When comparing Sapporo vs Aomori, the Slant community recommends Sapporo for most people. In the question“What are the best cities to visit in Japan besides Tokyo and Kyoto?” Sapporo is ranked 12th while Aomori is ranked 13th. The most important reason people chose Sapporo is:
There are two main styles of ramen in Japan, Hakata and Sapporo. For ramen-lovers, a visit to Sapporo for the northern-style ramen would go hand-in-hand with a visit to Hakata.
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Pros
Pro Capital of nothern-style, miso-based ramen
There are two main styles of ramen in Japan, Hakata and Sapporo. For ramen-lovers, a visit to Sapporo for the northern-style ramen would go hand-in-hand with a visit to Hakata.
Pro Annual Snow Festival
The annual festival in February showcases hundreds of ice/snow sculptures. Some as small as a life-size pikachu, others are full-size illuminated light-show castles. Along with all the sculptures are music, food, and game events.
Pro Nebuta festival
Pro Friendly, affordable restaurants
Since Aomori is a small coastal city, the restaurants carry an air of local pubs, where everyone knows everyone else, and they're very friendly and welcoming to foreigners.
Pro Aomori apples
Aomori ships the majority of the apples that get consumed around Japan, including the expensive $10+ per apple gifts that get presented in special occasions. Thus, Aomori is the prime location to try these apples at a more affordable price.
Cons
Con Can be very cold
Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, which is known for its snowy season. There are months where the sidewalks are on-and-off covered with snow.