An underground city

The five-year Construction Plan of Sapporo City, which made significant transport upgrades, also radically changed the shape of the city.

An underground city
© Nuvisage | Dreamstime.com / Odori vibrant underground shopping mall in Sapporo.

Most notable was the building of the Sapporo Underground Shopping Centre. The project aimed to improve the city’s commercial area, where previously traffic congestion had adversely affected ground-level shopping malls.

The new retail centre was closely linked to the new subway system. Opened for business in November 1971, it featured shops and restaurants running down two huge passageways in both north-south (Pole Town) and east-west (Aurora Town) directions.

The centre remains one of Sapporo’s principal commercial areas, attracting around 150,000 shoppers daily. It has become well known for its stylish boutiques and restaurants, while the “Small Bird Square” and “Gallery Stella” are established meeting points.

It is popular year-round, with its underground location making it indispensable for a city that is often under snow during the winter months.

Sapporo 1972