Japan Attractions Day 7 - 16th Apr 2009 Sapporo – Narita

Japan Attractions Day 7

Sapporo White Illumination

Sapporo Snow Festival

Today being the seventh day we are in Japan, it is also the last day that we could use the Japanese rail pass on the JR trains for our Japan sightseeing.




Just before we left our hotel room, we saw that it was lightly snowing. The Sapporo weather forecast was indeed accurate. We were glad that we managed to see quite a bit during this Sapporo travel despite only having two full days here and fortunate in having friends bring us on a few tours of Sapporo including various restaurants for us to try the food as well especially the
Mongolian bbq grill.

Mongolian BBQ Grill...

We checked out of Keio Plaza Sapporo at 0745 hrs and walked to the JR Sapporo station in a light snow to catch the 0825 hrs rapid express train to Chitose Japan where Sapporo Airport is located. As we were early, we managed to do some shopping at the Shopping World before clearing security.

Sapporo Airport, Chitose Japan

We then boarded the plane bound for Tokyo Haneda Airport which departed on schedule at 1045 hrs. We arrived Tokyo Haneda Airport an hour and a half later at 1215 hrs.

Sapporo Airport, Chitose Japan On the runway

Taking off

Tokyo Haneda Airport ...

Baggage carousel at Haneda Airport, where luggages are placed neatly on the carousel with handles facing outwards for easy retrieval

We were now faced with two choices. We could either catch the JR train to Tokyo and change trains to Narita station since our Japanese rail pass was still valid or hop on a limousine bus which would bring us direct to Narita Japan Airport. We decided on the latter as it would be faster although it set us back by JPY3000/person.

Upon arrival at Narita Japan Airport, we had to wait approximately 45 minutes for the next shuttle bus to our hotel, International Garden Hotel Narita, as we had just missed it and as it was a non peak hour, the buses only ran hourly.

Wiating for the Limousine Bus ...

Flowers to brighten up Narita Japan Airport

It would have been better if we had made the airline reservation for a flight from Sapporo direct to Narita Japan Airport which would have saved us some travelling time. However, we did not due to certain circumstances arising at the time of making the flight reservation.

The journey to International Garden Hotel Narita took approximately half an hour. After checking in, we immediately took the next shuttle to the train station. We proceeded to the JR Narita station and took a train to Tokyo station.

Along the journey in Tokyo

Japan train travel

From there, we began our short sightseeing on foot by walking to Mitsukoshi Department Store in Nihonbashi, one of the city districts of Tokyo, to view the carriage that the Emperor and Empress rode in on their wedding day fifty years ago which was on display. We were fortunate as the exhibition was on only for a week and we were just on time to view it.

Nihonbashi

Kashiwamochi, special rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves with various fillings

Mitsukoshi Department Store in Nihonbashi Tokyo Japan

We had dinner at Yoshinoya, a small shop serving Japanese food, which is considered as one of the leading Japan fast food chains. Its motto is “cheap, quick and yummy”, thus you can get a delicious beef bowl (gyudon) at less than JPY400 (USD4.10).

Beef bowl (Gyudon)

Pork instead of beef

After dinner, we caught the JR train back to Narita station, thereby making full use of our seven-day Japanese rail pass, and then took the shuttle back to International Garden Hotel Narita.

Lots of space in the bedroom ...

Personal fitness at the gymnasium

Huge spacious lobby area

Area for relaxation

Souvenir shop in hotel selling soba noodles

Just across the International Garden Hotel Narita is a quaint little hotel, the Hotel Chapel Christmas. As the name suggests, it is time to enjoy Christmas all year round and gives it the festive look and feel.

Japan Attractions Day 5 - 14th Apr 2009 Sapporo

Japan Attractions Day 5

Sapporo travel

The temperature here in Sapporo varies from that of Tokyo by about 10 degrees C. The Sapporo weather sees temperatures plummeting below zero during winter in Hokkaido and is especially cold in January and February. It would be advisable to always check the temperature in advance and be prepared for the great variations that can occur from day to day in order to enjoy the Japan attractions and your Sapporo travel as fully as possible.



Keio Plaza Hotel Sapporo. At JPY9,000 nett/night, you can get a superior semi double room excluding breakfast. At JYP16,000 nett/night, you can get a superior double room excluding breakfast. The latter is more spacious and you get a bigger bed.

Lobby entrance of Keio Plaza

This hotel is more like a 4-star hotel in terms of facilities. A pool and gym are available to keep you in top shape although a fee is charged for the use of the facilities. Internet access is also chargeable.

We took a short walk to the Former Hokkaido Government Building which is affectionately called “Red Brick” by the locals. Built in 1888, this American neo-Baroque architecture is open to the public for viewing during the day and the exterior of the building is lit up at night.

In the gardens of the "Red Brick"

Cute little tree...

We went back to the hotel to wait for an old friend to pick us up at 1000 hrs instead of joining any Sapporo tours as we felt that we could see more of the area and be immersed in the culture as well. She brought us to a public bath house in Yoichi, passing Otaru City. This place gets quite crowded especially during winter when the hot bath is very inviting.

Yoichi public bath house resting place

At the private beach...

Enjoying the waves

And the scenery...

So too this little bird

After resting for awhile, we proceeded to pay our respects to the late boss of our head office.

Typical Japanese Cemetery

After paying our respects, we proceeded to Posful Shopping Centre in Otaru City for ramen lunch in a traditional Japanese ramen shop.

At the traditional ramen shop

Scene from the back...

Miso ramen with char siew (pork slices)

Following the ramen lunch, we had crepe with ice cream ranging in cost from JPY350 – JPY650.

Yummy crepes... filled with your choice of ice cream, cake or fruits...

View of the yachts from Posful Shopping Centre

Otaru Japan is known as a romantic and nostalgic city. It used to be the financial hub of Hokkaido. The stone and brick-built Western-style buildings and old Japanese-style buildings, once the premises of banks and trading companies, still remain around the town.

Iwanaga Clock Store constructed in 1896, another designated historic landmark of Otaru City

The former Kubo House built in 1907, now one of the Designated Historic Landmarks of Otaru City

The former Otaru Branch of the Dai Hyakujusan National Bank, constructed in 1893, yet another designated historic landmark of Otaru City

Otaru is famous for its sushi, and shops that specialize in the local delicacy are abundant. However, not just sushi, but all kinds of dishes containing fresh seafood are popular amongst locals and visitors alike and can be found at a variety of delicious restaurants in and around Otaru.

Dried scallops

How much fresher can the seafood be?

If you are looking for gifts, Otaru is famous for music boxes and glass products. We not only saw shops with glass craft but wood craft as well as natural craft.

Souvenir shop with Ainu (aborigine) style store

Native Hokkaido Pawpads

Wood craft ...

Glass craft

Other places of interest in Otaru Japan include Otaru Museum, Otaru Aquarium, Mt Tengu Ropeway where the view from the cable car is quite spectacular, Asarigawa Spa Asari Dam Lakeside Park and various historical architectures.

More historical architecture

On the way back to Sapporo, we stopped by Shiroi Koibito (White Beloved Ones), the chocolate factory. Considered as a Hokkaido specialty, the combination of Langue De Chat and white chocolate made using milk produced in Hokkaido is the key to Shiroi Koibito’s deliciousness. The product won a gold medal at Switzerland’s Monde Selection in 1986 making it a world famous white chocolate cookie.

Japanese White Chocolate Cookie - Hokkaido Specialty

If you would like to go on a tour course of the facilities, an admission fee of JYP600 and JYP200 is charged per adult and child respectively. Here you can observe them making white chocolate cookies, learn about the history of chocolate, gain hands-on experience in cookie-making and enjoy an antique collection. Do look out for the chocolate carnival performance involving karakuri mechanical dolls, which is shown approximately ten minutes every hour.

Dinner found us at the Sapporo Beer Garden to enjoy the freshest Sapporo draft beer and Mongolian bbq grill of fresh barbecued lamb at Garden Grill, a Genghis Khan style restaurant.

Sapporo Beer Garden & Museum

The Genghis Khan restaurant is located next to Sapporo Beer Museum, a “Hokkaido Heritage” site, the only beer-related museum in Japan and one of the precious cultural legacies of the Meiji era. If you are interested in knowing more on the history of Sapporo Beer which was established 133 years ago as well as the history of Japan’s beer industry, this is something you will want to include in your Sapporo travel. The museum also has a tasting lounge.

Although Hokkaido seafood buffet seems to be popular in the USA, we did not manage to find a restaurant here by that name, although Hokkaido’s seafood produce and agricultural products are the best in Japan. Being the largest consumer market in Hokkaido, Sapporo has a wide variety of fresh seasonal foods from around the prefecture. We did see many stalls selling Hokkaido seafood, especially huge crabs and oysters.

Popular dishes among those travelling in Sapporo include ramen (Chinese noodles), Genghis Khan and soup curry.