Sapporo is the main city on the island of Hokkaido, the northern most island in Japan.
The main airport for Sapporo is New Chitose Airport (新千歳空港) with a JR train (Rapid Airport, 快速エアポート) that goes directly to Sapporo station (札幌駅) in the middle of Sapporo and close to the university. If you are staying near Odori (大通), Susukino (すすきの), or elsewhere, two alternatives are either taking a bus (some of which stop nearby hotels in the downtown area) or transfering to the subway at Shin-Sapporo station (新さっぽろ駅).
See also the web page of Hokkaido University.
If you want to come to Sapporo from the main island (Honshu 本州) by train, you can take the bullet train (shinkansen 新幹線) to Shin Hakodate Hokuto (新函館北斗), and then transfer to an express train to Sapporo station (札幌駅). It takes more than 4 hours from Tokyo to Shin Hakodate Hokuto by the bullet train, and it takes more than 3 hours from Shin Hakodate Hokuto to Sapporo by an express.
We have reserved a number of single rooms at various hotels in Sapporo. Until April 15, 2025, you will be able to choose a hotel reservation while filling out the registration form.
However, there are many options for hotels and Airbnbs in Sapporo. If you are booking your hotel yourself, we recommend staying in the downtown area between Sapporo station (札幌駅) and Odori (大通), Susukino (すすきの) or near Nakajima park (中島公園). Other options are near Maruyama park (円山公園), Kotoni (琴似) or Shiroishi-ku (白石区), but they are less convenient for attending FPSAC. Please directly email Travis Scrimshaw (tcscrims@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
People traveling with a North American or European passport typically do not require a visa for entering Japan for a period of less than 90 days. Please see this table for a complete list of countries. If this does not apply to you, a standard short-term stay visa will likely be sufficient. If you are not sure about your visa requirements you can visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) visa page for more information.
If you require a professional contact at a university for a visa to attend the conference, you may use the following:
Travis Scrimshaw
Hokkaido University
Department of Mathematics
Faculty of Science
Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
日本語:
スクリムシャー トラビス
〒060-0810
札幌市北区北10条西8丁目
北海道大学大学院理学研究院数学部門
If you require a telephone and email, please use:
+81 11-706-2678
fpsac2025@math.sci.hokudai.ac.jp
If you need an official invitation for your visa application, please contact fpsac2025@math.sci.hokudai.ac.jp. (Do not contact KNT regarding visa related matters.) This visa contact may only be used by professional scientists related to the scope of the conference. We provide invitation letters for everyone
Sapporo lies in the west part of Hokkaido on its northern coast. Since Hokkaido is the northernmost island of Japan, the summer in Sapporo is cooler than summer in the other cities in the main island of Japan. The mean daily maximum temperature in July is 25.4°C, and the mean daily minimum temperature in July is 17.9°C.
Getting around Sapporo is easy with three subway lines that connect to every major point within the central ward (中央区) and many of the surrounding wards. There is an underground passageway that runs from Susukino (すすきの) – Odori (大通) – Sapporo Station (札幌駅) for those who want to avoid walking through the downtown area. There is also a network of buses that operate within the city, and the tram line operates in the south west part of the city. Note that most public transport ends by midnight.
If you plan to use public transport frequently, we recommend getting an IC card. Other major Japanese IC cards (e.g., ICOCA, Suica) work within Hokkaido where IC cards are accepted. (If you travel outside of Sapporo in Hokkaido, you might not be able to use your IC card; depends on the city.)
Sapporo is the cultural, economic, and political center of Hokkaido prefecture and contains many attractions. For example, we have many parks and green spaces:
Other places to visit or things to do inlcude:
Short-term and day-use bike rentals are available. There are various bike roads and trails in and around Sapporo, such as from the Sapporo Convention Center to Kita-Hiroshima (20 km each way; max elevation change 90m).
Sapporo has a very active restuarant scene, including those specializing in traditional Japanese style food, Hokkaido specialties (such as soup curry), western style food, and other international cuisines. These are located all throughout the city, but particularly notable clusters are near Sapporo station, in the Susukino area, and in the Maruyama area. Nightlife can be found in Susukino, which is usually the only place to find restuarants open after 10 PM. Convenience stores are often open 24/7 and there are many located within Sapporo. They usually have full meals (as well as snacks and drinks). However, there are very few places that are open before 9 AM for breakfast, which includes most coffee shops.
There are numerous shopping malls in Sapporo, many of which are located in the downtown area, as well as various specialty shops throughout the city.
While there are many attractions in and immediately close to Sapporo, there are many other places to explore on Hokkaido. Here are just a few recommendations:
If you wish to rent a car, unless you have a Japanese license, you will almost certainly need an International Driving Permit.
After a long journy to Japan, you might want to stay longer and experience the excitment and diversity of Japan. Some of the major cities of interest are:
To visit another city in Japan, we recommend that you fly. You can book a flight on one of the budget carriers (Peach, AirDo, etc.) typically 10,000-20,000 JPY for a one-way ticket per person. If you would like any suggestions about things to do in any of these cities (or elsewhere in Japan), feel free to ask any of the local organizers.