Tanukikoji Shopping Street

Tanukikoji Shopping Street is a shopping arcade located in Chuo Ward, Sapporo, with a history dating back to 1873. Stretching about 900 meters east to west, it is lined with around 200 shops. Because the street is covered by an arcade roof, you can enjoy shopping comfortably without worrying about the weather. One of its famous events, the cash-grab (genkin tsukamidori), is still held twice a year, though participation is now by advance lottery. For access, if you take the Sapporo streetcar (Shiden), get off at "Tanukikoji" and walk about 1 minute. If you walk from Sapporo Station directly, it takes roughly 15 minutes, and using the Underground Pedestrian Space (Chi-Ka-Ho) makes the walk smoother. The area makes it easy to sample Hokkaido gourmet food, and it also has an off-track betting facility (WINS), making it a place where many Sapporo locals gather. It is also well-stocked with tourist-oriented shops selling Tanukikoji-only souvenirs such as Calbee+ and a KITKAT shop. Although it is a shopping street, there are also hotels in the area, so if you stay nearby you will have no trouble finding places to shop or eat. Because new buildings are being constructed, you can even find some unusual shops operating out of freight containers.