Sapporo

Sapporo (säp-pō`rō), city (1990 pop. 1,671,742), capital of Hokkaido prefecture, SW Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of Japan's most rapidly growing urban centers. Food processing, electronics, beer, lumbering, woodworking, and printing are the major industries. Sapporo is also a tourist and winter-sports center. It is famous for its annual Snow Festival and played host to the 1972 winter Olympics. Hokkaido Univ. and Sapporo Agricultural School are in the city.

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Sapporo

City (pop., 2003 est.: 1,888,953), Hokkaido, Japan. Located on the Ishikari River, the city was laid out in 1871 with wide, tree-lined streets; it became the prefectural capital in 1886. It is a major commercial centre, with Otaru, on the Sea of Japan (East Sea), as its port. Chief industries are lumbering, printing, publishing, and brewing. A popular centre for skiing and winter sports, it was the site of the 1972 Winter Olympic Games. The annual Snow Festival (in February) features giant sculptures carved from packed snow. It is the site of Hokkaido University (1876).

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Sapporo

a city in N Japan, on W Hokkaido: commercial centre; university (1918). Pop.: 1 822 992 (2002 est.)

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Sapporo 

a city in Japan, in the southern part of the island of Hokkaido; situated on the Toyohira River, near the Sea of Japan. Population, 1 million (1972).

Sapporo is the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Hokkaido. Industry includes petroleum refining and the production of textiles (including hemp and linen articles), chemicals, pharmaceuticals, leather, lumber, wood products, and food, including beer and canned fish. Printing and aircraft construction are also important. Sapporo has a university, scientific research institutes, and an agricultural experiment station. It has parks (Nakajima and Maruyama), botanical gardens, and a botanical museum.

In 1972, the 11th winter Olympics were held in Sapporo; the city has numerous facilities for winter sports.