Sapporo is generally known for three things: snow, ramen and beer. These things, and festivals such as the Snow Festival or City Jazz, are what draw more than 14 million tourists to the city every year.
However, as the production of real materials increasingly moves offshore and a knowledge economy takes hold, Sapporo may need less tangible lures to draw visitors. The current bait? Media art and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
For 72 days during the peak of summer, the city will host the inaugural Sapporo International Art Festival (SIAF). Mayor Fumio Ueda and Creative City Sapporo, who are organizing the event, scored their first success in 2012 when they recruited composer Ryuichi Sakamoto to be the guest director, which quickly piqued international interest.