Sapporo free‑entry event

Sapporo’s Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill will waive admission on Thursday, April 16, as the city marks 50 years since the Clark Statue was unveiled there. (hitsujigaoka.jp) The free-entry day opens a four-day “Boys, be ambitious” event running from April 16 through April 19 at the hilltop site south of central Sapporo. The official program also lists a 10 a.m. ambassador ceremony on April 16 that includes the Hokkaido mascot Jingisukan no Jin-kun. (hitsujigaoka.jp, prtimes.jp) The anniversary centers on the bronze statue of William Smith Clark, known in Japan for the line “Boys, be ambitious,” which the Sapporo site says was erected and unveiled on April 16, 1976. Organizers tie this year’s date to April 16, 1877, when Clark is said to have delivered the phrase while parting from students in Shimamatsu. (prtimes.jp) Hitsujigaoka is one of Sapporo’s best-known tourist overlooks, with panoramic views of the city, grazing sheep and a restaurant area built around Genghis Khan barbecue, the grilled mutton dish associated with Hokkaido. The Sapporo tourism site describes the hill as a nationally recognized viewpoint and traces the grounds to a former sheep farm and agricultural research site. (sapporo.travel, hitsujigaoka.jp) The April event is also the opening move in a yearlong 50th-anniversary campaign for the statue, according to the Sapporo Tourism Association. From April 16 to April 19, visitors who complete a stamp rally can receive a special “Taishi no Chikai,” or pledge of ambition, to post beneath the statue for long-term storage. (prtimes.jp) A picture-story show about Clark is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, with performances at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. The site also cut the price of annual admission passes on April 1, lowering the Sapporo resident pass to 800 yen from 1,000 yen and the regular pass to 1,500 yen from 2,000 yen. (prtimes.jp) For visitors, the practical takeaway is simple: April 16 is the one day when the hill’s gate fee drops to zero, and the city is using the Clark statue’s 50th birthday to turn a landmark photo stop into a local celebration. (hitsujigaoka.jp, domingo.ne.jp)