Sapporo is a young city by Japanese standards. Until 1869 it was an empty plain at the foot of the mountains, and then the Meiji government, wanting to settle and develop Hokkaido, laid out a grid of streets in the American manner and called the project the Kaitakushi, the Development Commission. Today it is a metropolis of nearly two million, the fifth largest in Japan, and the only one with wide boulevards, a broad central park and a cheerfully northern attitude.
Odori Park runs through the middle, a long ribbon of lawns, fountains and flower beds that hosts the Snow Festival in February, when huge sculptures of ice and snow are built along it, and beer gardens in summer. The Sapporo brewery, founded in 1876, is a few steps away, and the city's red-brick former government building still stands in a park with tall trees. Food is the other pleasure: miso ramen was perfected here, and so were soup curry, grilled lamb called Genghis Khan and the kind of fresh seafood and dairy you expect from Hokkaido.
As a base for riders the city is unbeatable, because Hokkaido is the great motorcycle destination of Japan. The roads are wide and straight, with sweeping views, farmland and few cars, and out in the countryside you can ride for an hour without seeing a village. The season runs from about May to October, since snow and ice close many roads in winter. Watch for deer at dusk, and for the speed cameras and patrol cars that are common near towns.
Within Sapporo, traffic is orderly and the grid is easy to read. Fuel is plentiful, but outside the city stations can be far apart, so fill up before heading into the interior. The mountains to the south, around Jozankei and Lake Shikotsu, offer forested roads, hot springs and clear air, perfect for a day trip. Summer is mild and dry compared with the rest of Japan, with cool evenings that make the beer taste better.