The Former Hokkaido Government Office Building, known locally as Akarenga, is an 1888 American neo-Baroque brick building of about 2.5 million bricks that served as Hokkaido's seat of government for eighty years and is now a National Important Cultural Property. It reopened on 25 July 2025 after a five-year closure for seismic retrofitting and restoration, and now runs as a visitor attraction with a history and culture floor upstairs, a regional information floor with a shop, cafe and restaurant at ground level, and exhibits on Sakhalin and the Northern Territories in the basement. Admission is ¥300 for adults and the building stays open until 9:00 PM. Its octagonal tower and front garden pond are among the most photographed sights in central Sapporo.

Best season

Year-round

Year-round; the front garden is at its best with autumn colour in October and under snow in winter

Crowd level

Moderate

Rating

4.2· 1,901 reviews

Opening hours

Daily 8:45 AM – 9:00 PM

Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.

Admission

Adults ¥300; university and high school students ¥200; junior high school age and younger free; free for disability certificate holders and one carer. Group rates for 20 or more are ¥270 and ¥180. The ground-floor shop, cafe and restaurant sit in a free-entry zone. The octagonal tower observation balcony is a separate paid experience at ¥1,200 for ages 7 and up, and guided tours cost ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for students.

Nearest station

Sapporo Station · 11 min walk

Website

hokkaido-redbrick.jp

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