Clock Tower is another prominent historical building in Sapporo. Built in 1878, it started off as a military drill hall when Japan needed to defend themselves from possible advancement from Russia. Several education institutions were housed in this building over the years. It was given the status of a national important cultural property and is currently a museum showcasing exhibits on history of Clock Tower and the development of Sapporo.
Original intent was to drop by to take some photographs of this wooden structure on our way back to hotel. To our surprise, admission was free of charge on that day, so we ended up spending some time touring the exhibition hall. There is a spacious hall on the second floor and a display explaining how the mechanical clock works. This clock works on a weight driven hand cranked type mechanism and has been certified as the oldest unmodified working clock by Japan Machinery Academic Society in August 2009.
There is a good spot outside the Clock Tower for photo-taking purpose. Recommend to visit this historical, humble looking landmark (standing firmly among the high rise modern buildings) that has gone through important phases of Sapporo's development.
Tip: Tickets to Clock Tower and Sapporo TV Tower can be purchased together at a discounted price of 720 yen. Admission fee to Clock Tower and TV Tower costs 200 and 700 yen, respectively.
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Sapporo Clock Tower 时计台
< 5 mins walk from Odori subway station
Admission fee = 200 yen
http://www15.ocn.ne.jp/~tokeidai/english.html
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