Sapporo Education and Culture Hall, Concert venue in central Sapporo, Japan
The Sapporo Education and Culture Hall is a cultural facility in Chuo-ku, Sapporo, designed by architect Yoshiya Tanoue and built on the site of the former Sapporo District Court. Its main hall has a proscenium stage with a hypothetical main hanamichi, a side hanamichi, an orchestra pit, and seven dressing rooms. A smaller hall, rehearsal and practice rooms, seminar rooms, a lecture hall, and a gallery complete the complex.
Planning began in 1972 on the site of the former Sapporo District Court, and construction started on 28 July 1975. The first phase opened on 15 July 1977 with the small hall and meeting rooms; the second phase was finished on 1 October 1980, when the large hall opened. The building won the 6th Hokkaido Architecture Award in 1981 and was designed by Yoshiya Tanoue.
The hall's nickname-like mascot, "Kyōbun Taishi Kone Kūto", was created in 2010. The building also stages its own self-produced projects and runs programmes to train and support artists. A provisional Noh stage was installed in 2011, so classical performing arts have a dedicated space here.
The hall stands on Odori Avenue, opposite the Sapporo City Archives. It is about a 5-minute walk from Nishi 11-chome Station on the Tozai subway line, about 1 minute from the Kita 1-jo Nishi 12-chome bus stop, and about 10 minutes from Nishi 15-chome tram stop. A major renovation finished in September 2024 added elevators and step-free access.
The hall was built on the site of the former Sapporo District Court, and its design by Yoshiya Tanoue won the 6th Hokkaido Architecture Award in 1981. Since 2010 it has had an official mascot, "Kone Kuto", the Education and Culture Ambassador.
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