The Wintry Wonderland Of Hokkaido - Insights From An Experienced Travel Blogger

1. Intro [00:07 - 05:42]

Ananya: Hi, I’m Ananya. I’m a junior content manager with Trip 101. Today we’re traveling all the way to Hokkaido with AJ who has joined us for this call. He recently traveled to Hokkaido. He covered the capital city Sapporo and a couple of other towns.

So he’s going to tell us all about his itinerary where he stayed. So over to you AJ. We’d like to know first more about you and what sort of a traveler are you.

AJ: Hi, well so I’m AJ but I also have a handle. Actually, the Transcendental Tour is an old-school blog and it’s a written blog, not a vlog, which is you know what most people do now. But mine is also an old blog.

It’s 15 years old. Yeah, I started blogging in the late 90s and so I record all my travels there. So yeah, so that’s I think that’s about me.

Ananya: So your blog is still active, right?

AJ: It is active, yes. So 15 years and going small.

Ananya: That’s quite wonderful. Yeah, in the day and age of when it’s all about videos and blogs, you’re still keeping it strong with the old-school blog.

AJ: Yes, I don’t think the written word is going to go out of vogue anyways and I think it’s more everlasting, the post, because you know you can always go back to something that was written rather than, you know, I think video is more the immediacy of it, you know. So it’s more that timeliness is crucial in videos. But I think for written articles, you can go back to it even you know years later and it will still be okay.

Ananya: Yeah, it will be fun. Yeah, I completely agree with that sentiment because I find that when I read stuff, I absorb it more compared to when I see things on videos. So that definitely holds true for me. Yeah, so Ajay, where are you based out of?

AJ: I’m based in the Philippines and from Manila.

Ananya: And how long have you been traveling the same amount of time? 15 years as long as you’re active?

AJ: Yeah, but of course that does not include you know rare trips in childhood. So yeah, my mom was really my first travel icon. So I think I got it from her. She didn’t travel a lot, but she encouraged that love for that curiosity I think for new places. You know the first book I ever read as a kid was the world atlas.

So there. So I think even back then you know when we backtracked to my childhood, I was really already into travel even before I was even traveling. So it started it really started from there.

Ananya: That’s pretty cool. Yeah. And so then once you grew up, you started out on your journey to map the world.

AJ: Yeah, I was very curious about the countries and the places I read on the atlas. And then my mom also bought me an inflatable globe. Oh, it’s really all started from there. So that’s why I credit it. I credit her you know for my love of travel.

Ananya: Okay. So are you the type of traveler who sort of maps or counts like the number of countries that you have visited?

AJ: I’m very bad at numbers. So I’m not much of a planner, unfortunately. So I’m not that kind of person. I’m more spontaneous and of course, you have to plan somehow. Yeah. But I think I make the minimum amount of that in my trip. Yes.

Ananya: That’s good too. I think sometimes like you hear about a lot of travelers who put in a lot of like, you know, research and planning before they actually go. And it sometimes becomes intimidating. But it’s good to know that you know, if there is a way of traveling that can be also like, you know, when you can be spontaneous and especially like with international travel that is to say, so get into a little bit to know you a little bit more when you do your trips. Do usually you travel by yourself or do you travel with a group of friends or your family?

AJ: I seldom do solo travel. So I’m usually with friends or family.

Ananya: Oh.

AJ: Yes, I don’t know. I can’t be alone with my thoughts for days. So I prefer having someone with me.

Ananya: Oh, that’s great. So do your friends and family also like this kind of spontaneous travel or are some of them planners?

AJ: Well, fortunately for me, they’re not, you know, they’re the planner. Maybe that’s why I need them because they plan and I just okay, I’ll just go along.

Ananya: As long as there’s that balance.

AJ: There’s a balance. Yeah. You can all be planners and you can’t all be spontaneous. Yeah.

Ananya: Someone has to do the grunt job and the others have to sort of pull up the spirits by their spontaneity.

2. Hokkaido as a destination [05:42 - 08:25]

Ananya: So, coming to the destination that we’re discussing today, how did you end up selecting it? Was it a spontaneous decision?

AJ: It was almost on a whim as well. I was just chatting with my high school friends, and we have a Messenger group chat. One of them just proposed, “Where do we all want to go?” and then she put up a poll. I don’t remember the other places that she put there, but one was Japan. And so I ticked Japan and specifically said Hokkaido. It was like, “Hokkaido or bust!”

Ananya: And then the rest of the people must have also voted for it, and that’s how it got selected by majority.

AJ: Yes, thankfully they agreed with me.

Ananya: So when was this trip that you did with your high school friends?

AJ: We went there last January. We specifically wanted, or well, I specifically wanted, to go to Hokkaido in winter. You know, I live in the Philippines. It’s a tropical country; we don’t have winter here. And although I’ve lived in another country before that had winter, it was subtropical, so there wasn’t any snow. So I wanted, I really wanted to experience snow, you know, just like what you see in my background now. And Sapporo, you know, Sapporo is the second snowiest city in the world.

Ananya: So that’s how you selected Sapporo?

AJ: Yeah, I couldn’t go to the first one, so I settled for the second one.

Ananya: Okay, so it was snow that made you pick your destination?

AJ: Definitely.

Ananya: Did you find the snow in Sapporo to be enough or like to your satisfaction?

AJ: It was, you know, when they said it was the second snowiest city in the world, they weren’t kidding. So, you know, snow banks were taller than me on the sidewalk. Yeah, so that was exactly how I envisioned, you know, well, be careful what you wish for. We got it, we got snow down.

3. Best time to visit [08:25 - 12:42]

Ananya: So it was early January or late January when you went?

AJ: It was late January. Originally, we planned it to be in February because there’s a snow festival, annual snow festival in Sapporo. And you know, they make very nice ice castles, ice sculptures. And so it’s definitely a thing to see. Unfortunately, though, I had family commitments around the same time as the festival. So I just told my friends, I’m sorry, I couldn’t make it anymore because, you know, I couldn’t go there at the time. And then they also thankfully, changed plans to accommodate my schedule. And so we all decided January, even though there was no snow festival yet. So yeah, I owe it to my squad. Shoutout!

Ananya: So is February a pretty popular time to travel to Sapporo when the festival is happening?

AJ: Yes. So Hokkaido in general, I think is a winter destination. So it’s also, you know, a popular venue for, say, the Winter Olympics. And because of the amount of snow that they get, and also the rural landscapes and mountain landscapes, it’s good for skiing, snow sports, etc. So I think Hokkaido in general really receives a lot of tourists or visitors during winter.

Ananya: That’s great! But since you went before the festival, did you feel it was still a good time to visit, or would it have been better to go during the festival itself? Did you feel in any way that the timing could have helped maybe?

AJ: Well, if you’re aiming for perfection, then go for the snow festival definitely. But life isn’t always perfect, so you have to make the most of the circumstances. I’d say Hokkaido is beautiful at any time in winter or even other seasons, so I don’t think there’s ever a “bad” time to go. It really just depends on what you want to see and do. But I think it’s an all-year kind of destination.

Ananya: That makes so much sense. Yeah. So apart from Sapporo, which were the other towns that you visited within Hokkaido?

AJ: I was only there for a week. So I got to go to Otaru. It’s just an hour or so by train from Sapporo, and Furano, which is in the opposite direction in the north. That one’s a bit farther. It’s in central Hokkaido. Okay.

Ananya: So two more locations apart from Sapporo? And you said it was one week long?

AJ: Yeah. I was there for a week.

Ananya: So Otaru and Furano, they were both day trips and the other five days you must have been in Sapporo itself, right?

AJ: Yes. One of those days there was a blizzard. So a train service was canceled. I had to stay in the city. So I think that’s the only downside to traveling there in winter. There’s, you know, sometimes you get snowed in. But you know, that’s weather. We just have to hope for the best. You know, I think even here in the Philippines, you know, we have typhoons. So when you go to the beach, you just have to hope that the sun is out certain months.

Ananya: Yes. It’s part of the experience. Staying in.

AJ: Yeah. So I don’t really sweat. It’s part of it. And it was my first blizzard anyway. So even being snowed in was a novel experience. It’s something that I relished. So there was really no loss. Yeah.

Ananya: And there’s something really cozy about being indoors and watching the snow outside as well.

AJ: There’s nothing better. It’s like it’s similar to watching the rain from indoors. So long as you’re not wet.

4. Getting to Hokkaido [12:42 - 14:04]

Ananya: So AJ, I think we’ve come to the point where we’d like you to sort of walk us through your itinerary. The days you were in Hokkaido, you can tell us about what all you visited, what you did in the days that you were out and about and not snowed in.

AJ: Okay. So well, getting to Hokkaido, I think, well, especially from my place from the Philippines, we had to take two flights because we don’t have direct flights to Hokkaido to Sapporo. So we had to go through Tokyo. So I think for many countries as well, there aren’t many direct flights. So you mostly have to go through Tokyo or somewhere else. And since we had to take two flights and layover, et cetera, so when we got to Sapporo, we really just wanted to chill, recovery time, especially at our age.

We’re not spring chicken anymore. So we just spent the first day really just nesting in our hotel, which is named appropriately because it’s Nest Hotel Sapporo, that’s where we stayed. And then the following day, that’s when we started going out. So we just wanted to make it very chill.

5. Otaru [14:04 - 15:29]

AJ: So we just wanted to make it very chill. And so we decided for the first day to go to the city of Otaru. Otaru is, I think, it’s south of Sapporo, but it’s just about an hour away. So, you know, the thing in Japan, you have to get a JR pass. It’s this card for the train service that you can use for whatever amount that you put in there. And so that’s what you have to do at first, when you get to Japan, you get that pass.

So you don’t have to line up, doing to get tickets, et cetera, and you can just swipe away and take the train. So it was very convenient in less than an hour or so. We were in Otaru. Otaru actually is a smaller city than Sapporo. I would find it quaint, really, I think it’s quaint.

And what can I say about it? You don’t have to hire transportation there, I guess, especially on a day trip, because you can just walk from Otaru station to the major destinations, okay? Things that you must see and do in Otaru. They’re just walking distance from the train station.

6. Sankaku Market [15:29 - 16:56]

AJ: So, for example, Sankaku Market, that was our first stop. Sankaku Market is where fresh fish, you know, Otaru is a coastal city, and so it’s for fresh seafood. And we got there almost lunchtime. So that was, you know, the opportune time to have a taste of fresh seafood. And we had it at Sankaku Market. It’s a covered fish market. And you can see Hakodate crab and many other marine life.

And when I say marine life, they’re still alive. You see your lunch still moving. And then you can just choose to have them cooked. But we went to a restaurant. There are several restaurants in the market. And we chose, and they’re very popular. So, queues were quite long. So we chose one with the shortest queue. And we tried their salmon and haki fish. It’s very good. I love it. Actually, I love fish roe. That’s my favorite. And so I had my fill, really.

Ananya: Yes. I love that your first attraction that you visited was like a food market.

AJ: Of course, first stop!

7. Weather in Otaru [16:56 - 18:47]

Ananya: So, was Otaru also snowy? And was it walkable even in spite of that, the cold weather?

AJ: Yes, it was very snowy. So, just like Sapporo, there are lots of snow banks and ice on the ground. Another tip I can give you is to get crampons. Do you know what crampons are?

Ananya: No, sorry. What? Can you explain?

AJ: Crampon. Crampon is a contraption that you put on your shoes, and it has some spikes. So, when you step on icy ground, there’s some sort of friction or mechanical barrier so that you won’t slip because it’s very slippery. Although I did not wear mine, I had crampons. I was ready. But I didn’t feel that I needed them, and in my group, I was the only one that didn’t fall. But everyone else slipped in the snow and on ice. So, yeah, so that’s my bragging right. But all my friends, all of them just fell on their bum.

Ananya: Even though they were wearing the crampons?

AJ: Some of them did not, and I think after they fell on their bum, they knew better. Yeah, they decided to wear them.

Ananya: So, did you and your friends get the crampons in Japan or bring them from back home?

AJ: I borrowed mine from a brother-in-law who just came from Hokkaido a month or so before I did. But you can buy them in any store in Japan.

Ananya: It must be readily available.

AJ: Yeah, it’s common. Yes, exactly.

8. Miyakodori Shopping Street [18:47 - 21:07]

AJ: From Sankaku Market, we walked again. As I mentioned, you don’t have to take a ride in Otaru—it’s a walkable city, and that’s part of its charm. It’s a very laid-back, chill city. I love it; it’s a city after my own chill heart. You can adjust your pace, whether you want to see more or just relax and stroll. You’ll get the best of it.

Ananya: So, what was your next stop there? Where were you walking to?

AJ: From Sankaku Market, we passed through what’s called Miyakodori Shopping Arcade. I have to read the name because I struggle with Japanese names and keep a cheat sheet! Miyakodori Shopping Arcade is very interesting because it’s a pedestrian lane, but it’s covered, so at least you get some respite from the snow. You can browse through the shops there. That’s where I bought my snow shoes. Because, you know, when you walk around a snowy ground, you need not really a very special kind of shoes, but at least one that would have thicker soles also for warmth and also for traction on the snow. So I bought a pair there. So, you know, just I think another opportune time on our first, well, second day in Hokkaido, I got those, that pair of shoes.

So, from there, I already wore it. And so I was ready to walk through Otaru. So I think a second stop at Miyakodor iShopping Arcade is a good thing. Yeah. So that is also just very near, just a few blocks away from Senkaku Market. And you really pass through it to go to the main attraction, which is the Sakaimachi Dori, which is their main street.

I think it makes sense that way.

9. Nichigindori [21:07 - 24:07]

AJ:On the way to Sakaimachi, sorry, Sakaimachi Dori—though, Dori, I think, means street in Japan. So when I say Sakaimachi Dori, that means Sakaimachi Street—we also walk through Nichigindori or Nichigin Street. That’s where you will see a lot of neoclassical buildings of, you know, Otaru in the past.

So it’s like walking through time. So, you know, what was interesting about Otaru is it doesn’t really feel like you’re in Japan, because the buildings are not, you know, those traditional Japanese buildings with pitched roofs and, you know, upturned eaves like those. They don’t have a lot of that there. What they have are neoclassical buildings, you know, inspired by Greco-Roman architecture. And it kind of feels more like, you know, Siberia. You know, that’s how I imagine Siberia to look. And so it was very interesting, because, you know, if you just don’t mind the signs, it won’t feel like you’re in Japan at all.

So I think that was very interesting. So Nichigindori is just on the way to Sakaimachi. So when you walk through it, you will see all these old buildings there. And one of them was the original Bank of Japan, Otaru Museum, because now it was repurposed into a museum.

So we got there, I think it was, there was no entrance fee at the time. And so you can see the old banknotes of the Japanese yen. You’ll get to see the history of the bank. And I got to touch the original, the OG door, the bank, where they keep the money. This really heavy door. Yeah, so they have the original of that. So you can see it there.

Ananya: Like a locker door.

AJ: Yes, and it’s really thick, right? And also this building is known for not having any pillars inside. So it’s like, it’s just supported by, you know, the four walls. It’s very interesting, you know, for that. And I thought, you know, Japan is a seismic area. So considering all those things and the age of the building, which is like more than 100 years old, and it’s still standing and it looks very sturdy, that’s a feat of engineering. So I think it’s interesting to visit that place, even if you’re not into museums, because the building itself is, you know, a thing to see. So that is in Nichigindori on the way to Sakaimachi.

So you will see all those.

10. Sakaimachi Dori [24:07 - 30:19]

AJ: And when you get to Otaru Canal, that’s the time that you know that you are already in Sakaimachi. So Otaru Canal, well, you know what it is, you know, think Venice.

It’s similar to that. But this is winter. So it’s not really a good time to be rowing boats on that canal.

So we just looked at it from the bridge. But there are several other neoclassical buildings around. And many of these buildings have been repurposed into cafes, you know, boutique cafes, and souvenir shops. So it’s really nice. It’s very, I said it’s quaint. Yeah. So when you walk through there, there are lots to see.

Ananya: So when you were visiting these spots in Otaru, did you already have these in mind from like research that some of your friends might have done or some suggestions that had come from previous friends and family that had traveled? Or were you just exploring, walking along and seeing the buildings?

AJ: I was exploring and, you know, getting really amazed. And, you know, my jaw was dropping the whole time because I didn’t know what to expect. But of course, my friends, since they planned it, especially one of my friends, shout out to Pauline Reyes. She planned it, so she already knew. And I think she already went to this place before. So she knew what to expect.

Ananya: But the beauty of like a small town is that you can just walk along and, you know, like whatever interests you, you can just like stop at it a little bit and then walk along and drop by to the next stop that you have.

AJ: Exactly. Yeah. So inside it’s quite a long street, but you won’t get bored of it because it’s very scenic. And there are lots of, as I’ve said, cafes, souvenir shops. And it was also good timing that we went there later in the day. You know, remember this was our first full day. So previously, the day before, we just settled in. And so we were a little tired.

And so we started out later in the day. But I think it’s best. We were, I think we were very lucky to have done so because Sakaimachi Dori is just more charming with the lights on. I think this street should be seen in the evening. And, you know, in the winter, night falls much earlier. So you don’t really have to stay out so late to do that. You know, it’s already dark around 5pm to 6pm. So, you know, if, and we also are just day trippers, so we had to go back to Sapporo. But, you know, I think we were able to maximize the evening time, the darkness, because it starts earlier.

So I think it’s best to see that street in the evening, because they have these, you know, iron rod lamp posts that are so, I think, very British. What I felt there was, it’s like I had stepped into Narnia. I don’t know if you know Narnia. You know, just I went through a wardrobe and I got through the other side and suddenly it’s a winter wonderland and there are, you know, iron posts with lamps.

Ananya: It’s crazy that you said Narnia, because I think mentally I was picturing it like that.

AJ: So, you know, I just half expected a faun, you know, to see a faun there in Narnia. But yeah, that was my vibe. So I was vibing Narnia. I was walking through Sakaimachi and they have many shops. There’s one notable one, the music box museum. They call it a museum, but it’s not really a museum. It’s more of a shop. So it contains like thousands upon thousands of music boxes, all kinds of shapes and sizes. What have you, they have Hello Kitty, of course, because that’s an icon in Japan.

Yeah. So it’s a really nice place to get souvenirs as well. And you can also have a little bit of street food. So in Otaru, they have this sweet potato ice cream. So what would you call that, you know, ice cream with, you know, it’s hot potato, right? And then they serve it with, they top it with scoops of ice cream on top. So kind of like you get the heat and the cold at the same time. So, you know, you can eat that while walking on the street. So yeah, it’s an experience. I love it.

Ananya: So once you were done exploring the street, did you turn back to Sapporo?

AJ: So of course, that was already evening and later in the evening, it started snowing. So again, I love that because I came there for the snow and I got it. And so they also have like digital temperature readings.

So I finally saw zero degrees Celsius and then later on it was negative three degrees or negative four. So I had a picture, you know, taken with that because that’s a novelty for us Filipinos. So it was a big deal for me. For everyone from tropical countries, I think anytime, you know, see the snow, these sub-zero temperatures, it’s like miraculous.

Yes, it’s magical. It’s a wonderland, right? So that signaled though that okay, it was time to go back to Sapporo, lest we get stranded by another blizzard.

11. Otaru food [30:19 - 32:02]

AJ: But before we did so, of course, we had to eat. You know, Filipinos love to eat. So we chose a local chain. It’s called Sampachi Ramen. So that’s just on our way back to Otaru station, the train station. Yes. So we dropped by there. And we had the ramen, Sampachi with that very big fish cake on top of it.

The restaurant is also quite quaint. It’s like a log cabin type of building. It’s off the street though. So you really have to look for it. Because when you look at it on the map, it seems like it’s along the road. But you have to turn a certain way and go farther from the road. Also, there was no English sign. But thankfully, one of my friends, Aline, she can read Japanese. So she saw that sign. And so we had ramen, which was really good. You know, a hot bowl of ramen when it’s snowing outside, it’s perfect. And so it’s this log cabin kind of restaurant.

But of course, this is Japan. So it’s modern. They have a robot waiter serving the food. So that was quite an experience as well. So we had that before we headed back to Sapporo in the evening. So that was the second day. That was only the second day.

And we even started, you know, late. So yeah, I think the next day we went around Sapporo if I’m not mistaken.

12. Sapporo [32:02 - 33:21]

AJ: So okay, so now we are going to talk about Sapporo. In Sapporo, there are many also attractions. And it’s also convenient to go around because they have a subway.

That’s one. So it’s easier to go from one place in Sapporo, one district to another. Another good thing about Sapporo—they have an underground walkway. And their underground walkways are huge. So if you’re the kind of person that’s not really into cold weather, and no matter how beautiful snow looks, sometimes you just have too much of it and you just want to feel a bit warmer. You can walk through the underground walkways. So it’s very warm. Of course, there’s no danger of slipping. And these walkways also are like little malls because there are shops there. They’re like convenience stores there. So it’s a convenient city to go around in. Okay, so you won’t have any problems going around there.

13. Miso soup [33:21 - 34:57]

AJ: The main thing also that we did in Sapporo was to try their miso soup. You know, when you go to Japanese restaurants, we always have miso soup. And this is the birthplace of it.

Okay, so we’re like in the ground zero of miso. And it’s in Sapporo, and they have this particular alley. It’s just a small alley, a narrow one. And it’s considered to be where the original miso soup was first served. Okay, so it’s called Ganso Sapporo Ramen Alley. They just call it Ramen Alley for short. So, you know, there’s a line of small restaurants there, you can just choose any. And they serve this soup. Of course, you can have it with many other kinds of Japanese food. So I think that is one thing that you shouldn’t miss in Sapporo.

Ananya: Is this one of the alleys that’s like an underground alley, or the one that you mentioned?

AJ: This one is not underground though. This is above ground. This is in a block. So, you know, this is traditional. So it’s in the old part of town. The underground walkway is really just for going from one place to another.

Ananya: But yeah, having miso soup on a snowy day sounds absolutely fascinating.

AJ: Yeah. Yes, just perfect.

14. Sapporo beer [34:57 - 37:36]

AJ: Another thing that’s good with cold weather and with snow. Do you know what goes with cold weather? Something that makes you warm inside? Do you have any idea, Ananya?

Ananya: There could be many things. Am I to guess something that’s Japanese?

AJ: Well, it is Japanese, but it’s specifically Sapporo. It’s Sapporo beer. Yeah. So, you know, when you drink beer, you feel warm inside. So they have Sapporo beer, of course, and their original brewery is also located, of course, in Sapporo. So it’s already been turned into a museum.

We also visited there. You can see the big vats of, you know, what they call these barrels. You know, you roll out the barrel, right? The beer. This building is also a brick building, which looks very nice, very beautiful amidst the snow. So I think before you go inside the building, it’s very common to have photos outside, which I did with my, you know, I always travel with my toy dinosaur. So I have pictures of myself, selfies with my little dino. And you also get to taste Sapporo beer there. And you get the history as well.

Ananya: How did you like the Sapporo beer?

AJ: Oh, I loved it. You know, I’m not a big beer drinker, but Sapporo beer is light. So it’s very smooth on the throat. Yeah, so I loved it. I had a glass, although I don’t really, I’m a teetotaler.

Ananya: Is it so chilled even in the snowy weather?

AJ: Yeah, I think beer goes well with cold weather. It feels warm. Yes, as I’ve said. So also the architecture of this museum is really nice. They have these really big chandeliers with candles. It has that medieval vibe. So the building itself is something to see. And the beer is, of course, a plus.

Ananya: This is all on your third day of your trip.

AJ: Yeah, somehow I think maybe this is not chronological anymore.

15. Sapporo Chocolate Factory [37:36 - 41:18]

AJ: But another place, if you’re not really into beer or alcoholic beverages, if you like something sweeter in Sapporo, they also have a chocolate factory.

Ananya: Oh, wow.

AJ: Yes. Yeah. So if you’re the sweeter kind, then that place is for you. It’s also very nice. They call it Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Factory. I have to check my cheat sheet. It’s also very nice because they have like a theme park outside of it. You know, one thing about Hokkaido or Sapporo, when you go to a place like they call it, for example, a beer museum or a chocolate factory, they don’t only just have that, you know, they have something else to go with it. So like in this chocolate factory, there’s like a theme park, a little theme park outside of it. And it’s very British-inspired. I think the owner, the founder of the chocolate factory, was probably a big British fan.

And so he created this British-inspired theme park, which is very Instagrammable. So again, we got there late in the day, which was very lucky for us because of the lights. So I think it’s best also to visit this place in the evening. So maybe you do the beer museum during the daytime because you don’t really need, you know, lights there. But for the chocolate factory, it’s better to do it later in the day, at the end of the day. So you end your city tour there. Yes. And of course, you buy souvenirs, you know, boxes of chocolate there. Shiroi Koibito is a kind of cookie with milk chocolate or white chocolate as filling. So that’s their specialty.

Ananya: That sounds pretty great. Yeah, I’m not even going to attempt to name the names.

AJ: Okay, so another place—I don’t know, we’re always eating—another thing that you shouldn’t miss…

Ananya: That’s the thing about cold weather, right?

AJ: It makes you hungry. And, you know, walking around as well. So another thing that you should try in Sapporo is their special bread. Okay, I have to read again because I wouldn’t be able to remember this. It’s called chikuwa roll. You know, it’s a roll and it has tuna inside and mayonnaise.

It’s their savory. So you can go to Donguri Bakery. It’s in Sapporo.

It’s also near the Sapporo Clock Tower, which is a major tourist destination as well. So you can just walk through there and have this particular roll. So there, so you have soup, you have beer, your chocolate, and you have roll. Yeah.

Ananya: You’re sorted.

AJ: Yes. So it seems that Sapporo is a food place. See, I did not expect it to be that way, but it turned out on our tour to be that way. A foodie place.

Ananya: That’s the best kind of place.

AJ: Yes.

16. Shopping in Sapporo [41:18 - 43:33]

Ananya: But was there anything apart from the food destinations that you covered on these days in Sapporo?

AJ: Okay, well if you’re someone like me from a tropical country, definitely you wouldn’t have any winter clothes. And so Sapporo is the place to go shopping for winter clothes.

So of course they have many shops, you know, from the high-end brand names to thrift shops. And, you know, being always on a budget, I got my winter clothes from a thrift shop.

Yeah, it’s called Second Avenue. I think because it’s pre-loved, but I got very good bargains there for, you know, heavy coats with down feathers and hoodies. So you can get all that in Sapporo. Usually, what people would do on the first day or the second day is stay in Sapporo and buy all their winter gear.

Ananya: Sapporo has helped you get sorted for all future winter trips. You got the shoes, you got your down jacket, everything.

AJ: Yes, because I don’t have anything for winter. I live in a tropical paradise. So that’s another thing to go to do in Sapporo. They have this store called Don Quixote, you know, from the Spanish novel, I don’t know why they named it that way, but they call it Don Quixote for short. It has everything.

So from souvenirs to clothes, to even electronics and food and KitKat and, you know, everything. So it’s like a one-stop shop. And of course, they have it in Sapporo as well. So I think it’s worth a visit.

17. Furano [43:33 - 45:59]

Ananya: So when did you do your other day trip?

AJ: Yeah, so one of those days in the week, we went to Furano. As I said earlier, Furano is a bit farther up north. I think it took about two hours or so to get there. So again, we took the JR train to Furano. And I think we had to change stations at one point from Sapporo. The train ride is very nice in the south. As a tropical boy, I enjoy just looking out the window. That’s why I chose the background I have today, because this is very similar to what I saw from the train. The good thing about taking a train is it cuts through, you know, farmlands and forest areas. So you really get to see rural Hokkaido from the train.

It’s very scenic. I was expecting to sleep on the train because I usually sleep when I’m on public transportation, but you couldn’t, really. You just have to take it all in and take videos of the passing scenery. So the train ride itself was an event for me.

Ananya: So the train ride from Sapporo to Furano, that was the one.

AJ: Yes, that’s the one because it’s a longer trip and also we had to change stations at one point. So in fact, we had to take two train rides to get there.

Ananya: So both of these were quite picturesque.

AJ: Very picturesque. Very. And in winter, of course, it has a different view because of that, because of the snow, it’s just all white and, you know, trees dripping with icicles. It’s just pure magic. So that’s exactly how I imagined winter to look like and Hokkaido delivered and more. That’s what I can say.

So I got my winter fix really in that one week. So in Furano, there are many places you can go to.

18. Furano Shinto Shrine [45:59 - 49:49]

AJ: The first stop we had was Furano Shinto Shrine, which is just very near a McDonald’s where we had breakfast. And there you can see, you know, the Torii gates and traditional Japan. So this is where you’ll really feel, “okay, I am in Japan.” That’s where you can get your Japanese architecture and shrine temple relics. So we just dropped in for a few minutes.

And then after that, we took a cab. Furano is a bigger place. In Otaru, you can just walk all over town. It’s fine. But in Furano, you can’t. It’s a bigger place because it’s in central Hokkaido and also it’s a mountain area.

So, you really have to take a taxi to get around quickly. Our first stop was a winery. This winery, Furano Winery, is on top of a hill. I think it’s a good stop because for one, since you have that vantage view of the panorama of Furano, it’s a really nice place to look at the area from a bird’s eye view.

The winery itself is not very big. It’s just a small winery, but quite quaint. And you also get to taste Furano wine there. You can buy souvenirs from this place. So that was our first stop.

And then we had to take another taxi ride going to the Furano Cheese Factory. Furano is a rural city. So farming is one of their main industries and, of course, livestock. And so they have cheese and, more popularly, butter. So this is where you can get cheese and butter. And it’s also quite beautiful because the cheese factory is also like a wooden cabin. And there is like a grove of white birch all around. It’s very beautiful.

They have this, like, small cafe with a window, you know. You just chill there and look out at the snowy landscape with the birch trees. For me, that was a highlight. I know that that view. So I would not forget that. Yeah, that’s unforgettable for me.

That’s during the day. So I think during the day, you can do those things. Now, if you go there during the summer, it’s also known for flowers. So, Furano is a flower city. And they have many different, you know, colors of flowers there. So it’s also very scenic during summer. So that’s why I said I think Hokkaido is an all-year destination. Every season has something to offer.

Ananya: But I’m totally digging the descriptions you are giving me of, you know, you being indoors, it being cold outside and you having like the most delicious food. That sounds absolutely magical to me. I’m in Delhi right now, which is like really hot and humid.

19. Ningle Terrace [49:49 - 54:55]

AJ: Okay, so that’s during the day. So you can do that for an old tour during the day. Now, when evening comes, and of course, in winter it comes early, that’s when you head to the Ningil Terrace. What is a Ningil Terrace? It’s like a small village beside the New Prince Hotel.

So you know, you go to this hotel first, and you can just walk to to this. It’s like a collection of boutique cottages. Yeah, and it’s a terrace, so it’s on a slope.

So it has different levels. And each cottage would showcase a particular kind of handicraft. So they have a lot of woodwork there, carvings, calligraphy.

So all of these traditional gift items that swell souvenirs. So you can go, you can walk through these terraces. And you can look at each of, you can go into each. So there wooden cottages, it’s very quaint, and it’s actually in a forest. You know, so there are tall trees above, looming above. And there are lamps on the footpath. And you can see the lamps snaking down the slope. So it’s a very scenic spot.

So very Instagrammable. The downside there, of course, there can be crowds, of course, because you know, it attracts visitors and tourists. So you just have to contend with that. But you know, like I said, you go there in the evening. And when you stay a little bit later, then the crowd thins somehow.

And you can see it with fewer people. It’s very beautiful with the fairy lights. You know, they have fairy lights on posts and on the cottages on the trees. So it’s, it’s very Christmassy. It reminds me of Christmas. It has that vibe, you know, so snow fairy lights, wooden cottages. Very nice place, definitely.

A photographer’s dream. So we capped our visit to Furano there. So that was indeed a highlight.

And then we headed back to Sapporo. And since it usually, snowfall usually is stronger or heavier at night, I think. So again, there was a threat of blizzard. And in fact, our train service was delayed for like an hour.

We had to wait for an hour because I don’t know, for some reason they have to like probably shovel snow out of the train tracks. So that’s a downside. That’s something unpredictable when traveling during winter.

You just have to expect it so that you don’t feel disappointed. But anyway, we were already on our way back. The only anxiety that we had that we might not be able to make it to Sapporo and might have to, you know, we’ll be stuck somewhere, either in Furano or some other town, and we’d have to stay the night, of course. But thankfully that didn’t happen. So after an hour or so, a train service resumed and we were on our way back to Sapporo. So that was our day trip.

Ananya: Are there regular announcements to inform you that the train service would be back, or were you looking for options to stay in Furano?

AJ: Actually, I think there were announcements, but they were in Japanese. So in Japan, at least in Hokkaido, they don’t have English translations. So we would hear some announcements through the PA system, but they were in Japanese. So we didn’t really know what was happening. We were just sitting there and waiting. But I said after an hour, the train started. So we made it to Sapporo. Yeah. So you just have to expect that really in wintertime.

Ananya: I’m sure you must have… In case it wasn’t possible to take the train back, it would be possible to find accommodations within Furano as well to stay there.

AJ: Yeah, I think so because it’s a tourist city. And maybe even in the towns on the way, I think probably you could find a small hotel, a ryokan. You know, they have this ryokan in Japan. Do you know what that is? It’s a traditional hotel. So maybe you can find one, I don’t know.

Ananya: But good that you didn’t have to face that.

AJ: We didn’t have to. Yes. Thank God. Yes.

20. Souvenirs in Ningle Terrace [54:55 - 55:45]

Ananya: Yeah. So what souvenirs did you pick up from the village that you were just mentioning in Furano?

AJ: They call it Ningal Terrace. Yeah. So you can buy some wooden knickknacks there. They have many small things. And also you can watch artisans make them. So it’s not just like a shop where you can buy souvenirs. You can see the artists and the artisans making them. So during that time, we saw a wood carver, you know, doing his thing.

Ananya: That must be quite the experience just to see them making it and then being able to also see the finished product. Yeah.

AJ: So it’s kind of like an immersive experience. Yeah.

21. Missed destinations [55:45 - 1:01:12]

Ananya: So was that all of your trip or have you missed out some bits of what you did at Sapporo as well?

AJ: So I think, yeah, when I described Sapporo earlier, that was not really chronological. So I think a lot of them happened on different days. Yes. So as I’ve said, there was a day that we got snowed in because of a blizzard.

Yeah. So you have to factor that into your schedule. So I think when you plan a trip to Hokkaido in winter, you have to add a day or two extra just to give you elbow room just in case, you know, there’s a blizzard or something and you get snowed in and you can’t go anywhere. So allow for that because if you’re going to pack everything into this tight schedule and then that happens, then you’re going to be disappointed, right? Because you have to drop one destination.

Ananya: Yeah. And it’s almost as if nature is asking you to also relax on your vacation.

AJ: Yeah. So you have to listen to Mother Nature. When she speaks, we have no choice.

Ananya: But that said, were there any spots or attractions that you wanted to visit in Sapporo and you missed out on?

AJ: Yes, of course, because I stayed there for a week and got snowed in for a day. And so I missed out on two things. But my friends, because I had to come back here to the Philippines because of a family commitment, but my friends didn’t have that. So they stayed on for a couple more days. And so they were able to do what I was not able to do.

And so I’m going to just refer to what they told me they went to. So of course, they had to try skiing. I mean, you don’t go to Hokkaido in winter and not ski. In my case, though, I had already had my ski experience in Yamanashi, also in Japan.

But that’s near Tokyo. So I said, you know, I’m okay with, you know, I got my ski fix. I’m fine. So anyway, my friends wanted to experience that. And so they went to Teine Ski Resort, which is also very near Sapporo. Actually, it’s not the biggest one. It’s Niseko. Niseko, I think, is more popular. And I think it’s more for a really experienced skier, Niseko.

So I think for more, for bunny slopes and beginners, I think maybe Teine, my friend said, was more practical choice. Also, it was nearer to Sapporo. I think just an hour by train and bus. Okay. Yeah. And that was also a venue for the 1972 Winter Olympics. Yeah. So I think I missed out on that.

But they did that. And the advantage there, I think the difference between the snow experience in Hokkaido and in the rest of Japan is what they call it, I don’t know how they pronounce it, Japow or Japo, maybe JAPOW. JAPOW is short for Japan powder.

Oh, yes. So this is a powdery kind of snow, which is, I think, ideal for skiing. And also, I think it kind of cushions you a little bit more when you fall on your bum, you know, because that will certainly happen, especially if you’re a skier on hard ice.

And so when you fall, it’s harder and more painful. So I think JAPOW is more ideal for skiing. And so that’s why they have in this place, in Teine Ski Resort. And then the next day, my friends went to Lake Shikotsu. So Lake Shikotsu is also near Sapporo, but in the north. And part of it is frozen. So it’s a partly frozen lake in winter.

And on the shore, they have many sculptures as well. So that was good because we missed this snow festival, as I’ve said, and mostly because of me, because of my family commitment. And so I was thankful for that. My friends, who also missed the festival because of me, they were able to see, you know, the snow skull and the ice sculptures in this lake. So at least they had that instead of the snow festival.

So I think this is a good alternative. If you cannot really go to the snow festival or the ice festival, then you have the ice sculptures here in Lake Shikotsu.

Ananya: So these two activities you missed out on, and perhaps it was certainly a new trip to Hokkaido where you can enjoy these two.

AJ: That calls for another trip to Hokkaido.

22. Accomodation in Sapporo [1:01:12 - 1:04:32]

Ananya: Yes. AJ, coming to where you stayed in Sapporo, could you tell us more about the hotel you were in?

AJ: Okay, the hotel is called Nest Hotel. So that’s why we really nested very well, because the name itself is Nest Hotel Sapporo Ikime. So I think there are, this is a train hotel. So, I think in Sapporo there might be another one, I think, because when you try to look for it in Google Maps, there’s another one that comes up. But we stayed at Ikime. Ikime is a district near Sapporo Station. So, when you fly to Sapporo, the airport actually is outside of Sapporo.

It’s Chitose, which is another town up north. And you have to take a train going to Sapporo from the airport. And so I chose a hotel this near Sapporo Station so that I didn’t have to, you know, travel again, you know, from the train station to the hotel.

You can just, it’s just walking distance. And so this is the Ikime district of Sapporo. That is around Sapporo Station. So very convenient if you’re coming and going to the airport. So Nest Hotel, we chose it because, well, number one for the location, which is near Sapporo Station, but there are many hotels that are near the station as well. Of course, it’s very affordable. It’s a business hotel.

So it’s pretty much very straightforward, there are really no frills to it. So we didn’t have, say, a buffet breakfast, but we didn’t feel that we needed that because when you’re visiting a place, especially for a short span of time, you just want to start your day as early as you can and, you know, get moving. So we didn’t feel that we’d be, we needed to have breakfast at the hotel anyway.

And that also gave us a chance to eat outside. So, the room is just a regular room. It’s a twin bed. But what I really loved about it, and I think this is true in all of Japan, of course, is the toilet. You know, how it is, the Japanese toilet. It’s warm when you sit on it. And also it’s high-tech. So it’s just a push-button bidet. And they have a small bath as well. So you can relax after a day of walking and slipping in the snow, skiing, whatnot. So I think it served its purpose, you know, for our hotel. So I had no complaints about it.

Ananya: So no meals were had at the hotel? None of them?

AJ: I don’t remember now if there is a choice, but we didn’t choose that because we just wanted to go outside anyway. We only had a week. So we didn’t want to stay at the hotel that long. Of course, until we got snowed in. But fortunately, there’s a convenience store beside it. So that’s where we got our, you know, coffee and stuff.

23. Hotel neighborhood [1:04:32 - 1:06:45]

Ananya: And what was your immediate neighborhood like in Ikime? Apart from the convenience store, were there any other, like, restaurants or dining opportunities in the immediate vicinity?

AJ: Yes, there are. Ikime is the entertainment district of Sapporo. So there are many bars. There are many izakaya. You know, izakaya is a Japanese bar. There are many restaurants, of course, of all cuisines. I had curry Japanese food. So it’s a fusion of Indian taste and Japanese noodles. So that was very interesting. That restaurant was near the hotel as well. And it’s near the shopping area.

Sapporo station is not just a station. It’s actually a mall. It’s a station with a mall or a mall with a station. I don’t really know. But you know, there are Starbucks there and many shops, even high-end shops. So all of that is just walking distance. That’s why I chose this area, Ikime. So you’ll never go wrong with Ikime. Everything’s there. Everything is just walking distance.

Ananya: So even on the day that you were snowed in, you could actually be around in that happening neighborhood at least, right?

AJ: Yes, because you can just walk around. And anyway, subway is not affected by Blizzard. So you can still go around the city even when there’s usually when there’s a cancellation of train service, we mean the intercity train service. So that does not mean the subway. So you can still pretty much go around the city. No problem. And there are buses as well.

Ananya: So you chose a really happening neighborhood for your hotel. So it is.

AJ: It’s a place to be in Sapporo. So it’s a good base.

Ananya: Yeah. That’s so cool. Yeah, that there were so many other things in the neighborhood to do as well.

24. Tips for travelers [1:06:45 - 1:09:46]

Ananya: Coming to any tips or advice, would you like to share with first-time travelers visiting Hokkaido? I know that you’ve already peppered a little bit of tips with the itinerary, but anything overall that you’d like to add?

AJ: Well, maybe just to reiterate, you know, in summary, number one, probably extend a day or two to make elbow room for uncertain weather conditions. Number two is you get your JR pass. That is cost-effective because you’ll be taking the train a lot going out of the city, okay, going to different cities.

We, of course, got a pocket Wi-Fi. We got a group one. So all of us just connected to it. What else? If you’re the kind of person who’s bound to slip on the ice, I suggest that you buy some crampons, which you can get also in Sapporo, and buy your winter gear there as well.

So if you don’t want to really buy the, you know, expensive ones because probably you’ll just experience winter once or twice or at most three times in your life and you don’t really need to own, you know, branded coats or whatnot, then you go to Second Avenue, which is a good thrift shop for winter clothes. Yeah. So I think those are my tips.

Ananya: Those are all pretty great ones. Especially for people traveling from tropical destinations to snowy lands, magical snow.

AJ: Yes. Yeah. And because of the uncertainty of the weather as well, when it’s time for your departure, on your departure day, because the airport, as I’ve said, is outside of Sapporo, so you have to take a JR train to the airport. It’s not accessible through subway. And so that can be affected by train cancellation, train service cancellation. So I suggest on your departure day, maybe no matter what time your flight is, maybe don’t schedule anything anymore. I think the earlier can get to the airport… Because who knows, later in the day, there might be cancellation. And I, you know, I got to the airport just at the time of, you know, the opening of the gate. So, you know, my heart was in my shoe the whole time. And so if you don’t want that kind of stress, then go to the airport earlier, especially in winter.

Ananya: Account for the weather in everything that you do. Yeah.

AJ: So always have to be aware of, you know, the of mother nature. Yeah.

25. Favourite trip moment [1:09:46 - 1:12:12]

Ananya: It’s been great talking to you, AJ. I have my last question now. Okay. If you have to say one thing or maybe two, the best thing that, you know, happened on your trip or something that you enjoyed the most, what would it be?

AJ: I would say this, no, really. That’s what I went there for. And that’s what I got. And I got a lot of it. I got the, I got city snow. I got countryside snow. I got frozen ice. I got, I think, yeah, you know, when they say snow, it’s all different kind, you know, there’s slush and there’s powdery.

There’s harder ones. So I would say that, you know, the, I think winter wonderland, that’s what I would, that’s the term I would give to the trip and to Hokkaido in general, in winter. It is a wonderland, truly a wonderland.

Ananya: It delivered on all your expectations.

AJ: It exceeded my expectations.

Ananya: That’s pretty awesome. Yeah. So Hokkaido is the winter wonderland you were looking for.

AJ: I got to Narnia. That’s one. Yeah. I crossed the wardrobe to the winter wonderland.

Ananya: Wow. With that, we must wrap up our session. So thank you so much for joining us and sharing with us the tips and tricks from your travels to Hokkaido. It has been lovely listening to you. I hope you’ve enjoyed recalling and reliving your knee as well.

AJ: The pleasure is all mine. Just, you know, thinking about remembering and recalling. Oh my God. It’s like I’m there again with this background, you know. So yeah, maybe I have to go back there. Yeah.

Ananya: So with this, I will close it and I hope that the viewers will also find your trip helpful in planning their own trips. And thank you so much. Bye-bye.

AJ: It’s my pleasure. Bye. Nice talking to you, Ananya.

Ananya: Same here.