Nishi is a ward of Sapporocomposed ofresidential neighborhoods mostly arranged in grid patterns, with some areas of farmland and forested mountainous terrain mostly near its western and southern edges. It is located the west part of Sapporo city and the second largest of Sapporo's 10 wards. Neighbourhoods within Nishi-ku include Kotoni, Hachiken, Nijuyonken, Yamanote, Nishimachi, Nishino, Fukui, Heiwa, Hassamu, Miyanosawa, and Kobetsuzawa.
Outline
The administrative offices of Nishi-ku are located in the Kotoni neighbourhood. Nishi-ku is the oldest area in a history of urban development in Sapporo. Sapporo Municipal Teine Memorial Museum, Kotoni Tonden Historical Archives, and Mitobe Memorial Museum are sites of historical interest whose focus is on the era of Japanese 'pioneers' in Hokkaidō.
Geography
The eastern part of Nishi-Ku is flat with many residential and commercial areas, but the western part slopes into mountains. Sankaku-yama, located in the western part of the ward in the Yamanote area, is a 311.3m high triangle-shaped mountain and is a popular and easy hike. It leads to Okura jump stadium in Chuo-ku. Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo's practice field is also located in Nishi-ku, and is a popular site for the team's fans. Major parks in Nishi-ku are Noshi Koen and Miyagaoka Koen. Numerous other parks may be found, many located along the banks of the Kotoni-Hassamu-gawa and its tributaries. Hiking trails abound. One of the most popular begins from near the Heiwa-no-taki waterfall and leads to the summit of Sapporo's famous mountain, Mt. Teine in which the Olympic game was held in 1972 has some ski ground and an amusement park, located on the division line of Nishi-ku and Teine-ku, the city's northwesternmost ward. In the less built-up neighbourhoods of Nishino, Heiwa, Fukui, and Kobetsuzawa, it is not unusual for wildlife, such as red foxes and Asiatic brown bears or their spoor, to be observed.
Transportation
Primary public transportation services are the Sapporo Municipal Subway, JR Hokkaidō, and bus services including JR Hokkaidō Bus and Hokkaidō Chūō Bus. The last four stations of the Tozai subway line's western end are located here, two of which were added in 1999. Japan Highway's Sapporo-Otaru expressway section passes through Nishi-ku.
