Description of the attraction
The Clock Tower building is one of the oldest in Sapporo and is also recognized as a symbol of the city. In addition, the Clock Tower (or Tokay Dai) is the only surviving Western-style building in Sapporo. A visit to the tower and a small museum located in it is included in the itinerary of many excursions in Sapporo.
The development of the island of Hokkaido began in the Meiji era, in 1868. A year later, Sapporo became the administrative center of this territory. In the early 70s of the XIX century, the Japanese government asked the United States for assistance in the development of the island. Agriculture was among the priority sectors that were supposed to be developed on the island. Therefore, within the framework of this assistance, an American, William Clarke, arrived in Sapporo, who created an agricultural college in the city. The tower, built in 1878, was one of the buildings on the college campus, namely the gymnasium. The clock on the tower was installed in the summer of 1881, it was made in Boston and brought to Japan. College students not only studied English and agricultural disciplines, but some of them converted to Christianity. Subsequently, the Agricultural College was transformed into Hokkaido University.
On the ground floor of the tower, there is an exposition that tells about the history of the college and the development of the city. On the second floor there is a hall where concerts are held or rented for private events. Also on the second floor you can get acquainted with the principle of the clockwork. The clock, which is more than 130 years old, now regularly shows the exact time, and its chimes still perform a melodic motive.
In 1970, the Clock Tower was designated an Important Cultural Property, and in 2009 it was certified as an Engineering Heritage of Japan.
