By: Alex
Located in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, Hakodate once held the title of one of the world’s three best night views. Unfortunately, in 2012, Hakodate lost that spot to Nagasaki. Even more unfortunately, in 2015, it also lost its place among Japan’s top three night views, being replaced by the night view from Mt. Moiwa in Sapporo, also in Hokkaido (the other two are Nagasaki and Kobe).
▲ The entire city of Sapporo can be seen from Mt. Moiwa. (Photo by photo_coxones @coxones-playground)
Mt. Moiwa is located near Chuo Ward in Sapporo, standing at an elevation of 531 meters. Thanks to its relatively convenient access, it attracts a steady stream of visitors. At the summit, there is an observation deck offering nearly panoramic views of the whole city of Sapporo. The broad perspective makes the vast expanse of twinkling city lights especially stunning at night, fully justifying its place among the world’s top three night views.
▲ The TV tower can be considered the center of Sapporo. (Photo by fuehrsn @Twitter)
From a photography standpoint, it’s difficult to capture the entire cityscape of Sapporo unless you use a fisheye lens, ultra-wide-angle lens, or even panoramic stitching techniques. To add more interest to their compositions, some photographers choose to shoot during dusk or the “blue hour,” while focusing on iconic landmarks such as the TV tower, the rooftop Ferris wheel of the NORBESA building, Sapporo Racecourse, Hokkaido University, and the Toyohira River that runs through the city.
▲ The darker area in the center of the photo is the racecourse and Hokkaido University. (Photo by scoop1123 @Twitter)
By the way, the “World’s Top Three Night Views” are determined by a questionnaire and vote conducted by the Night View Promotion Committee in Japan. The most recent announcement was in 2012, when Hong Kong was once again selected, alongside Monaco in France and Nagasaki in Japan. In addition, the night view from Mt. Moiwa in Sapporo is also grouped with those from Mt. Hakodate and Mt. Temmangu in Otaru as the “Hokkaido Top Three Night Views.”
▲ The busiest commercial district in central Sapporo. (Photo by taka43do @Twitter)
▲ The Toyohira River. (Photo by taka43do @Twitter)
▲ (Photo by ks_1631 @IG)
▲ (Photo by ks_1631 @IG)
▲ The night view of Sapporo city unfolds like thousands of lights before your eyes. (Photo by jerry_0114 @IG)
▲ Hakodate night view. (Photo by fuehrsn @Twitter)
▲ Hakodate night view. (Photo by taka43do @Twitter)
Sources: Sapporo Travel, World’s Top Three Night Views @ Wikipedia,Hakodate City Tourism Information