Sapporo is denser than an American city would be with the same population, for cultural and geographic reasons. And in Japan it's common to have a train commute

Sapporo is denser than an American city would be with the same population, for cultural and geographic reasons. And in Japan it's common to have a train commute of 30-60 minutes, though living in Sapporo and commuting to a suburb might be considered more of a "reverse commute" (other direction is more common here IME). Not to mention that Chitose is where Sapporo's international airport is located, so someone who travels often might find it more convenient than living in Sapporo proper.