Sapporo Clock Tower

This modest wooden clock tower has marked time in Sapporo since 1878, when it served as a drill hall for the pioneer Sapporo Agricultural College. Its American-style architecture whispers of Hokkaido's frontier origins, when foreign advisors helped transform wilderness into farmland. The clock mechanism, imported from Howard & Company of Boston, has ticked faithfully for nearly 150 years — a small, steadfast symbol of Hokkaido's pioneering spirit.