Sapporo Travel Money Guide

Sapporo is Japan's northern city of snow, seafood and ramen. It is a little cheaper than Tokyo for food and a little more reliant on cash in the small places. The big variable is the season: the early-February Snow Festival brings huge crowds and the highest hotel prices of the year, so your budget swings with the calendar.

How much cash to bring to Sapporo

A rough daily budget for a comfortable mid-range trip:

• Food — ¥5,000–9,000/day (a bowl of ramen is about ¥1,000–1,500; crab, jingisukan lamb and soup curry push the bill up)
• Local transport — ¥600–1,200/day on the subway, as single fares run from a few hundred yen
• Attractions & nightlife — ¥2,000–5,000/day (ski areas, the clock tower and Susukino all add up)

Paying your way around Sapporo

• Use an IC card — Kitaca, Suica and other nationwide IC cards work on all Sapporo subway lines, plus buses and the tram. If you already have a Suica from a Tokyo trip, bring it.
• Day passes can pay off — the subway's day tickets can beat single fares on busy sightseeing days. Check the current prices at a station machine.
• Cards work at hotels and chains — department stores, Tanukikoji arcade shops and big restaurants take cards. Small ramen shops and stalls often don't.
• Konbini ATMs — 7-Eleven and Japan Post ATMs accept foreign cards, which is handy if you run short of yen.

Neighbourhood cash notes

• Odori Park & Sapporo Station — department stores and underground malls take cards. Festival food stalls in Odori Park during events are cash.
• Susukino — bars and izakaya vary; plenty are cash-only, so ask before you sit down.
• Ganso Ramen Yokocho (Ramen Alley) — a tiny alley of ramen counters, and many of them are cash-only or have a ticket machine that takes coins and notes. Carry a few ¥1,000 notes.
• Nijo Market & Curb Market — seafood rice bowls and fresh crab. Some stalls accept cards, but cash makes buying and bargaining quicker.

A couple of Sapporo habits

• Book early for Snow Festival week — hotel rates climb sharply, and cheap rooms disappear months ahead. Budget the extra before you decide your trip dates.
• Keep some coins — vending machines, coin lockers at stations and some small shops want coins. A coin purse saves fumbling in cold weather.
• No tipping — it isn't done anywhere in Japan, including Sapporo.