The Tozai Subway Line for Odori, Maruyama-Koen, and Shin-Sapporo

The Tozai Subway Line runs from Miyanosawa Station in the west of Sapporo to Shin-Sapporo Station in the east. It provides a quick and convenient means of traveling from central Sapporo to outlying locations such as Maruyama Park and Sapporo Science Center. The name “Tozai” means “east-west”.

This is one of three Sapporo Municipal Subway lines operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau. The others are the Namboku Line and the Toho Line. All three lines meet at Odori Station. On station maps and signage the Tozai Subway Line is color-coded orange.

Key Destinations

The Tozai Line runs through Sapporo’s Nishi, Chuo, Shiroishi, and Atsubetsu wards and has 19 stations.

Miyanosawa – Hassamu-Minami – Kotoni – Nijuyon-Ken – Nishi-Nijuhatchome – Maruyama-Koen – Nishi-Juhatchome – Nishi-Juitchome – Odori – Bus Center-Mae – Kikusui – Higashi-Sapporo – Shiroishi – Nango-Nana-Chome – Nango-Jusan-Chome – Nango-Juhatchome – Oyachi – Hibarigaoka – Shin-Sapporo

The key destinations are listed below with example fares and journey times from Miyanosawa Station. Check fares and journey times before travel.

Miyanosawa Station

Shiroi Koibito Park is about seven minutes on foot from Miyanosawa Station. Named after one of Hokkaido’s best-known confectionery souvenirs, the park has paid production-line displays and sweets workshops, while its garden and shopping areas can be visited separately. Check opening hours before visiting and book workshops in advance.

About 560 meters from exit 5 is the Teine Memorial Museum, which preserves the history of the old town of Teine after its merger with Sapporo in 1967. The free exhibition room contains displays on the lives of the pioneers who settled this area in the 19th century. It is open from 9:00 to 17:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, excluding public holidays and the year-end and New Year period.

Kotoni Station

The Kotoni area was first settled by military settlers called tondenhei or “farmer soldiers” in 1874. Just 3 minutes from Kotoni Station is a preserved 19th century residence of these early colonists which is called Kotoni Tondenheison-heioku (Kotoni Tonden Village Barracks). The building is free to enter and gives an insight into pioneer life. Nearby Kotoni Shrine was also established by the tondenhei in 1875.

Penny Lane 24 is a well-known live music club which has been a popular venue for major Japanese musicians and comedians since the 1980s. It is a 3 minute walk from Kotoni Station.

Kotoni Station is an 11 minute walk from JR Kotoni Station on the Hakodate Main Line.

Nijuyon-Ken Station

Sapporo Racecourse is about 15 minutes on foot from the station. On race-meeting Saturdays and Sundays, the JRA also operates a free shuttle from Nijuyon-Ken Station. For seafood shops and restaurants, the public-facing Sapporo Central Wholesale Market Curb Market is about seven minutes from exit 5; the wholesale market itself does not sell to general shoppers.

Maruyama-Koen Station

Maruyama Park is about five minutes from exit 3. The large park includes woodland and athletic facilities, while Sapporo Maruyama Zoo lies farther inside and is about 15 minutes on foot from the subway station. Alternatively, take JR Hokkaido Bus route Maru 15 or Maru 16, or the Kuramaru bus, from stop 4 at Maruyama Bus Terminal for a ride of about five minutes. The park is also home to Hokkaido Jingu, a major shrine established here in 1869 and a popular cherry blossom viewing location. Its annual festival, Sapporo Matsuri, is held from June 14th – 16th.

Nishi-Juhatchome Station

The Migishi Kotaro Museum of Art, Hokkaido is about seven minutes from Nishi-Juhatchome Station exit 4. This museum is dedicated to the work of Migishi Kotaro (1903 – 1934), a local artist who painted in a modern Western style. The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art is about five minutes from exit 4 and has collections that include Hokkaido art, works from the School of Paris, glass, and modern art. Check the museums’ exhibition calendars before visiting, as both close between exhibitions.

The Nishi-Jugo-Chome Stop of Sapporo Streetcar is a 7 minute walk from this station.

Nishi-Juitchome Station

This station on the edge of Odori Park is a 4 minute walk from Sapporo Shiryokan. Built in 1926 as Sapporo’s Court of Appeals, it is open as a free museum, art gallery and event space.

The Chuo-Kuyakusho-Mae Stop of Sapporo Streetcar is a 3 minute walk from this station.

Odori Station

Odori Station is in Sapporo’s central business district, close to hotels, shops, restaurants, and Odori Park. The park hosts the Sapporo Snow Festival in February, the Lilac Festival in May, and beer gardens during summer. Inside the park, immediately outside station exit 25, the 150 meter tall Sapporo TV Tower has an observation deck overlooking the park.

Sapporo Clock Tower, a 19th century wooden building and symbol of Sapporo, is a 3 minute walk north of Odori Station. Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade and Nijo Fish Market are each a 4 minute walk to the south.

Transfers can be made at Odori Station to the Namboku and Toho subway lines. Exit 10 is about one minute from the Nishi-Yon-Chome stop of the Sapporo Streetcar.

Bus Center-Mae Station

Bus Center-Mae Station serves two nearby but separate intercity terminals. Odori Bus Center is used by the Wakkanai service and selected Nemuro departures. The Hokkaido Chuo Bus Sapporo Terminal is the boarding point for services including Hakodate, Kushiro, and Obihiro. Routes, operating days, and boarding points can change, so check the operator timetable before travel.

Chitosetsuru Sake Museum is the brewery’s direct shop, about five minutes from exit 9. It sells limited-edition sake and has a small rest area. The shop generally opens from 10:00 to 18:00, closes at 17:00 at month-end, and has different hours or closures over the year-end and New Year period.

The Sapporo Factory shopping complex is about three minutes from exit 8.

Nango-Nana-Chome Station

The nearby Asahi Beer Garden Hamanasukan is a large beer hall serving jingisukan and other grilled dishes.

Shin-Sapporo Station

Shin-Sapporo Station provides access to two nearby visitor attractions and direct buses to two museums farther east.

Sapporo Science Center, a museum and planetarium with exhibits on subjects including robotics, astronomy, and Hokkaido’s winter climate, is about one minute from subway exit 1. The Sunpiazza Aquarium is inside Sunpiazza Shopping Center, about five minutes from exit 3.

For the Hokkaido Museum and the Historical Village of Hokkaido, take JR Hokkaido Bus route Shin 22 from stop 10 in the north lane of Shin-Sapporo Bus Terminal. The ride takes about 15 minutes to Hokkaido Museum, whose exhibits connect Hokkaido’s human history and natural environment, and about 20 minutes to the Historical Village terminus. The village is an open-air architectural museum with buildings from Hokkaido’s pioneer period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Transfer here to the JR Chitose Line.

Tickets

Sapporo Municipal Subway tickets are priced between 210 and 380 yen for adults and 110 and 190 yen for children. There is also a One Day Ticket that allows unlimited rides on the subway and costs 830 yen for adults and 420 yen for children. On Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, and during the year-end and New Year period from December 29 to January 3, a cheaper one day pass is available. The Donichika Ticket costs 520 yen for adults and 260 yen for children.

All tickets can be bought from ticket machines outside the ticket gates at each subway station. IC cards such as the local SAPICA card or other regional cards such as Kitaca, Suica, PASMO, and TOICA, can be used on the subway as well as on Sapporo’s bus and streetcar networks.

Supported contactless credit and debit cards, smartphones, and wearable devices can also be tapped at designated readers at all subway stations. The system automatically caps one day’s subway fares at 830 yen on weekdays and 520 yen on Donichika-valid days when the same card or device is used throughout. Contactless bank-card payment charges adult ordinary fares only; use a ticket or IC card for child fares, welfare discounts, or transfer discounts.

Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 24-Aug-2026.