Sapporo Clock Tower

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The Sapporo Clock Tower is a white wooden building with a big clock on its roof, in the middle of Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. It was built in 1878 and is the oldest standing building in the city and the oldest clock tower in Japan.

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At a glance

Country: Japan
Location: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Built: 1878
Type: Tower

Quick answers

Where is Sapporo Clock Tower?

Sapporo Clock Tower is in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

When was Sapporo Clock Tower built?

Sapporo Clock Tower was built in 1878.

A white wooden hall built in 1878 as a drill hall for the Sapporo Agricultural College; its clock has chimed since 1881.

It started out not as a clock tower at all, but as a drill hall for the Sapporo Agricultural College, which later became Hokkaido University. Today it is a symbol of Sapporo, and its clock still keeps time and chimes every hour. Inside, a small museum tells the story of the college and of how Sapporo grew, and it is open to visitors all year round.

From drill hall to city symbol

Sapporo was chosen as Hokkaido's new administrative center in 1868, and this was one of the first buildings put up there. It has an American style, because American advisers helped to plan the city, and a Western-style design was rare in Japan then.

The clock was made by E. Howard & Co. of Boston and installed in July 1881. Japan made the building an Important Cultural Property in 1970, and in 2009 the clock mechanism was certified as Mechanical Engineering Heritage.

Visiting today

Inside, a small museum tells the story of the Agricultural College and how Sapporo grew. It is open all year except Sundays and the New Year break, and children can go in free. A large hall upstairs is sometimes used for concerts.

The building is about 20 meters tall. Sapporo ramen shops and Hokkaido travel posters often use its picture.