Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido and the fifth largest city in Japan. In the beginning of the Meiji Period, the town of Sapporo began its history when the development of Hokkaido started on a large scale. Consequently, the modern Sapporo city has a history of only 150 years, and it was built based on a North American style rectangular street system. In its short summer, humidity is low enough to stay very comfortable. Though, in the long winter, the temperature usually goes down as low as minus 10 degrees. Sapporo became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held there. Today, the city is well known for its ramen noodles, beer, and the annual snow festival held in February.