Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill さっぽろ羊ヶ丘展望台

Located in Toyohira Ward, Sapporo, this observation hill offers a quintessentially Hokkaido pastoral landscape — broad pastures dotted with grazing sheep rolling gently across the hillside. Standing at the top is a statue of Dr. William Smith Clark, celebrated for his famous words "Boys, be ambitious." Created by sculptor Tando Saka in 1976, the statue depicts Clark with his right arm raised high, pointing toward the horizon — a pose that visitors famously replicate in their own commemorative photos.

Dr. Clark arrived in Sapporo in 1876 (Meiji 9) as the first principal of Sapporo Agricultural College, the predecessor of Hokkaido University. Though his stay lasted only eight months, he left a profound influence on his students and made lasting contributions to Hokkaido's agriculture and education. On the observation hill grounds, a memorial hall dedicated to his achievements stands alongside the "Sapporo Snow Festival Museum," which traces the festival's history through panels and photographs.

Below the hill, the Ishikari Plain spreads into the distance, and on clear days the peaks of the Daisetsuzan mountain range are visible on the horizon. As a place where Hokkaido's pioneering spirit and its sweeping natural scenery come together, this is one of Sapporo's most iconic viewpoints.