Asia

[Visited: June 2001]

From a distance, it is impossible not to see the Sapporo Dome, a huge, grey, metallic and round building in the outskirts of the city. It claims to be unique in the world because it can actually change the sportsfield inside. Thus, it is possible to shift from baseball to soccer and back to baseball. Matches are always held inside. When I visited, the baseball field was inside and the soccer field outside.
As you get nearer the Dome, you gradually understand the enormousness of the complex. It also looks very futuristic. And when you finally arrive at the entrance, you are completely dwarfed by it. Once inside, you can walk around to see the field, admire this piece of architecture, and wonder how the fields will be shifted. It is also possible to get up to the roof by escalator. From here, you get a truly impressive view of the stadium.
Once outside, you can visit a botanical garden, and a small park where some pieces of art are on display. And when you reach the other side ot the soccer field, you see that the shape is how you would imagine a flying saucer to be. It is here, while relaxing in the sun, that I met a very friendly Japanese family with a small daughter who even gave me some sweets. It reminded me that, while the Dome is another product of high-tech Japan, the Japanese remain a friendly people.

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