Sapporo’s three subway lines are extremely easy to navigate. Built to accommodate the traffic of the 1972 Winter Olympic, the lines cover a total of 48km that run in three directions. The green  Namboku line runs north-south, the orange Tozai line runs somewhat east-west, and the blue Toho line runs areas within the suburbs, with Odori as the central hub of them all.

Located on the Tozai (orange) line, Odori makes it easy to access all tourist attractions. The JR Sapporo Station and Susukino, for example, are located on the Namboku (green) line, and Maruyama Koen, which hosts attractions such as the Hokkaido Shrine, Maruyama Park, and the Maruyama Zoo, is three stops away from Odori on the Tozai (orange) line.

On top of being easy to navigate the lines, the trains announce stations in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. Additionally, a clear and comprehensive information display over the door displays everything that you will need to know. Switching between Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean, these displays show all stations on the line, the direction the train is going, the upcoming station name, and the side in which the door opens.

While a short distance of two stops will cost you 200 yen, a trip across the city will only set you back 360 yen. Alternatively, you can buy a one-day pass which allows for the unlimited use of Sapporo’s three subway lines within a calendar day at 830 yen on weekdays, or the Donichika ticket which is available at 520 yen on weekends, public holidays, and from December 29 to January 3. Also available are prepaid cards such as the KITACA that can be used on JR trains in Sapporo as well as its subways, buses, and trams. Another prepaid card that can be bought is the SAPICA card that accumulates 10% points with each use, although it is not recommended as the SAPICA card can only be used in Hokkaido.

One-day tickets

Provides unlimited rides on subway trains for the whole day.

Adults: 830 yen
Children: 420 yen

Available at: subway ticket-vending machines, commuter pass sales offices.

Donichika Ticket

Provides unlimited rides on subway trains for the whole day the weekends, public holidays, and between Dec. 29 – Jan. 3.

Adults: 520 yen
Children: 260 yen

Available at: subway ticket-vending machines, commuter pass sales offices.

Prepaid (IC) cards

Kitaca

Price: 2,000 yen (1,500 yen fare balance with a 500-yen deposit)
Usable in several other cities in Japan.

Sapica

Price: 2,000 yen (1,500 yen fare balance with a 500-yen deposit)
NOT usable on JR trains and other cities in Japan.

Other usable IC cards

Kitaca, Suica, PASMO, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA IC cards for the city’s subways and streetcars, JR Hokkaido Buses, Jotetsu Buses and Hokkaido Chuo Buses.

Website:

http://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/route_konaizu/index.html