Skating
If you come to Sapporo from a warm country, winter sports may be a good experience. One of them is skating. I went to Tsukisamu Gymnasium to skate a few weeks ago. Tsukisamu Gymnasium was built in 1971 at the old bicycle racetrack site and used for ice hockey games of Sapporo Olympics. Rugby, the Japanese art of archery, and tennis games are held at the athletic field next to the gymnasium. Hokkaido bank curling stadium is also next to this gymnasium.
Although it was built more than 40 years ago, it was clean and cozy. Firstly, I bought a current ticket for one hour at the entrance. Then I went into the skating ring. Then I borrowed the skate shoes. Many people had come on that day. In this ring, beginners go around, and experienced players train at the center of the ring. Skaters should wear gloves and caps. No phone, no picture, and no backpack are allowed in the ring.
This may be the third time to skate in my life. It was difficult to only stand up with skate shoes in the ring. As I was a novice skater, it was so difficult to skate among many other skaters at first. I found children in this gymnasium were skating very well. After skating three rounds, I got used to skating. Still, I felt down several times. I recommend beginners to bring elbow pads.
