Sapporo Clock Tower is a wooden structure and well-known local tourist attraction, located at North 1 West 2, Chūō-ku

Chūō-ku, Sapporo

is one of the ten wards in Sapporo city, Japan. Chūō-ku means "central ward" in Japanese. As its name suggests, city administration and entertainment facilities are centred in this ward.- History :...

, Sapporo, the largest city on the island of Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

, northern Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

The building is of American design and is one of the few surviving Western-style buildings in Sapporo, a city developed in the 1870s with assistance from the American government. It is known by many as the symbol of the city and is a main feature of almost all domestic and international tours of Sapporo. The clock after which it is named continues to run and keep time, and the chimes can be heard every hour.

History

The tower was built in 1878, and is all that remains of the drill hall of the former Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaido University

Hokkaido University

Hokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...

). The building was one of the earliest to be built in this city. The city itself was chosen as the administrative centre of Hokkaidō in 1868, which is the date currently recognised as the official birth of the city.

Currently, this is the oldest building standing in Sapporo.

The clock was installed in July 1881 by E. Howard & Co.

E. Howard & Co.

thumb|Street clock by E. Howard & Co.The E. Howard & Co. clock and watch company was formed by Edward Howard and Charles Rice in 1858 after the demise of the Boston Watch Company...

 (headed by a co-founder of what would eventually become the Waltham Watch Company

Waltham Watch Company

The Waltham Watch Company, also known as the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., produced about 40 million high quality watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time fuses and other precision instruments between 1850 and 1957...

) of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

In 1970, Sapporo Clock Tower was designated an Important Cultural Property

Important Cultural Properties of Japan

The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....

, and certified as Mechanical Engineering Heritage

Mechanical Engineering Heritage (Japan)

The is a list of sites, landmarks, machines, and documents that made significant contributions to the development of mechanical engineering in Japan. Items in the list are certified by the .- Overview :...

of Japan in 2009.

Sapporo Clock Tower now

The clock tower now houses a museum introducing the history of the Agricultural College and the development of Sapporo.
It is open to visitors year round, but closed on Sundays and over the New Year period. Admission is 200 yen for adults and free for children, with discounts for groups.

On display in the museum is one of the few remaining original American blue-eyed Dolls in Hokkaidō, named Fanny Pio .

It is possible for members of the public to rent the large hall upstairs for private functions. It is also occasionally used for concerts.

Viewing and photographing the building is very popular among visitors to Sapporo, and visiting it forms a part of any tour of the city. However many expect to see a large structure and are disappointed at the relatively small size compared to the tall office buildings which now surround it.

External links

http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/hokkaido/sapporo_tokeidai.html http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5302.html http://www15.ocn.ne.jp/~tokeidai/english.html
http://www.tokeidai.co.jp/tokeidai/