Sapporo Rainbow Pride

• 2019 event will be held Sept. 15

Sapporo Rainbow Pride has been a staple to the Hokkaido scene since its revival in 2017. The 2019 event is happening this September.

Still an up-and-coming event compared to more established pride fests in Tokyo or Osaka, it usually goes down in autumn in northern Japan’s most LGBTQ-friendly city, Sapporo. Held in Odori Park, the main event of the pride fest is the parade. The parade starts at the sixth block (6-chome) of the park, which is famously very long and spans across multiple city blocks. You can participate in the parade for free.

At the end of the park is Sapporo TV Tower — a beautiful sight 147 meters tall all lit up in rainbow colors at night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

At the pride fest, there are some other events and parties for those who identify as LGBTQ (as well as allies) at the venue in Odori Park. You can also hit up other gatherings offsite at more cozy places like FIL Morning and Sapporo Jibun Cafe. A full listing is on their website, although it is in Japanese.

In previous years, the Sapporo Rainbow Pride venue opened at 11 a.m. and if you’re interested in being more than an onlooker of the parade, sign up before 1:30 p.m. The parade itself starts at 2 p.m. and ends around 3:30 p.m. However, keep in mind, these times are subject to changes slightly each year.

You can check more details and a map of locations on their website.

It is organized by the Sapporo Rainbow Pride committee and most of the information online is in Japanese. For current updates on the event, you can go to their Twitter (which can be translated into English via Google Chrome browser). Have fun and let loose at this cozy pride event in Sapporo!

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SPRrainbowpride