Mt. Moiwa Ropeway

Welcome to Sapporo, the vibrant and bountiful capital city of Hokkaido prefecture. Situated beautifully on the banks of the mighty Ishikari River, this cool northern corner of Japan is deeply renowned for a rich tapestry of gifts…

Our journey formally begins at the Sanroku Station, the architectural anchor situated at the very foothills of Mount Moiwa. Although it is slightly removed from the dense, bustling core of downtown Sapporo, the transportation…

As you step securely into the spacious interior of the main ropeway gondola, you immediately notice a distinct, deliberate environmental choice made by the operators. The interior lighting of the cabin is intentionally kept pitch…

The gondola's gentle deceleration signals our arrival at Chufuku Station, the critical mid-point interchange of the Mount Moiwa infrastructure. Upon disembarking the main ropeway, visitors often immediately look for an…

To complete the final, incredibly steep push to the absolute peak of the mountain, we must now transition from the main gondola to the specialized mini cable car, affectionately branded as the Morisu-car. The logistics of Mount…

As the doors of the Morisu-car slide open, you finally step into the highly anticipated summit station complex. Similar to the design philosophy of the base station, the immediate first floor of this building is architecturally…

Also occupying the prestigious second floor is a culinary establishment that proudly markets itself with the bold tagline: the restaurant where the scenery of Sapporo looks its absolute most beautiful. This is The Jewels, a…

Leaving the warm, sheltered indulgence of the second floor behind, we finally ascend the last flight of stairs and step out onto the absolute roof of the facility—the open air summit observation deck. The very first thing that…

While the sweeping natural and urban vistas command the majority of attention on the freezing observation deck, there is a highly specific, deeply cultural installation located directly on the platform that demands our scholarly…

As the freezing northern winds finally begin to seep deeply through your heavy layers of clothing, it is time to conclude our incredible high altitude exploration and begin the descent back to the earth. Retreating from the…