When and where can I see the sassara train?

As it runs, the rotor of the sasara rotates backwards to bounce snow off the track and remove it!

The sight of the train running while kicking up snow is dynamic! I feel the toughness, strength, and reassurance of the people of Sapporo, a city of heavy snowfall, as they protect their feet. However, even if you want to see them, it is not so easy to do so because there is no definite operating time. But here are some tips to improve your chances of seeing it.

Sasara Train Operation Hours

Sasara trains operate in the following two patterns.

1: Every morning around 4:00 a.m. during the snow season (generally from late November to late March).
*The train operates every day during this period to check for snow accumulation as well as to remove snow from the track.
2: When snow begins to fall during the train's operating hours & when snow continues to fall.
Irregular operation

If you are along the streetcar line before dawn in winter, after 4:00 a.m., you can see the Sasara train running. However, if there is no snow on the track, the sasara will not rotate and run, so they simply pass by for inspection.

Before the first train starts moving, it bounces off the snow on the track

If you want to see the streetcars running while kicking snow off the tracks, the best time is after the snow starts to fall. You can see the impressive sight even from the sidewalk of the street where the streetcars run. (Do not enter the area near the track, as it is dangerous!) However, since the operating hours are not fixed, you will have to wait in the snow for the Sasara train, which may come at any moment. ......

Sasara train route

When and where you can see the Sasara Train depends on your luck!

Incidentally, the Sasara train does not rotate even if it passes through the Susukino - Raccoon Alley - Nishi 4-chome area in the center of Sapporo, because the area is heated by road heating and snow does not accumulate there. Also, the trains turn around at Susukino and Nishi 4-chome and do not run through the center of town such as Raccoon Koji. In other words, even if you wait in this section of town, which is easily visited by many people, you will not be able to see the dynamic scene of the train running.

Basically, one Sasara train is dispatched first, then two, three, or four depending on the snowfall conditions. You will be lucky if you see one at this time!

As of December 2023, there are four Sasara trains!

Even in heavy snowfalls, streetcars are rarely cancelled thanks to the Sasara trains!

When the Sasara trams start running, you will feel that winter has come to Sapporo again this year.

Sasara trams have been running through the streets of Sapporo, kicking up snow as they have done since the Taisho Era (1912-1926). Despite the heavy snowfall in this city, the streetcars are running almost without a break thanks to the Sasara Tramway. We would like to express our gratitude to all those who protect the tradition of snow removal in Sapporo and the wintertime transportation of the citizens of Sapporo!

Photo courtesy of Sapporo City Transportation Promotion Organization