Ranked second in Japan's New Three Great Night Views — a sweeping view of nighttime Sapporo.

Mt. Moiwa Summit Observatory

Mt. Moiwa stands 531m tall. There are five hiking trails, each an easy climb of about an hour. Despite being right next to the city center, it retains rich natural surroundings, earning a spot among Hokkaido's 100 Selected Natural Landscapes. It's also home to old-growth forest designated as a national natural monument, along with numerous birds and animals, including the nationally protected Japanese black woodpecker.

You can also take a ropeway and "Morris Car" from near the streetcar stop all the way up to the summit. The Morris Car is a Swiss-made cable car using the world's first drive system of its kind. Since it travels along rails set into the mountainside, you can enjoy the sensation of climbing through the forest and up the mountain.

Once you reach the summit observatory, the view opens up all at once — a vast panorama stretching across the Ishikari Plain to Ishikari Bay. It's easy to see why it earned Japan's number-two ranking — a romantic, dramatic sight. The ropeway runs from early morning on New Year's Day, so heading up to the summit to see the year's first sunrise is highly recommended too.