The deadline set by Sapporo City for the removal of illegal structures at the privately-owned zoo “North Safari Sapporo” in Minami Ward, which closed at the end of September, passed on the 26th. The zoo had operated for 20 years after building its facilities without permission in an area designated for urbanization control. Numerous illegal structures still remain on the premises, making complete removal by the deadline an impossible situation….
North Safari Sapporo
North Safari Sapporo is a wildlife park located in Sapporo, Japan, which opened in 2016. It allows visitors to drive through expansive enclosures to observe animals like lions, tigers, and bears up close, offering an experience modeled on the safari parks of Africa. The park was developed to provide a unique, immersive animal encounter in the northern island of Hokkaido.
Sapporo City
Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, Japan, founded officially in 1868 during the Meiji period as a planned modern city on the island’s northern frontier. It is now internationally famous for its annual Snow Festival, its role as the host of the 1972 Winter Olympics, and as the birthplace of Sapporo Beer, with brewing beginning in 1876. The city’s orderly grid layout and landmarks like the Clock Tower reflect its development under Western-influenced advisors in the late 19th century.
Minami Ward
Minami Ward is a central commercial and entertainment district in Yokohama, Japan, historically developed as a modern port area following the country’s opening to foreign trade in the 1850s. It is famous for its vibrant Chinatown—one of the largest in the world—and the scenic Yamashita Park waterfront, which was built after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 using rubble from the disaster. Today, it remains a major tourist hub blending international history with contemporary urban life.
