Japan (1) Hokkaido | White Fairy Tale World, Romantic Snow and Ice Journey

📍 Sapporo · 👁 2126 reads

Travel period: 2018.2.11-2018.2.24

My initial understanding of Japan came from anime. I loved the beautiful Japan depicted in anime—cherry blossoms fluttering in the sky, passionate red maple leaves, warm golden ginkgo trees, clear and winding mountains and rivers,随处可见的 shrines, the June fireworks festival, and beautiful sailor school uniforms. I always wanted to visit Japan myself. Taking advantage of the two-week Spring Festival holiday, I finally fulfilled my wish. Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo—from winter to spring, from swirling snowflakes to cherry blossoms, I visited many shrines, saw students in their youthful sailor uniforms, and found many scenes from anime. Everything was like a dream. I admired the politeness and self-discipline of the Japanese people; there are still many things we can learn from them.

1. Visa + International WiFi: 412 + 140 = 552

2. Airfare: Beijing-Tokyo round trip 3658, Tokyo-Sapporo 601, Hakodate-Osaka 661, total 4920.

3. Accommodation: New Chitose Airport Hotel 374, Sapporo International Youth Hostel 3 nights total 641/person, Noboribetsu Mahoroba Hot Spring Hotel 736/person, Hakodate International Hotel 244/person, Osaka Shin-Imamiya 115/person, Kyoto Waraku-an Inn 2 nights total 454/person, Tokyo Shinjuku Ward Office Capsule Hotel 4 nights total 774/person, total 3338/person.

4. Local transport: Including JR, subway, bus, etc. Bought Suica card 121 RMB + 36,000 yen/person (about 2069 RMB) = 2190/person

5. Food: Online payment 425 RMB/person + 15,000 yen (877 RMB) = 1302/person

6. Attractions tickets: Ghibli Museum Mitaka 99 RMB + 5,680 yen/person (Sapporo Mt. Moiwa Ropeway 1700 + Hakodate Mountain Ropeway 1280 + Umeda Sky Building 1000 + Kinkaku-ji 400 + Nijo Castle 600 + Kiyomizu-dera 400 + Hase-dera 300) = 425/person

7. Other: Souvenirs 350 + Kao eye mask, liquid band-aid, etc. 220 = 570.

Regarding currency exchange: I exchanged 70,000 yen = 4,023 RMB in Beijing, and my friend exchanged about 50,000 yen = 2,900 RMB in Shenzhen. We exchanged another 5,000 yen = 313 in Japan. I suggest exchanging at home based on an estimate of your trip expenses and making a reservation with the bank in advance. The exchange rate in Japan is a bit high.

Apps used: Japan Transit (Japan transport), Google Maps, Outbound Translator, Alipay (many discounts, but basically only usable in Osaka and Tokyo).

On the early morning of February 11, 2018, I flew from Beijing, transiting in Incheon (Beijing-Incheon-Tokyo), then transferred in Tokyo to fly to Sapporo, arriving at New Chitose Airport around 6 PM. I stayed at the New Chitose Airport Hotel that night.

I hadn't seen snow all winter in Beijing, so seeing such thick snow here was very exciting, and the fatigue of a day of solo transit was swept away.

After resting for one night, all fatigue was gone, replaced by excitement for the unknown ahead. On the morning of February 12, I took the JR from Chitose Hotel and then transferred to the subway to reach Sapporo city center. Sapporo's transportation includes JR and subway, which are two different systems. From New Chitose Airport to Sapporo city, you need to take the JR first and then transfer to the subway; the Suica card can be used for this route. The starting fare for the Sapporo subway is usually 220 yen, and there is a one-day pass for about 800 yen, with discounts on holidays. February 12 coincided with Japan's National Holiday period, and the discounted price was only 520 yen, which was quite cost-effective.

Upon arriving at Sapporo International Youth Hostel and checking in, it was around lunchtime. I went out alone to find food and had miso ramen in Sapporo for 700 yen. My friend had not yet arrived, so I decided to visit the Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Factory, which took about an hour by subway. When I arrived at the factory, heavy snow was falling. The factory had a castle-like feel, and with the heavy snow, it was truly beautiful.

Adorable giant snowman, with a scarf identical to mine.

After wandering around for a while, I bought some Shiroi Koibito chocolate cookies. They were quite tasty and suitable for souvenirs, but a bit expensive—I spent over three hundred yuan. Around 4 PM, I started heading back, and my friend had already arrived at the hostel.

February 12 was the last day of the Sapporo Snow Festival. Not wanting to miss it, despite the cold, we went to Odori Park to see the snow festival. It was extremely cold at night, but the snow festival was also spectacular, with various snow sculptures, colorful lights, exciting music, and superb ski performances. That night we stayed at Sapporo International Youth Hostel.

Warm golden ginkgo trees

I first learned about Otaru from the movie "Love" starring Peng Yuyan and Zhang Ziyi, and fell in love with this quiet seaside town. The canal, glass, and alleys had a great feel, and it was a place I had to visit in Hokkaido. It takes about 40-50 minutes from Sapporo by JR. Due to heavy snow, many JR trains were delayed or canceled, but fortunately, we were lucky—the JR to Otaru had already started running around 9 AM. The journey to Otaru was very beautiful. It was snowing heavily, and the railway was flanked by mountains or the sea, reminiscent of the water bus in Spirited Away. We arrived in Otaru around 10:30 AM.

We walked to the Otaru Canal

After walking along the canal for a while, we started looking for various sloping roads and alleys. Snow was falling heavily, creating a very atmospheric scene.

At lunchtime, we couldn't miss sushi in Otaru. We decided to splurge and ended up spending over 10,000 yen (more than 600 RMB) on sushi at Masazushi. We thought sushi wouldn't fill us up, but we ordered too much and ended up stuffed. Japanese sushi is generous, with thick fish and plenty of rice.

The sushi was made in front of the customers, which is a feature of many Japanese restaurants.

After lunch, we strolled along a street beside the canal. There were many unique items, especially glassware and music boxes, and many beautiful glass ornaments.

After that, we looked for our next destination. On the map, we spotted a shrine—Sumiyoshi Shrine—and decided to visit a shrine in the snow. It turned out to be well worth it: indescribably beautiful, a white fairy-tale world, quiet and sacred, as if isolated from the world, bringing a powerful shock to the soul.

It kept snowing heavily, and the snow on the ground was very thick. We started to have fun. We met a local Japanese person who was filming scenes, and I chatted with him in my broken Japanese, haha.

We had planned to go to Tenguyama to see the Otaru night view, but it was a bit late and cold, and heavy snow was still falling. Worried that the JR might stop operating and we wouldn't be able to get back, we finally decided to give up. We could only see the canal night view. A trip always needs some regrets so that reunion can be even more joyful.

At 6 PM, we took the JR back to Sapporo and stayed at Sapporo International Youth Hostel.

One-day tour in Sapporo: In the morning, we went to Hokkaido University; in the afternoon, we went to Maruyama Park and the Hokkaido Shrine inside the park. No admission fee was needed. It was mostly bare trees and snow scenery, similar to Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru. The snow was very thick and solid—the thickest snow I have ever seen.

In the evening, we planned to see the night view from Mt. Moiwa. Since it was still early, we first went to Fushimi Inari Shrine near Mt. Moiwa. The shrine was very small, with tiny torii gates.

Due to poor weather and low visibility, the night view from Mt. Moiwa was just average. To see the night view from Mt. Moiwa, you need to take a ropeway, costing 1,700 yen per person (about 100 RMB) round trip. If you plan to see the night view in Hakodate during your trip, I don't recommend going here—the scenery is not as good as Hakodate, and the ticket is more expensive.

Wanting to soak in a Japanese hot spring and stay at a Japanese-style hotel on New Year's Eve, we chose Noboribetsu, located between Sapporo and Hakodate. We departed from Sapporo to Noboribetsu in the morning. Due to heavy snow, the JR was suspended, so we had to take a slower highway bus. The bus left at 10:30 AM, and after arriving in Noboribetsu, we transferred to a Noboribetsu bus to the Noboribetsu hot spring street. It took a total of two and a half hours, and we arrived at the hotel at 1 PM. We left our luggage at the front desk and went to Jigokudani (Hell Valley), which was steaming with a strong sulfur smell—evidence of how natural the hot springs here are.

We walked along Hell Valley for a long time, followed by quiet mountain paths with no one around.

After descending the mountain, we returned to the hot spring hotel to check in. The hotel cost 1,400 RMB for one night—New Year's Eve, after a year of hard work, we had to splurge. It included one night's stay, dinner and breakfast for two, and free access to the hot springs. We experienced a Japanese-style inn, and the room was quite spacious.

Tatami mats to sleep on, with beds prepared by the staff on the spot. I just posed for a photo.

The buffet dinner and breakfast were both very rich: three major crabs, sushi, Western food, fruit. It was a great New Year's Eve dinner. Look at these big crab legs.

The outdoor hot spring was very comfortable. That evening, we watched the Spring Festival Gala and then soaked in the outdoor hot spring, experiencing the contrast of ice and fire. Heavy snow was falling, and it was truly beautiful—the most unforgettable night of the trip, the most unforgettable New Year's Eve.

For the last night of the Hokkaido trip, we chose Hakodate, which boasts one of the world's three major night views from Hakodate Mountain. In the morning, we departed from Noboribetsu Hotel. Buses to Noboribetsu JR Station were infrequent, so we waited a long time. The JR from Noboribetsu to Hakodate takes about two and a half hours, and we finally arrived at Hakodate International Hotel at 2 PM.

After checking in, we went out to find food. We saw online that Lucky Pierrot Burger had some fame, so we followed the trail. The burger was made fresh and tasted decent.

After eating, it was still early, so we went to the famous Hachimanzaka slope in Hakodate, near Hakodate Mountain. Hakodate is a coastal city, and this is a downhill road stretching towards the sea.

After going up Hakodate Mountain, we waited for nightfall and the lights to come on. It was really cold, but the night view was still beautiful. To go up Hakodate Mountain, you need to take a ropeway, with a ticket price of 1,280 yen, about 70 RMB.

On the way back, we went to Hachimanzaka again to see the night view, then walked back to the hotel along the streetlights. The last night in Hokkaido was good.

At this point, all the Hokkaido itinerary ended. In the morning, we took a bus from the hotel to the airport, then flew to Osaka.

Travel Notes Table of Contents

1. Preface

2. Expense Details

3. Day1 & Day2. Sapporo

4. Day3. Otaru

5. Day4. Sapporo

6. Day5. Noboribetsu

7. Day6. Hakodate

8. Day7. Hakodate-Osaka

Travel Information

Hotel Index