Hokkaido Jingu is the island's main Shinto shrine, set within Maruyama Park in the western part of the city. The shrine was established in 1869, as part of the Meiji government's project to formally incorporate Hokkaido into Japan — it served as a symbol of the new administration's intention to settle and develop the frontier island. The main buildings are in the classic Shinto style, painted vermilion and white, and the approach through the forested grounds feels appropriately quiet given the shrine's administrative origins.
The grounds are beautiful year-round but best in late April and early May, when the cherry trees lining the park paths come into blossom. Sapporo's cherry season arrives a month later than Tokyo's, which makes it a late-season payoff if you've missed the southern spectacle. The shrine itself sees fewer visitors than the famous shrines in Kyoto or Nara — the grounds are peaceful on most days — and the surrounding Maruyama Park has good walking trails into the low hills behind it. Entry to the shrine is free; the small zoo adjacent to the park charges admission.