Mt. Moiwa Summit Observation Deck

A Panorama Over Sapporo

The camera commands a sweeping vista across Sapporo, Hokkaido's largest city, whose orderly street grid reaches toward the Ishikari Plain and the mountains that ring the basin. Beyond the rooftops the view extends toward Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan.

The Summit Observation Deck

In the foreground stands the summit observation deck, a distinctive star-shaped terrace ringed by railings and coin-operated viewing scopes. At its centre rises the Bell of Happiness, a sculpture where visitors fasten love-locks and ring the bell — a ritual that has made the deck a romantic landmark of the city.

Mount Moiwa and Its Forest

The deck crowns Mount Moiwa, a forested peak rising some 531 metres above the southern edge of Sapporo. Its slopes are cloaked in a protected primeval forest, designated a natural monument, that shelters a rich mix of native trees and wildlife right at the city's doorstep.

Reaching the Summit

Most visitors ascend by the Mount Moiwa Ropeway and the small Morisu mini cable car that links the mid-station to the top, a popular outing for residents and travellers alike. The summit's restaurant and planetarium make it a year-round destination above the bustle of Sapporo.