Is the sightseeing in Sapporo worth a one night's stay?Are there hotels you would recommend? From Sapporo, we are headed south to national parks, Hakodate, and Tohoku.Thanks for your help.

I decided to skip Sapporo entirely when I visited that region. Went from New Chitose Airport thru Sapporo station and on to Otaru for a couple of nights. Wouldn't really recommend that either, unless it is enroute.

Sapporo is a transportation hub, so a stop there might be worthwhile if it is enroute. Sapporo city is west of the airport about 36 minutes by train, but to get to Hakodate you would head east from the airport. Along that rail line you can visit Noboribetsu and Toya.

Sapporo is a hub, but there is a good bit of transportation (buses) directly from the airport into the national park region to the south of Sapporo city and airport. To see what I mean go to the top of page 5 on this pdf:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-101.pdf

You could delay activation of a JR Pass by traveling by bus the first few days when in the Shikotsu Toya N.P. region.

Sapporo is the 5th largest city in Japan, so it does have some attractions. When are you traveling there?

We are traveling to Tohoku and Southern Hokkaido in late September-middle of October in 2008.Thanks for your suggestions.

HI there

I don't think Sapporo in September would be worth a one night stay - better to get out and enjoy the National Parks.
Sapporo is good for food and shopping...a nice city, easy to get around.

Otaru I think is a little different, more an old Japanese city - the architecture and street scenes, fish markets ...but you get the same in Hakodate...