Sapporo ESTA was a shopping center on the southeast side of JR Sapporo Station. It closed permanently on August 31, 2023, after 45 years. The photographs below record its shops, restaurants, entertainment areas and visitor facilities before the closure.
Major tenants included Bic Camera, Uniqlo and Loft. ESTA also contained an arcade, Sapporo Ramen Republic and the Sapporo Station Bus Terminal.
The bus terminal continued operating until September 30, 2023. Local and intercity services then moved to temporary stops around Sapporo Station. For current route and boarding information, see our articles on Local Bus Routes & Sightseeing Buses and Intercity Highway Express Buses.
Sapporo ESTA before its closure in 2023
The floor-by-floor guide below preserves a record of ESTA before it closed.
B2 level: Inside the Can Do 100 yen store
B2 contained a Can Do 100-yen shop selling household and office goods, stationery, drinks and sweets. This level connected directly to the Toho Subway Line concourse and by escalator to the B1 food hall.
B1 level: Shiroi Koibito confectionery at ESTA
B1 contained a food hall with shops selling bento meals, side dishes, traditional confectionery, pickles, imported foods, alcohol, baked goods, fruit and vegetables. Its food court included inexpensive fast-food shops and cafes serving rice bowls, burgers, noodles and Chinese food. The level also had a pharmacy and flower shop.
Bic Camera occupied floors 1-4 and sold electronics alongside household, leisure and travel products.
Cameras on the 1st floor of Bic Camera
- 1F sold cameras and smartphones.
- 2F sold small appliances, cosmetics, liquor and drugstore products.
- 3F sold televisions, audio equipment, computers, printers, electronic dictionaries and instruments, together with golf equipment, bicycles, luggage and travel goods.
- 4F sold large household appliances, lighting, toys, games and furniture.
2nd floor: Bic Camera’s tax-free counter
Bic Camera’s tax-free counter was on 2F, together with a section aimed at overseas visitors.
5th floor: Men’s casual wear in Uniqlo
The 5th floor contained Uniqlo, which sold casual clothing and accessories for women, men and children.
6th floor: The Loft lifestyle store
Loft occupied the 6th floor and sold stationery, cosmetics, kitchen and bathroom products, interior goods and gifts.
7th floor: Global Work clothing for women, men and children
7th floor: Only formal and business clothing
7th floor: Kitchen and interior goods in Nitori Express
The 7th floor contained clothing and accessory shops as well as the Nitori Express interior-goods and furniture store.
8th floor: GU casual fashion
8th floor: Right-On casual clothing
8th floor: ABC-Mart footwear
8th floor: Village Vanguard pop-culture goods
The 8th floor contained more fashion shops, including ABC-Mart, together with Village Vanguard and its mix of books, comics, music, toys, clothing, accessories and other pop-culture goods.
9th floor: The Namco games arcade
9th floor: Thomas Station
The 9th floor was ESTA’s “Amusement Zone”. It included a Namco arcade with video games, photo booths, prize machines and a virtual-reality area. Thomas Station had a play area for small children and sold Thomas the Tank Engine goods. A cafe served sandwiches, pastries and drinks.
The 10th floor dining area
The 10th floor was ESTA’s main dining area. One side had restaurants serving Chinese, Korean and Italian food alongside Japanese dishes including udon, soba, okonomiyaki, tonkatsu, sushi and Hokkaido soup curry. The other side contained Sapporo Ramen Republic, which brought together eight Hokkaido ramen restaurants, a souvenir shop and a ramen shrine. For a detailed record of the former ramen theme park, see our article: Sapporo Ramen Republic.
11th floor: The rooftop garden
The 11th floor had an event space and gallery used for art shows and cultural exhibitions. It also had a rooftop flower garden with city views.
Facilities at ESTA
ESTA had an information desk on B1. It handled facility inquiries, floor guides, lost property and lost-child reports, and loaned strollers and wheelchairs.
For businesses operating elsewhere in JR Tower, payment methods vary by shop. Participating shops in APIA and Sapporo Stellar Place accept major transportation IC cards.
Location
ESTA occupied the southeast side of the JR Sapporo Station building in the North 5 West 2 block. JR Tower’s operating shopping centers are APIA and Sapporo Stellar Place.
Redevelopment of the Former ESTA Site
The former ESTA site is part of the North 5 West 1-West 2 redevelopment. JR Hokkaido’s revised July 2026 plan divides the project into two buildings connected by a deck. West 2, which includes the former ESTA site, is scheduled to start construction in fiscal 2027 and finish in fiscal 2030. West 1 is scheduled from fiscal 2030 to fiscal 2034. New bus terminals remain planned in both blocks. These dates are targets.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 02-Sep-2026.
