Autumn is harvest time, and Hokkaido is particularly famous for the incredible seafood that comes into season as the weather starts to cool. This September, Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Deck is celebrating with an event dedicated to some of the region's best fall eats.
The Autumn Delicacies Festival will take place from September 18 to 23, marking the 50th anniversary of the famous Dr. Clark statue at the observation deck.
But who is Dr. Clark? William Smith Clark was an American educator and agricultural scientist who came to Hokkaido in 1876 to help establish Sapporo Agricultural College, which is now part of Hokkaido University. Although he spent less than a year in Japan, he left a lasting legacy, and his statue has since become one of Sapporo's most recognizable landmarks.
As for the festival itself, one of the highlights will be Pacific saury shipped directly from Nemuro, one of Hokkaido's leading saury fishing areas. The fresh fish will be grilled on-site and sold for 500 JPY each. There will also be 200 grilled saury given away free each day, with numbered tickets distributed to the first 100 people at 10am and another 100 at 1pm.
There will also be grilled scallops from Tokoro in Kitami City, cooked fresh on-site and available for 400 JPY per serving.
The festival runs from 10am to 3pm, with saury sales starting at 11am. It's a great chance to combine a little Sapporo history with some seriously seasonal Hokkaido seafood.
