Small museum dedicated to the history of Sapporo's farming community, with a focus on how onion cultivation, brought into the area by foreigners, became central to the growth of the region. The displays were interesting and unique. What really made the museum so interesting was the passion and knowledge of the museum's director, his staff, and volunteers, one of whom spoke English very well. They spent so much time explaining in detail about anything that we wanted to know about. It is a small museum, but we could spend a long time there learning about Sapporo's history because of the dedication they all showed to their remarkable local museum. To access as a foreign visitor, it is close to a subway station and easy to find from there on Google Maps. There are also a couple of small Buddhist temples nearby that are worth visiting.

Nice little museum away from the crowds, host by a very friendly couple.

Admission was free. When I entered, a lady who said she was born in Shōwa 16 gave me various explanations. She also shared very interesting stories that weren't in the exhibit materials. I learned about Otomo-bori, which pioneered Sapporo's settlement, the history of “札幌黄,” a crop representative of Sapporo, and saw farming tools from the time. On the 2nd floor, I could learn about this local history museum and the history of the settlement of Sapporo Village. It isn't a large museum, but the content is substantial, and looking carefully, thinking, and learning makes for a very rewarding time. Other local history and memorial museums in Sapporo are appealing too, but do visit this local history museum that represents the foundations of Sapporo's settlement. ※All photographic materials are from “札幌村郷土記念館” ※Permission to take photographs was obtained

+3

Admission is free. This memorial museum focuses on Kamtaro Otomo of Sapporo Village. It is said to be the first place where onions were grown. An elderly woman explains things. Kamtaro Otomo was the first person to begin settling Sapporo Village and the person who created the Sosei River. Afterward, Yoshitake Shima began settling what is now Sapporo and, apparently, divided addresses into east and west using the Sosei River as the reference point. Many photographs and farming tools are displayed. 2025.10.10.

+3

This is a free local history museum. You can learn about the great achievements of Kamtaro Otomo, who worked on the settlement of Hokkaido from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period, and the history of Sapporo Village. Kamtaro Otomo studied under Sontoku Ninomiya, then worked as a retainer of the Edo shogunate on settling the Hakodate area from what is now Odawara, and his achievements were recognized. He then drew up a 30-year plan and was ordered by the shogunate to settle the Sapporo area. During his approximately 10-year stay, he built an irrigation canal (Otomo-bori) that became the origin of today's Sosei River and worked on agricultural settlement. After Kamtaro Otomo returned to his hometown, Dr. William◦P◦Brooks, who took a post at Sapporo Agricultural College, used Otomo-bori to provide hands-on instruction in onion cultivation, which later became the branded onion “札幌黄.” This museum is built where Kamtaro Otomo lived in Sapporo. Small museums like this are scattered throughout Sapporo, and I would like a museum to be built that brings together the story of how Sapporo City developed from the late Edo period to the present.

+3