Wow Place #326: Mt. Okura Ski Jump Stadium, Sapporo, Japan

I love a great city view, and undoubtedly the best one in Hokkaido is the one from atop Mount Hakodate. Referred to as the “Miracle Nightscape,” this sight is renowned as one of the top- three night views in all of Japan. It’s said to offer a stunning panorama of the city and the surrounding sea. The Michelin Guide even awarded it a three-star rating.

I’ve never seen this view. Nor have I been to Hakodate. I’m sure it’s a lovely place.

Although I was in Hokkaido for 6 weeks this past summer, I wasn’t willing to endure the five-hour train trip from Sapporo to Hakodate just to see a pretty view. Not when I could stay right there in Sapporo and enjoy the equally-stunning-but-different panorama from the top of an authentic Olympic ski jump.

The Mt. Okura Ski Jump Stadium is part of the Sapporo Olympic Museum. Located in the Miyanomori area of Sapporo to the west of town, the stadium hosted, among other events, the 1972 Winter Olympics. Categorized as a “large hill,” the total height of the jump, from starting point to the bottom of the slope, is 133 meters (436 feet).

Standing at the bottom of the hill, looking up the jump is an awesome sight. Made from ceramic with an internal cooling system to create a thick layer of ice, the jump is something of an engineering miracle. As I rise up the hill on the ski lift paralleling the venue, I get a close up view of the ski jump to my right – broad, brightly-painted in red, blue and green, and VERY, VERY steep.

From the top, the jump is even more impressive. I shiver to imagine myself standing on the precipice of the slope, snowing tumbling, eyeballing that steep slope and then pushing off with determination, casting myself into the void. What guts it must’ve taken for those Olympic ski jumpers– all the while viewed by 50,000 screaming fans hoping for a soft landing (but probably also okay with a dramatic crash landing.)

As cool as the massive ski jump is, what impresses me even more is the view itself – a gorgeous vista of the surrounding mountains, the city of Sapporo to the east, and the ocean far beyond. Interestingly, a nearby sign indicates that the lift is free every evening in the summer; what a gift for friends, families and lovers eager to take in the impressive city view—on the government’s dime.

How very civilized! How Japanese!

Take that, Hakodate.

(Back in the day, I gathered all my travel advice from guidebooks. If the Lonely Planet Guide recommended a place (like Hakodate), that’s all I needed. These days, I tend to lean towards online reviews which, as we all know, can be easily manipulated. In age of distrust and disinformation, perhaps the solution is – don’t listen to any third-party sources. Go find out for yourself! The religious leader Krishnamurti implored his followers to NOT listen to him…NOT treat him as a guru. Go meditate and understand reality directly. If I ever go back to Hokkaido, I’m definitely making the trek to the top of that mountain in Hakodate. Is it better than the ski jump in Sapporo? I’ll be the judge!)