穴の中で4〜7頭程の子どもを産み、夏を迎える頃、子ギツネは親とほぼ同じ大きさにまで育つ。この頃のキタキツネは、夏毛でやせ細って見えるが、秋になるとフサフサの美しい冬毛に変わっていく。寒さに強いといわれるキタキツネだが、初めての冬を迎える子ギツネのうち、厳しい冬を越せるのは１割にも満たないといわれている。

The Ezo red box can be seen as a character that exemplifies Hokkaido’s image. It lives in places such as Hokkaido and Karafuto, and is somewhat larger than the Japanese red fox that lives on Honshu, with its distinct characteristics its fluffy thick tail and light-brown fur. Its mating season begins in the middle of winter and around four to seven pups are born in a burrow in the spring, and when summer rolls around, the pups grow to be around the same size as their parents. The Ezo red fox around this time appear thin because of its summer fur, but the fur transforms into fluffy beautiful winter fur in the fall. The Ezo red fox is known to fare well in extremely cold temperatures, but not even 10% of the pups are said to survive their first harsh winter.

日本人にとって最も馴染み深く、北海道を代表する魚のひとつである鮭。新巻鮭は、古くからお歳暮などの贈答品として扱われてきた。新巻鮭は、塩をすり込んだ鮭を積み重ねて荒莚に包み、重しをして毎日手で返しながら水分を抜き、寒風干しにするという大変手間のかかるものだが、その分熟成され、独特の旨みが造り出される。『新巻（あらまき）』の語源は、塩俵の荒莚で巻いたところから『荒巻』といわれたとか、塩蔵したサケを藁で巻いたことから「わら巻」と呼ばれ、それが転じて『新巻』となったといわれている。

Salmon is one of the most familiar and representative fish from Hokkaido for Japanese people. Aramaki-sake, lightly salted salmon, has been treated as a gift such as Oseibo (year-end gift). Aramaki-sake takes a lot of manual work as it involves rubbing the salmon in salt, layering the salmon, wrapping it with a straw sheet, placing it under weight, turning the layers over every day in order to get rid of moisture, and drying it in cold air. But for this reason, it matures well and creates its own unique umami flavor. The etymology of Aramaki is said to have transformed into its name from Aramaki, which is literally based on the word aramaki, meaning wrapping it in a salted straw sheet, or the word waramaki, which means wrapping salt-cured salmon in straw (wara).

今や北海道名物として全国的に知られるスープカレー。その大きな特徴は、「スープ」「スパイス」「具材」の３つ。一般的ないわゆる「ルーカレー」と違い、小麦粉やバターを使わないさらさらしたスープに、多彩なスパイス、チキンレッグや大きめに切られた野菜が特徴。味は店舗によって実に多様である。発祥といわれているのが札幌の『アジャンタ インドカリ店』。1976年の創業時よりスープカレーを提供し、スープカレーの礎を築いた老舗である。

Now soup curry is noted for local specialty of Hokkaido. The three characteristics of soup curry are soup, spices and ingredients. Soup curry is characterized by the variety of spices and big chunks of ingredients such as chicken legs and vegetables, all mixed together in a soft and smooth soup that made without flour and butter differently from usual curry. The taste is difference each shop, there is a huge variety of the tastes. It originates from Curry Shop “Ajanta” in Sapporo, and is now popular nationwide. This shop, which began serving soup curry since the shop was established in 1976, is an old establishment that laid the foundations for soup curry.

「初音ミク」は、札幌市のクリプトン・フューチャー・メディア（株）が、ヤマハ（株）のVOCALOID技術を用い、声優・藤田 咲のボイスを元に開発した、音符と歌詞を入力すると歌を歌わせることができるパソコン用ソフトウェア。2007年の発売と同時に大ヒットし、日本を代表するコンテンツとして海外でも絶大な人気を得ている。「雪ミク」は、『さっぽろ雪まつり応援キャラクター』。雪と氷をモチーフにした真っ白い「初音ミク」で、様々なグッズやイベントなどに登場し、さっぽろ雪まつりを盛り上げている。

“HATSUNE MIKU” was planned and developed by Crypton Future Media, INC., the company that is located in Sapporo. The software utilizes VOCALOID technology developed by YAMAHA with the voice of voice actress Saki Fujita, and it allows to sing a song on the computer by inputting notes and lyrics. It was a major hit as soon as it was released in 2007, and has gained tremendous popularity overseas as well as content that is representative of Japan. “SNOW MIKU” is the mascot that enlivens the Sapporo Snow Festival. “SNOW MIKU” is snow-white “HATSUNE MIKU” based on the theme of snow and ice, appears in various paraphernalia and events and helps liven up the Sapporo Snow Festival.

北海道の名所、物産、文化… バラエティ豊かな“北海道名物”を手のひらサイズのフィギュアにしました。

“HOKKAIDO FIGURE MIYAGE” is the miniature figures of famous Hokkaido institutions!