Scenic Hokkaido Summer Sensation

So here I am, back from the Land of the Rising Sun. I have learnt a lot during the trip, like Japanese culture, a few words, and tasted authentic Japanese dishes. Although after eating raw salmon for so many days, I am a bit put off by salmon now.

We took the night flight on Friday, and arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport (for International) on Saturday morning, proceeded to Haneda Airport (for domestic) and then took a connecting flight to Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. After which, the tour guide brought us on a coach ride to Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido.

Our first stop was the Sapporo Beer Factory Museum. Apparently Sapporo beer is very famous since almost a century ago. This museum was the old beer factory, and it is now a historical landmark.

The sign outside the factory

Beer barrels with Japanese words

Beer cans in different sizes

Our next stop is Sapporo's Odori Park. The park itself is built on a large underground shopping mall, next to the Sapporo TV Tower. We did some window shopping while enjoying the nice sights of the park. I daresay in winter when everything was snowy the sight would be really nice.

The beautiful flowers of Odori Park

The fountain of Odori Park

Sapporo TV Tower

We had dinner at a restaurant next to the Park. It was a tempura dinner, consisting of rice, ramen (noodles), deep fried prawns and cabbages. Honestly, I prefer the tempura back here. The Japanese eat healthily, so I guess there is not much seasoning in their food, thus the food tastes more bland as compared to the one here.

After dinner, we went up to Mount Moiwa for an evening view of the entire Sapporo city. When the lights were on after the sky was dark, it was a very spectacular sight indeed! As it was summer, we had to wait until almost night for the sun to fully set. We went to the Sapporo APA Hotel after that to rest for the night.

Mount Moiwa Observation Deck

This was actually part of the fence, specially taken and dedicated for someone I miss so much.
(Look at the heart-shape!)

Night scene of the city. Could be more spectacular, but I guess my photography skills are not that good.

Me in a Yukata provided by the hotel room

The next morning, we had a buffet breakfast, then proceeded to the Salmon Aquarium. According to the tour guide, the salmons have swam to Alaska and will not be back until Winter, so we were not able to go to the underground panel to see all the salmon swimming around.

However, we learnt about the breeding, feeding and habits of salmon during the different seasons. Apparently, thousands of eggs were laid by the female salmon, then covered with gravel. When the eggs were hatched into baby salmon, the fish would start swimming against the current at a very young age, as by the age of one, they have to cross the Pacific halfway.

Salmon mating (fake fish!)

The entrance of the Salmon Aquarium

We proceeded to Furano after that, to visit the Lavendar Farm. Lavendars are in season now, next month it will be Sunflowers. My mum was really happy as she missed the Lavendar season in Tasmania last year, so she is making up for it. After that, we went to Biei for a buffet lunch. It was a typical Japanese buffet consisting of Japanese food.

Horsing around at a pit-stop

Close-up of Lavendar flowers

Part of the Lavendar Farm

Lavendar dolls at the souvenir shop

My Lavendar Boy
The one and only boy doll on display, which I bought

After lunch, we went on a long coach ride up to Mount Daisetsu-zan National Park (literally translated as Big Snow Mountain). The entire mountain will have snow storms in Winter, and I foresee it will be an even more beautiful sight when the whole mountain is covered with snow!

We took a cable car ride up to this place called Sounkyo Gorge, so called because of the many layers of cloud settling on the mountain tops. It is more spectacular at dusk, since the clouds will settle down at that time and drift into the mountain tops.

We checked into a hotel next to the gorge called the Choyo Resort Hotel, where we had a natural hot spring bath. The hotel is like a traditional Japanese resort, as we sleep on Tatamis on the floor. My mum and I tried the outdoor hotspring. We bathed in the water filled with sulphur, and took in the sights of the mountain at the same time.

A little clarification : the outdoor hotspring is so-called because the bathing area is outside the enclosed area. But it is blocked by the mountain, so no one can look in and we cannot look out except at the mountain. We had a buffet dinner after that.

View of part of the mountain from the cable car

Sounkyo Gorge - where many layers of cloud settle on the mountain tops

Did u see the sun rays beaming down?

Poster of a sleeping fox at the exit of the visitor centre of Sounkyo Gorge
I could not resist taking this picture! It reminds me so much of my dog when he is sleeping!

Practising a traditional Japanese ceremony
This scene was taken in the hotel room, where there was a traditional Japanese setting with the Yukata

The next day, after a buffet breakfast, we set off to the other part of the mountain, to view the two waterfalls - the Shooting Star Falls and the Silver River Falls. The tour guide said the falls are more gushing in the Spring, as the snow from the mountains melt and the falls carry the melted snow down into the river.

The Shooting Star Falls

The white water that carries the water from both waterfalls

The Silver River Falls

After the waterfalls, we proceeded to the Ice Pavilion. There are many ice sculptures inside. The temperature inside ranges from -20 degree celsius to -41 degree celsius, the lowest temperature range in Hokkaido. Seems like the temperature can go that low in Winter too.

Luckily I wore something thicker that day, with a jacket, and a long thick jacket was provided at the entrance too. We also brought along black leather gloves. However the temperature was so cold that my nose and mouth were totally numb, and my fingers also became numb despite the gloves!

Thank goodness after the trip to the Ice Pavilion, we could proceed to the tea shop next door and drink hot tea, over warm toasting fire! And hence, I was defrosted.

Ice stalactitites

Cute snowmen!

Another pair of cute snowmen!

A model of the Hokkaido Brown Bear at the souvenir shop

After the "frosting", we took an hour's coach ride to Asahikawa, to the Otoyama Sake Brewery. The sake was brewed from January to June, so for this half of the year, the factory was not opened. Despite that, we got to see the entire history of sake brewing in Hokkaido. The Otoyama Sake has been imported to all parts of Japan and won various gold awards for excellence.

The grains of rice used to make sake

An old sake earthen jar

It was said the water here could give longevity and long life

Attempting to drink the water
Wonder how long I can live?

The garden outside the Sake Brewery

Me as a coolie! This was how sake was sold in the past

We then had lunch at this place called Lavendar Hills. It was a mini hot pot with scallop rice. Then we proceeded to the Ishiya Chocolate Factory! YES! Finally I can visit a chocolate factory!

And this chocolate factory is beyond my wildest dreams! Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory does not even come close! The entire factory is built in the model of an old English castle, with the extension wing built in the model of Tudor House.

There are big flowers and fairy tale houses in the grounds. I saw the houses where the three little pigs lived, as well as a miniature version of the glass shed in "Sound of Music", and little doll houses, with a pond and a bridge. What a pity my camera ran out of battery so I was not able to take in all the shots of the magnificent garden!

But it is even better inside! On the first floor, someone handed out sample bits of the chocolate. Apparently this Ishiya Chocolate can only be found in Hokkaido. It means "White Beloved", and the chocolate comes in dairy milk and white, squashed in between two pieces of cookies. The chocolate is absolutely delicious! The best chocolate I have ever partaken. Now that I am back, I do not think any of our local chocolate can match up to it.

When we went in, there is a big chandelier, and a fountain, with wall paintings and a big ceiling mural. We went up to the second floor, where there is a quaint collection of antique teacups used specially for drinking chocolate. In the past, chocolate was only for royalty, and only the middle-upper-class could afford the luxury of chocolate.

The third floor consisted of information on the chocolate-making process. A pity it was all in Japanese, with English vocal translation, but I could hardly understand a word. Otherwise I would have taken note of the entire process and hopefully make my own chocolate!

There was also a glass panel where we could look into the factory where workers were diligently making and packaging the chocolate cookies into the various packaging. Dark green packaging is for white chocolate, the light blue packaging is for the milk chocolate.

The fourth floor consists of a restaurant and a toy factory. I saw Pinocchios made of chocolate, and the restaurant served hot chocolate and chocolate cake and ice cream. The ice-cream is absolutely delicious! Creamy and strong. I wonder what the Japanese cows eat? The beef is so delicious and sweet, and the milk is so creamy, better than other countries.

The fountain at the entrance of the Chocolate Factory

The quaint teacup collection, specially used for drinking chocolate

Pieces of white chocolate cookies

The complete packaging ready to be sent out

My dream wedding cake

The main entrance of the Chocolate Factory

The side entrance of the Chocolate Factory

"You are sixteen, going-on seventeen...."

After the fantastic chocolate factory tour, we proceeded to the hotel. We checked in at the Josankei Sankeien Hotel. My mum and I took a hot spring bath, but the hot spring was not as good as the previous one. It was more artificial, with just hot water and hot spring powder.

Dinner was a set meal consisting of sashimi, miso soup, rice, crabs, and salad. That was a real big meal! So big that I was full just by the look of it! After dinner, the tour guide brought us out into the field just outside the hotel where we played with some fireworks.

Do I pass as a Japanese girl?
A traditional Tatami setting

Classic Japanese slippers

Fireworks display!

Playing with fire

After a traditional breakfast the next morning, we proceeded to the Otaru Canal. Otaru was an European harbour town, modelled after the Dutch. There were European-like converted warehouses next to the canal, something like our own Boat Quay.

We went to the Otaru Music Box Museum (wow, I salivate at the display of quaint and nice music boxes!), went into a cafe to drink hot tea and we could keep the small porcelain teacup that came with our tea, then into a shop selling all kinds of animal soft toys, proceeded to a glassware shop, and then we had lunch at a live seafood restaurant.

View of Otaru Canal

The Otaru Music Box Museum

The various music boxes on display

The music box I got

My mum chose it for me, since the design is of a mother horse with her child horse. She took it based on my zodiac, and also to cheer me up and let me remember the trip. I know she means well, but somehow this music box makes my heart ache..... I guess I take this as a tribute .....

Me with Pooh!

Me with Snoopy!

Me with Hello Kitty!

Disney's Music Boxes

At the entrance of the soft toy shop, with two deer

In a "safari"

With panda!

Nemo Nemo!

My favourite pic - with an Olde English Sheepdog, one of my favourite dog breeds
(I have a miniature version on my bed, bought from Watsons many years back)

A bear and an owl saying goodbye

What a big crab! (Actual size)

After lunch, we proceeded to Noboribetsu, to visit the Shiraoi Ainu Village. The Ainus are Japanese minorities, but they were supposedly the first inhabitants of Japan, something like the Australian Aboriginals, New Zealand Maoris and America's Indians.

The big statue at the entrance of the village

An Ainu dance

An Ainu man (Does he look like Takeshi Kaneshiro?)

The lake surrounding the village

Replicas of authentic Ainu huts

An Ainu dog

He looks so poor thing, being caged up like that! I wanted so much to set him free!

After that, we went up another mountain to Jigokudani, also known as Hell Valley. It is actually an active volcano, and there is steam coming out from the crater, and sulphur running into the stream which provides the hot spring waters for the hotels around the area.

The entrance of Hell Valley

Steam coming out of the volcanic crater

Sulphur flowing into the stream

A well, with boiling water of 60 degree celsius

More steam coming out

We checked into the Noboribetsu Sekisui Tei Hotel after that, just a short walk away from the crater. Again, it was another traditional Japanese setting hotel room, except besides the Tatami, there were also two beds. That night, we slept on the beds, after two days of sleeping on Tatamis.

We went to the hot spring bath again, then went for a buffet dinner. This hot spring seems better than the second one, as it was real stream water and sulphur from the volcanic area itself.

Another Japanese lady?

The set-up of the hotel room

The next day was our last day in Japan. So it was more shopping than anything else. We went back to Sapporo and stopped first at the Nijo Seafood Market. Then we proceeded to the Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade and Susukino Ramen Alley for shopping and lunch.

The shop the tour guide recommended was one that was tucked in a corner. It was a cheap sale, everything was tax-free with a discount of 15%. So we bought lots of souvenirs, Ishiya chocolates and Royce chocolates as well. And we proceeded to the ramen place recommended for lunch.

The shop was in a Japanese setting, with bamboo poles. Even the bathroom was so quaint! There are owls on display, and a bamboo washing area where you step on a pedal and water spouts out for you to wash your hands. I have never seen a bathroom like this! Simple, yet elegant, and classic.

We went shopping at the shopping arcade after lunch. The shopping arcade is a whole row of shops, ranging seven streets. Beyond the shopping arcade, there is a 100 Yen shop (something like our now-defunct 1.99 shop), and a Robinsons. We walked so much until my legs ached!

Nijo Fresh Seafood Market

Finally, I found Doraemon!

The "trademarks" of Japan - Doraemon and Hello Kitty

The entrance of the Ramen restaurant

The owl display in the bathroom of the ramen place

Water spouting out of the bamboo "sink"

The decorations on the ceiling of the ramen place

Part of the Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade

I could not believe I found this! Right smack outside a shop in the shopping arcade.

I could not believe I found this too! Orlando.... where are you?

Outside a chilli shop

After a whole afternoon of shopping, the tour guide brought us to the Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, where during the New Year, many locals go to pray for fortune and good tidings.

The big drum at the entrance of the Shrine

The donation boxes to "get" your fortune reading

Another donation box for tithes (or tokens)

The entrance of the Shrine

Since there was still some time left, the tour guide gave us a bonus tour. He brought us up Mount Okaru, to see the Okaruyama Ski Stadium, the site of the 2007 Winter Olympic Games. I can only imagine what the entire ski slide looks like in Winter when all the snow is covering it.

The front of the Stadium

The ski slope from the bottom

Something that will never happen to me - to be number one, in anything

The big scoreboard of the ski stadium

Close-up of the ski slope while up the ski lift

Up the ski lift to the top

A view of the ski slope from the top

The sign of the ski stadium

A view of Sapporo city from the top of the ski stadium

Ski slope from the front

We went for dinner after that. It was a teppanyaki dinner, and we cooked all the food. We ordered abalone and Kobe beef as extras, but both did not taste that well. My mum complained that the quality was not there judging from the amount we paid.

Sapporo beer was on the house, so I drank two glasses. I was so depressed and worried that I did not care if I got drunk! In fact, I wanted to get drunk so I could just conk out and forget about everything.

Our dinner place

We checked into the Susukino Green II Hotel in Sapporo after dinner. I was feeling so drunk that I was not in the mood to wander around the Susukino area, the red light district. I just went straight to bed after reaching the hotel room. Even then I did not get a good night's sleep as there was simply too many things on my mind.

We checked out very early the next morning as we had to catch a flight back. After a buffet breakfast, we arrived at Chitose Airport, then took a domestic flight to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, and took a coach ride to Narita Airport. Since there was ample time before the next flight, my mum and I went for lunch at the food court, then went shopping around.

There was a supermarket giving samples of chocolate cake. The chocolate cake is really delicious and rich! We ate so much that I think we must have eaten the entire packet! Anyway there was only five cakes per packet, and the samples were cut into small pieces of four each, so we ended up eating all the pieces on display!

After that we wandered around the airport. My mum bought herself a lavendar brooch and a pair of lavendar earrings for me. There were lots of nice things on display in the airport itself. We entered the departure hall with fifteen minutes to spare but realised the queue was so long!

We were worried we could not reach the gate on time, but luckily we managed to reach the gate on time, and hence took the plane back, where now I have to return to the grind of life and solve some problems which have been put away for a while.

What a giant Hello Kitty! (At the Narita Airport)