Unlike previous parks, “Moerenuma Park” in Sapporo, Hokkaido is full of original charm. The world-famous sculptor “Isamu Noguchi” made the basic design, and the entire park was made like a sculpture. You can experience the seasonal charm of Sapporo and enjoy the beautiful scenery that combines nature and art.
It is built with the concept of “one sculpture as a whole.” In the large site, facilities such as fountains, mountains and playground equipment that incorporate geometric patterns are placed. If you step into “Moerenuma Park”, you will encounter a vast landscape that has never been seen as a fusion of art and nature, just like another world. It is a wonderland that gives dreams and future to children and fresh excitement to adults.
“Moerenuma Park” is famous for its various events. There are many events such as art, music, sports and dance. For example, a workshop where dance and performance can be enjoyed together, and a “wonder airplane workshop” is held on Children’s Day, so everyone can enjoy making an airplane. “Cycle Road Race” will be held in summer, and “Moere Mountain Explosive Sled Tournament” will be held in winter. There are various events every season, so you can enjoy it from children to adults.
The sculptor “Isamu Noguchi” drew the plan, but the “Play Mountain” in Central Park in New York, which was unsuccessful, was realized in “Moerenuma Park”. “Play Mountain” is like a sculpture of the earth. You will be overwhelmed by the majestic beauty that can only be achieved in the land and nature of Hokkaido. The 99 stone steps stacked with granite are reminiscent of ancient ruins, and on the other side is a white road that stretches to the summit like a slope. With a height of 30 meters and a width of 340 meters from north to south, you will be impressed by the magnificent scenery from the summit.
“Ocean Fountain” is a huge fountain with a diameter of 48 meters in the center of Moerenuma Park. Isamu Noguchi works on a lot of water-themed works, but Ocean Fountain is said to be a sister version of the Bay Front Park Fountain in Miami.
Rather than just a fountain, there are a 40-minute long program and a 15-minute short program that run three to four times a day. The program is a story, and a fountain and sea storm that erupts like a geyser will give you a dynamic impression.
Introducing access to Moerenuma Park. From Sapporo, transfer to the subway and bus. There is a bus service to “Moerenuma Park” from “Kanjodori Higashi Station” of Sapporo Municipal Subway Toho Line or from Nanboku Line “Kita 34jo Station” of Sapporo Municipal Subway.
Sapporo is a central city for sightseeing in Hokkaido, but why not visit “Moerenuma Park” as a tourist attraction. You will be amazed by the beautiful scenery and new excitement you have never seen before.
A park created under the concept of “one sculpture as a whole”
“Moerenuma Park” in the northeastern part of Sapporo city, Hokkaido is a park where nature and art are integrated. When you stand in a large site, you feel as if you are in a work of art rather than being in a park. Moerenuma Park, as its name says, is a park in Lake Moere. Originally this was a garbage disposal site from Sapporo city, but it was built as a city park in a place where about 2.7 million tons of waste was landfilled.
Construction started in 1982, initially thought to create a general park that makes use of waterside. However, Isamu Noguchi, Japanese American sculptor, cooperated fully with the park design, and decided to make a big change to a park surrounded by art that is not elsewhere.
The park is about 1.89 square kilometers including the swamp and it takes about 20 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the end of the park. When you walk slowly, you need a considerable amount of time. So it is recommended to use a bicycle to walk in Moerenuma Park. Because there is a bicycle rental, let’s make effective use by all means.
In spring you can enjoy cherry blossoms, in summer you can enjoy water at “Moere Beach” for children made by imagining the seaside, and in winter you can also enjoy skiing and sleighing at “Mt. Moere”.
The landscape in which nature and art merged became a topic little by little, tourists from abroad as well as Sapporo citizens came to visit a lot. Why do not you visit the sculpture on the green landscape?
The dream achieving the fulfillment of Isamu Noguchi’s ideas
The word of “Moere” is meaning “The current in this river is gentle”. The Moere pond is a lake called a “riverbed lake” of the Toyohira river flowing through the Sapporo city. It can be said that the Moerenuma park among the horseshoe-shaped Moere pond is the landscape of the dream achieving the fulfillment of Isamu Noguchi’s ideas
The Art Park
Many impressive art objects which he left, which harmonizing well each other, in the very large garden of 189 hectares is welcoming people. Everyone from adults to children touch the art object naturally, and they can taste a sense of unity that seemed to become a part of them. It is the space that you can call “The Art Park”.
The glass pyramid
Conspicuously eye-catching thing in Moerenuma park is “The glass pyramid” called “HIDAMARI”. It is complicated appearance that a triangle, a quadrangular pyramid, a cube were combined, and an impression of it is variously by the viewing angle.
The fountain of the sea
“The fountain of the sea” of 48 meters in diameter is reasonable to call it “the sculpture of the water”, and the popularity spot of visiting people. It is illuminated luxuriously in the evening. You may sense different charm of the daytime by adding fantastic light,
Proud spot of Sapporo
It produce various pleasure for the people through the four seasons, and becomes the attractive site of various events. It is a proud spot of Sapporo burning into your memory.
Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)
| Name: | Moerenuma Park |
| Adresse: | Moerenuma-koen 1-1, Higashi-ku, Sapporo 007-0011 Japan |
| Access: | Sapporo Municipal Subway Toho-sen Line “Sakaemachi-eki Station” (30 minutes by bus) |
| Tel: | (+81) 11-790-1231 |
| Price/Charge: | Free |
| Official site: | http://moerenumapark.jp/ |
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