[⛰️ Moerenuma Park] The 1.89 million square meter park itself is a work of art! Highly recommended for sightseeing and leisure in Sapporo

[#316, approx. 3,500 characters, approx. 90 photos]
Sapporo CityI visited Moerenuma Park for the first time (August 2025). I will write my impressions and review.

▶︎ Conclusion

It was a very satisfying park! Whether you like art or not, it is widely recommended for families, friends, dates, local outings, and travel destinations! This is mainly because 1) you can experience a huge work designed by Isamu Noguchi, and 2) the vast natural space healed my heart. I felt as if the park itself was a single work of art.

Points to note are: 1) you must rent a bicycle, and 2) you should go in the summer!

▶︎ Reason for visiting

The reason I became interested in Isamu Noguchi was that I went to "Isamu Noguchi: Ways of Discovery" held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. Since then, I have also been to Kodomo-no-Kuni (Yokohama City) to see Isamu Noguchi's works.

I was getting more and more interested in Isamu Noguchi's works, such as when I accidentally saw his Play Sculpture in Mito and got excited.

And since I knew that Moerenuma Park was the most famous of Isamu Noguchi's works, I had wanted to go there someday.

▶︎ Access

The bus routes around Sapporo are too complicated, so I couldn't arrive without relying on Google, etc. I arrived via Sapporo Station North Exit -> Fushiko 5-jo 4-chome -> Moerenuma Park. I think the route will change depending on the schedule and time of day. On the day, there was a temporary bus heading to Moerenuma Park for the summer vacation period.

I visited in the latter half of August. I was scared before going because I saw on the news that "the thermometer in front of the station in Hokkaido broke the limit at <40 degrees>". However, Sapporo on that day was around 28 degrees. It was cooler and more comfortable than the Tokyo area. It seems that only Obihiro is abnormally hot even within Hokkaido.

▶︎ What is Moerenuma Park?

"Moerenuma" comes from the Ainu word "Moirepet" (quiet water surface, flowing slowly).

Originally, this place was a garbage dump. The size is about 1,888,000 square meters (the inland area is about 1,000,000 square meters). It is about 4 times the size of Tokyo Disneyland (the inland area is about 2 times).

The main history is as follows.
1977: Sapporo City begins land acquisition
1982: Construction begins
1988: A proposal is made to commission Isamu Noguchi for the basic design. He visits Sapporo for the first time. He passed away on December 30 of that year (at age 84)
1998: Partially opened
2003: Glass Pyramid completed
2004: Mt. Moere opened to the public
2005: Sea Fountain opened, grand opening as a park

The park's concept is "to make the whole a single sculpture." Isamu Noguchi is said to have left behind words such as, "sculpting the earth" and "I want to make a garden where children gather; I like watching children enjoy themselves in the park, and if I can create something useful to people, that would make me happiest as an artist."

There are various spots within the park. The main ones are the Glass Pyramid, Mt. Moere, and so on, I think.

When I asked locals about Moerenuma Park during a past visit to Sapporo, they told me, "There's nothing there." (Is that true?) On the day, there were almost no cars in the parking lot. There were few people in the park as well, so I was able to spend time comfortably.

For beginners at Moerenuma Park who want to tour the entire park, a rental bicycle is a must. At 100 yen per hour, the price is also cheap, so you should definitely rent one. Even if all the bicycles are out, they return periodically. Also, admission is free!

Inside the park is a vast meadow with nothing wasted. It felt like the quintessential Hokkaido. Because a truly peaceful world was spread out that made me want to shout, "It's magnificent!" or "Yoo-hoo!", my heart felt completely washed clean.

✔️ Moere Beach

On the day, the beach was under construction. That might be why there were few visitors.

✔️ Glass Pyramid

The Glass Pyramid looked like the Kasai Rinkai Aquarium. Every part of the glass surface was picturesque when photographed.

The interior was comfortable because there were almost no people. However, the room temperature was incredibly hot, just like a sauna. There were lovely benches, but it seemed impossible to sit there and talk about love.

On the 3rd floor, there is the Isamu Noguchi Gallery (no photography allowed). In addition to having security guards stationed inside, it was a proper gallery with air conditioning. Rather than displaying artworks, it mainly introduced the history of Moerenuma Park and Isamu Noguchi using panels and the like.

✔️ Sea Fountain

The Sea Fountain's operating times and programs change depending on the season and day of the week. Even the 15-minute program was impressive enough.

✔️ Aqua Plaza

Since the Sea Fountain was under construction, many people were enjoying themselves at the Aqua Plaza. I thought it was a place where children would get excited.

✔️ Play Mountain

This is a "work of art" that embodies Isamu Noguchi's concept of "sculpting works directly into the earth." The 99 steps are made of granite brought from Inujima in the Seto Inland Sea.

✔️ Music Shell

I thought it was a restroom, but it's actually a stage for performances like concerts and dance.

✔️ Tetra Mound

A simple yet dynamic mysterious triangle. It has a huge impact!

✔️ Moere Baseball Field

The baseball field costs 20,500 yen for students to rent for the whole day! It's surprisingly affordable. On the day I visited, Hokkaido University of Education and Sapporo University of Health Sciences were playing a game.

✔️ Mt. Moere

Mt. Moere is the most imposing feature in Moerenuma Park. The path I took had 315 steps! It's impossible for elderly people to climb. I was panting as I climbed, thinking, "This is like ascetic training." When I passed people on the way, I almost said, "Thank you for your pilgrimage."

The summit has a great view, and because the breeze makes it cool, it feels very pleasant. I wanted to just lounge around for 30 minutes. The height from the base is 52m, and I heard the mountain itself is made of landfill waste.

✔️ Sakura Forest

The Sakura Forest I was looking forward to. Although I had seen (and played on) some of Isamu Noguchi's playground equipment before, I was excited because there are 126 pieces, an incredible number installed here.

However, it was a bit of a letdown. First of all, the location is bad. It is in a hard-to-find spot deep in the forest behind the Sea Fountain and Moere Beach. And despite being a place for children to play, it is far away! Even on a bicycle, it took quite a while to get there. I felt that many people don't even realize this place exists.

Furthermore, perhaps because there are so few visitors for that reason, most of the playground equipment was rusty and off-limits. It feels like Isamu Noguchi, who valued children playing, would be sad to see this 😢

Once the construction at Moere Beach is finished, I hope they repair the playground equipment and improve the flow so that children naturally come here. I felt it was a waste that this area alone isn't living up to its true potential.

▶︎ Summary

How was it? It was a genuinely pleasant place! There is nothing around, just a vast, open space. There, you can find Isamu Noguchi's massive works and experience them with your whole body. I felt that this park itself is a single work of art. Even rushing around on a bike, I was able to enjoy it for a full two hours. It is a wonderful park that art lovers will especially enjoy!

▶︎ Today's Park Meal