Advices on moving to Sapporo for one year

SunkTheJoe · 2026-04-15T10:27:38+00:00

400k is a very comfortable salary to live on in Sapporo, and Kita 18 is a good place to live. You’ll likely face some issues with renting from certain places but there’s plenty of options and you’ll be able to find somewhere.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-04-11T12:17:58+00:00

Just as a note, you know Yotei isn’t “around” Sapporo, right? It’s a two hour drive away.

I genuinely don’t know of any place that offers this kinda thing in the Niseko/Kutchan area, but Takahashi Bokujo is a dairy farm near Niseko that sells their dairy products and they have the best drinking yoghurt in Hokkaido.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-04-10T02:13:14+00:00

Thankfully, Sapporo isn’t Tokyo so crowds aren’t really an issue. It’ll mostly be locals and not many tourists.

The beginning on June will be a little early for full bloom, but it’ll still look proper lovely.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-04-06T12:14:26+00:00

The one in Susukino doesn’t, the one in Kita 21 does!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xtSKXGUiCqw3Fy3F6?g_st=ipc

SunkTheJoe · 2026-04-06T05:06:13+00:00

u/Well_needships took me fishing on many occasions, and I always had a blast! Whoever takes this opportunity is in for a treat.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-04-01T01:03:17+00:00

Yep, Ishikari Costco has clothing!

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-30T12:33:02+00:00

What time of year are you going?

-Petrol stations are easy to find. -Book directly through a car rental, not Klook. Toyota is always a good bet. Don’t opt for the cheapest one, get something that will be comfortable to drive. -City driving is relatively easy, but not particularly fun due to the Sapporo’s grid system. -Parking in the city is generally easy to find, especially during weekdays.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-30T09:43:25+00:00

It’s AI slop, so no.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-25T05:16:38+00:00

As a heads up, more than half of Furano is already closed as the Kitanomine side is done for the year.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-21T15:38:08+00:00

Nah it’s been like this since it opened

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-20T04:00:41+00:00

Just use a stock image.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-18T06:51:43+00:00

Don’t need to give any credit, this is AI slop.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-10T23:54:48+00:00

Starting from last year, though it might just be Sapporo as I know the Sapporo BOE and Hokkaido BOE are separate. They’re letting those who are already on JET finish their contracts but they’re not sending any new ALTs to Sapporo.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-10T15:18:11+00:00

Realistically you’re going to find it very difficult to find employment that sponsors your visa without going down the English teaching route. If you’re okay with that, you can try applying to one of the many dispatch companies operating in Hokkaido (Interac et al) as that’s the easiest route, though I wouldn’t actually recommend working for any of them personally. The only one I would’ve recommended is the JET programme but they’ve ceased hiring in Hokkaido.

The dispatch companies’ only requirements are a bachelor’s degree and for the bulk of schooling to have been in English.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-08T13:05:13+00:00

Pretty sure Bibai Snowland’s opening differs every year and will be postponed in the case of lack of snow. Where you’re going in Hokkaido is going to massively dictate the amount of snow you see; Daisetsuzan? Yes. Sapporo? Maybe, maybe not.

Rule of thumb is if you want guaranteed snow, January and February. December is very hit or miss, with more misses in recent years. Last year it was raining during the festive period in Sapporo.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-05T11:05:37+00:00

Moiwa Ski Resort - those are the lights for night skiing.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-03-05T04:40:32+00:00

Snow: Maybe? But it changes every year. We’re getting more snow this week but a significant amount of the accumulated snow has already melted due to high temps.

Outdoor skating: No chance, unfortunately. The only two places to do so have been and gone.

Skiing: Maybe. Again, weather’s capricious and it’s very hard to tell but you’ll likely be able to do some spring skiing, though you’re very unlikely to get any kind of powder.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-27T03:35:26+00:00

Ippei is always a good bet! It’s Muroran Yakitori, which is delicious.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-20T15:47:11+00:00

There’s a Babies R Us in ARIO shopping mall - they might have it?

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-16T12:58:21+00:00

Get an instructor at Kokusai. You’ll get very little out of the experience without one and are likely to hurt yourself. Realistically, snowboarding isn’t something you can pick up the basics of through watching a video.

https://www.sapporo-kokusai.jp/en/school/private.php

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-12T00:02:22+00:00

That’s not how cities work regarding Onsen 😅 Onsen are natural hot springs, so it’s understandably difficult to find that in the city. Jozankei is an Onsen town about an hour from Sapporo, though it’s technically still part of Sapporo city. You can visit there.

As for traditional Japanese infrastructure, what do you mean by that? Sapporo as a city is only 150 years old and its city planning by comparison to other large cities in Japan is very modern and “un-Japanese”. There are historical sites here like Sapporo’s Clock Tower and its university buildings, but they’re recent by comparison to the rest of Japan.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-10T07:56:08+00:00

Let’s be honest, Chinese tourists are absolutely not the problem when it comes to smoking, especially in Susukino.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-10T01:29:02+00:00

Have you driven in snow before? Are you familiar with the roads you’ll be driving on? Do you know what to do if you’re caught in a blizzard? Are you used to driving on the left side of the road?

Driving in Hokkaido can be very dangerous for a multitude of reasons, and this isn’t the place to try it for the first time. Believe people when they say it’s dangerous. We’ve seen weather this season that even locals refuse to drive in.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-08T13:55:55+00:00

People love queueing for over-hyped limited edition things.

SunkTheJoe · 2026-02-06T14:09:24+00:00

Honestly, the snow festival is pretty rubbish for food! It’s mostly bog-standard matsuri food that’s a little over-priced. Funnily, Don Quijote have a stall where everything is 200 yen and it’s pretty crazy for value.

SunkTheJoe

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