Hokkaido, or as I call it, the not-so-frozen frozen north, is the largest northern island of Japan. And it was a place I hadn’t gone to yet. To me that meant it was high time to change that. Now, going at the end of summer and the start of autumn meant it was a lot colder than Tokyo (by about 10 degrees at least), but it was all still pretty green. Only some of the leaves were starting to change color. It was still one of the coldest places I’ve been to yet, similar to Iceland a couple months ago. One day I’ll have to come back in winter for the snow festival in Sapporo, as well as some areas more to the east of Hokkaido which were either closed or impossible to reach due to typhoon damage.
Sapporo
I flew into Sapporo with a very simple mission, to eat some of the famous local foods, like Genghis Khan (basically mutton barbeque) and Soup Curry, before going off and see the nature of the island. I’m happy to say I managed this, though I did have to go to the restaurants early as the best ones fill up quickly and lines can form even outside the door, down the stairs, and into the street. Waiting in line is Japan’s favorite pastime it seems, even if they have to wait for hours. That’s just not me, so I went early to avoid that whole mess; early being 6pm which is a fine time to eat in my opinion.
Sapporo is very beautiful in winter, as many photos show, but even at the end of summer it’s worth a visit. Even though it’s a big city it’s not like Tokyo at all – everything in the city center is within walking distance from my hostel, to Odori Park, to the old clock tower and the station.
Some of my highlights include the Nijo Market, where I had the best donburi of my life (raw fish and rice), walking through Odori Park (though technically it’s more of a boulevard) and of course, the many restaurants here.
Otaru
I took a daytrip to the nearby city of Otaru, which is famous for its canal and its romantic atmosphere. Now, maybe it was because it was raining, maybe it’s because I’m not Japanese, maybe it’s because I’m from a country with plenty of canals that are a hell of a lot more romantic than this one, but I couldn’t see the romantic atmosphere this canal supposedly has.
Probably because of the rain.
Now I did like the small museums they had here and I was glad for them too. Museums are a great rainy day option. I might not have gone to them had I not met someone who was looking for the museums. I showed her the way to the nearest one and then we just hung out for the rest of the day until we were both ready to go back to Sapporo.
When it was dry walking along a disused railroad was pretty nice as well. And before I left I still had my quest to fulfill: find some local sweets, like kushi dango (a sweet dumpling on a stick). For something the town is famous for it was surprisingly difficult to find, but in the end I found them, and they were delicious.
Lake Shikotsu
While Sapporo and Otaru were nice, I wasn’t just in Hokkaido to see the cities – after being on the road for so long most cities are starting to look the same to me. So I took another small daytrip out to see some of the sights around the area, one of them being Lake Shikotsu. Pretty lake, and while I was there a bit of storm was brewing so it was tumultuous, with large waves crashing on the shoreline. The small swan-boat rental service I saw wasn’t doing any business that day. Going out on those waters with that wind was plain suicide.
We also went to Jigokudani (Hell Valley) in Noboribetsu and the cable-car to mount Usu and Showa-shinzan. Great views from up there and though there wasn’t time to go all the way on a hiking trail that led closer to the crater, I noticed the other tourists didn’t go on the trail at all. So I followed the trail for a bit (ten minutes or so) to take some more photos. Pro-tip, even you can’t complete a trail it’s often worth it to follow it for a bit and then double back. I’ve taken some great photos that way.
In the case of Noboribetsu, we had just enough time to see the main area of Jigokudani, but because I knew I’d be coming back I took note of the places where I might spend some more time when I returned.
Noboribetsu Onsen
Noboribetsu Onsen is a famous hot spring area in Hokkaido, and the first hot spring area I visited on this trip. There is nothing quite like relaxing in a pool of very hot sulfurous water. I stayed in a resort hotel, with breakfast and dinner included, away from the main Onsen area. I spend a lot of time just relaxing in the hotel, going in the hot springs and then relax some more, then go back in the hot springs.
I was there for only two nights, so on my full day I took the morning shuttle service to Noboribetsu Onsen and walked around Jigokudani again, taking more photos of the volcanic landscape. It’s not quite as hellish as the name would like you to think though. On the day tour I noted a path going further into the park area and this time I took that path, which first led to a couple more lakes, and then went on to follow a stream. The stream is slightly opaque from the minerals in the water and very warm too, though at first it might not seem so. Halfway along the stream they’ve created a footbath area where you can dip your feet in the water. Very relaxing after having just done a walk.
The whole package is a great way to spend a morning and makes you feel you earned your relaxation time in the hot spring. So, after grabbing some lunch in town I went back to the hotel by local bus and proceeded to spend time in the hot springs again. Ah, hot springs.
Lake Toya
After Noboribetsu I went to another hot springs area, because, why not? Whereas my hotel in Noboribetsu was in the middle of nowhere in the mountains, Lake Toya Onsen is a small town next to Lake Toya. Another nice place to walk and they have some good restaurants there too.
First day I arrived, before I could even check in yet, I dropped my stuff at the hotel and went to explore. I saw a ferry to the islands in Lake Toya and, since the hotel had given me a discount coupon, I decided to take it. On the ride to the island I met a large family from Shanghai and Hong Kong who were doing a trip through Japan. We hung out at the center island and they bought me lunch – Korean style barbeque. Afterward they offered to take me along in their hired bus as they went to the nearby volcano – which were mount Usu and Showa-shinzan, which I’d already seen, but I didn’t mind seeing those again so I took them up on their offer. The weather was different from last time, so I took the opportunity to take a lot more pictures. I can’t state enough how fun it is to meet people on my travels.
There was only one downer on that trip, and that was the bear park. Good god Japan, what the hell are you doing? A lot of bears crowded together in concrete enclosures, with nothing natural in there at all. At least zoos have the decency to mimic the animals’ natural environment. Not so there. You could feed the bears by throwing them special treats, and the bears were begging for it, even doing some tricks like clapping their paws, waving, pointing at themselves, and standing up on their hind legs and reaching up. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.
The remainder of my time in Lake Toya I spent walking in the mornings, and then relaxing in the hot springs in the afternoon. Then after dinner I’d go back in the hot springs. Ah, hot springs!
Chitose
My last stop in Hokkaido was in Chitose, a city that has an airport but nothing much else. I spent two days here before flying back, taking it easy in the city and walking in Aoba Park, racking up the kilometers.