Jingisukan
成吉思汗烤羊肉 · Hokkaido's iconic grill
A dome-shaped iron grill, marinated lamb and mutton, vegetables sliding down the slope into the juices. Jingisukan is Hokkaido's defining group meal — loud, smoky, generous, and unforgettable.
Why it's unique in Hokkaido
Hokkaido is the only prefecture in Japan where lamb is a mainstream food. Sapporo Beer Garden's Jingisukan hall, in a 19th-century brick brewery, has been serving the same recipe since 1959.
Featured specialties
- · Pre-marinated style (Sapporo) — sweet soy garlic
- · Post-dip style (Asahikawa, Takikawa) — dip raw lamb after grilling
- · Ramu (young lamb) — tender, mild
- · Mutton — deeper, traditional flavour
Recommended restaurants
- · Sapporo Beer Garden — flagship Jingisukan hall in the historic brewery
- · Daruma — Susukino's tiny counters, queues forty deep
- · Matsuo Jingisukan — Takikawa post-dip style, branches in Sapporo
- · Local specialty grills in Niseko and Furano
Best regions
Sapporo · Takikawa · Asahikawa · Niseko
Recommended season
Year-round; outdoor beer garden tables June–August.
Suggested traveler
Families, groups, ski travelers, first-time visitors.
Local tips
Wear something washable — Jingisukan smoke lingers. Ask for a vegetable refill (yasai okawari) free at most shops. With young children, choose Sapporo Beer Garden over Daruma — the brewery hall is spacious and family-friendly.
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