Nestled at the foot of the Daisetsuzan mountain range, Higashikawa is one of Japan's most unusual towns — it has no municipal water system. Instead, every household receives pristine groundwater fed directly by snowmelt from the surrounding peaks. This extraordinary water has drawn creatives, artisans and entrepreneurs, transforming Higashikawa into a hub of craft culture, photography and sake brewing. And this summer, you don't even need to leave Sapporo to experience it.

【景點門票】【札幌出發】北海道旭山動物園＆森林精靈露臺一日遊：企鵝散步＋四季彩雪樂園或夢幻點燈

可預訂2026-07-25

HKD 441 起

預訂

【景點門票】2026.8.10-8.14京都七夕天燈節門票【電子憑證】

可預訂2026-08-07

HKD 160 起

預訂

The special event Higashikawa Town Takes Over the Hotel! 2026 runs from June 16 through August 15 at SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL in central Sapporo. Following last year's hugely successful debut, the pop-up returns with an even richer programme — natural-water sake, exceptional local produce, handcrafted furniture and photography exhibitions — essentially turning the hotel into a miniature Higashikawa.

Photography and Furniture: Higashikawa's Creative Soul

The journey begins the moment you step through the door. The hotel lobby and restaurant entrance have been transformed to capture Higashikawa's distinct aesthetic. Since declaring itself a 'Town of Photography' in 1985, Higashikawa has built its identity around visual culture. The exhibition features works by everyone from children to professional photographers, each capturing the town's landscapes and daily life through their own lens.

Higashikawa also sits at the heart of the Asahikawa furniture region, one of Japan's premier woodworking centres. Throughout the hotel, you'll find handcrafted pieces made by local artisans — and you're encouraged to sit, touch and feel the warmth of the wood. Fall in love with a piece? Every item on display is available for purchase online.

A Lunch Buffet Powered by Daisetsuzan Spring Water

The 'miracle water' that flows beneath Higashikawa is the secret behind the town's exceptional produce. At the hotel's seventh-floor restaurant BAR & GRILL Splish, the chef personally sources ingredients from across Hokkaido for a rotating monthly menu. The Higashikawa-themed lunch buffet showcases locally grown Nanatsuboshi rice — plump and glossy from the mineral-rich water — alongside seasonal vegetables. Expect dishes like seafood paella made with Higashikawa rice and mizu shingen mochi (raindrop cake) prepared using the town's famously pure water.

Sake and Gin: Higashikawa's Liquid Treasures

The town's water has seduced more than just chefs. During the daily STREAM HOUR (3pm–5pm, hotel guests only), complimentary pairings of Higashikawa groundwater — designated one of Japan's 100 Remarkable Waters — and sake from Michizakura Brewery are served. Michizakura was so enamoured with the water that it relocated its entire operation from Gifu Prefecture to Higashikawa, a testament to the quality that flows beneath the town. At the restaurant, a three-sake tasting flight (¥1,800) and a gin and tonic (¥700) made with Tankyu Distillery's craft gin Yuki no Mado (Window of Snow) are also available.

One Night Only: Sake × French Collaboration Dinner (August 10)

The event's crowning moment arrives on Monday, August 10, with an exclusive collaboration dinner (¥10,000). Koji Yamada, the toji (master brewer) of Michizakura, will share the story behind the brewery's bold relocation from Gifu to Hokkaido while guests savour a bespoke modern French course created specifically for the evening by the hotel's head chef. It's a rare opportunity to experience the dialogue between delicate French gastronomy and Michizakura's crystalline, vibrant sake — a marriage of flavours that promises to surprise and delight.

Event Details

📅 When: June 16 – August 15, 2026
📍 Where: SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL, Minami 4-jo Nishi 4-chome 1-1, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
📸 Photography exhibition: free entry
🪑 Furniture display & online purchase experience
🍶 STREAM HOUR (guests only): complimentary Michizakura sake + spring water, 3pm–5pm daily
🍽️ Higashikawa lunch buffet: 11:30am–2pm (last order 1:30pm)
🥃 Tankyu Distillery gin & tonic: ¥700
🍶 Michizakura sake tasting flight (3 varieties): ¥1,800 (5pm–midnight, last order 11:30pm)
🍷 Collaboration dinner: ¥10,000 (August 10 only)
※ Prices include 12% service charge and 10% consumption tax. Hours and menu subject to change.