Continued use of the venues
Since the Games, Sapporo has remained a winter sports hub within Japan, enjoyed by locals and hosting major competitions such as the Winter Universiade in 1991 and the Nordic Ski Championships in 2007.
Mount Teine, where the giant slalom and slalom took place, has continued to host major regional and national ski events, as well as the Asian Winter Games Alpine ski competition on three occasions, in 1986, 1990 and 2017.
The Tsukisamu Gymnasium, which hosted part of the Olympic ice hockey tournament, was turned into a year-round skating rink. It was used by 80,683 people in 1972, and 114,697 people in 2016.
Since the Games, Makomanai Park and the two key venues it contains – the Makomanai Indoor Skating Rink and the Makomanai Speed Skating Rink (outdoor) – have remained popular with the local community and visitors alike. They are used year-round for winter and summer sports, as well as cultural events.
Both the Okurayama (90m) and Miyanomori (70m) ski jump hills remain in use for training and competitions of all levels, including the Ski Jump World Cup circuit. The Okurayama ski jump is also a popular tourist destination. In 2000, major renovations were undertaken, and an observation deck was built at the top of the lift. An escalator was also installed to make the ascent from the parking area to the foot of the Okurayama ski jump hill easier.
The Sapporo Olympic Museum, originally located in downtown Sapporo and called the Sapporo Winter Sport Museum at the time, was moved to Mount Okura. Today, it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Sapporo.
Sapporo’s success inspired other Asian nations to host the Olympic Winter Games. The Games returned to Japan for Nagano 1998, the Republic of Korea hosted PyeongChang 2018, and China is gearing up to stage its first Olympic Winter Games, Beijing 2022.