Botanic Garden of Hokkaido University, opened in 1886, occupies 13.3 hectares in the heart of Sapporo city and is a ten-minute walk from Sapporo station. The garden includes remnants of natural woodlands with old growth trees of Japanese elm, showing the original landscape of Sapporo before the urban development. It is home to a collection of around 4,000 plant taxa with a focus on alpine and cool-temperate plants in Hokkaido and neighboring areas. The garden offers beautiful botanical sights all year round and highlights include enchanting spring ephemeral wildflowers, Japanese cherry blossoms or sakura, and autumn leaves. Additionally, the museum built in 1882 exhibits old natural history specimens and items related to the colonization of Hokkaido, and Northern Peoples Museum displays artifacts describing the culture of people indigenous to Hokkaido. The botanic garden is a facility of Hokkaido University for botanical research and education, and also open to the public and contributes to public education and recreation.