Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens, University botanical garden in Sapporo, Japan.
Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden in central Sapporo, featuring outdoor plant areas, a tropical greenhouse, and several museum buildings on the same grounds. The collection covers alpine plants, native Hokkaido trees, and a range of species that reflect the natural diversity of the island.
The gardens were founded in 1886 as part of what was then the Sapporo Agricultural College, making them the second oldest institution of this kind in Japan. Their origins in agricultural research shaped an early focus on the plants and natural resources specific to Hokkaido.
The Natural History Museum on the grounds displays objects from the Ainu people, including tools, clothing, and everyday items that reflect the life of Hokkaido's original inhabitants. This collection is one of the most accessible ways in Sapporo to learn about Ainu heritage through physical objects.
The entrance is close to Sapporo Station and easy to reach on foot. The outdoor areas are best visited in the warmer months, while the greenhouse remains open throughout the year.
The grounds contain a lilac tree that is among the oldest in Sapporo, planted during the garden's early years. Alongside it, Japanese elm specimens stand as reminders of the forested landscape that covered the area before the city grew around it.
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