Hokkaido, 2024
We started the Japan leg of our Asia honeymoon on the northern island of Hokkaido. After landing at Sapporo, we took a lengthier than expected train ride to Hakodate, a fascinating city famous for seafood, hot springs, and international-inspired architectural charm.
Hakodate
Since we only had one full day to spend here, we made the most of it by enjoying the perks of our hotel (onsens!), perusing the morning market, walking through the red bricks, historical district, and up the hill to see some of the buildings that remind of us of the start of foreign influence in Japan. One of the first cities to open to international trade following the nation's era of isolation during the Edo Period (marking the end of the shogunate), Hakodate’s streets are influenced by classical European architecture.
Favorite sights:
The morning market is the local fish market, with lots of kaisendon options and dried cuttlefish for sale. We also came across lots of expensive cantaloupe, which I did not try. (Sorry, melons are the worst fruits).
Goryokaku Tower gives you a view of the famous star-shaped citadel, now Goryokaku Park. The park was small, but a really lovely walk. The tower had a really good fresh strawberry milk at juice spot on first floor. I still think about it.
I wouldn’t say I enjoyed Lucky Pierrot, the city's retro-cute burger chain. But it was an experience. Every location has a different themed decor, and we ended up at the one full of angels. Not cute angels, but weird ones. The food was mediocre, but super cheap.
Otaru
Otaru was a cute little day trip to a cruise ship town. It’s most well-known for its canal (picturesque but pretty darn small) and the touristy shopping street (Sakaimachi Street) selling glass and chocolate cookie gifts. We also hit up random food stalls to try local delicacies like fish cake and crab cream croquette (super rich!)
Our biggest tip is just to try whatever food stalls you pass. Our favorite ended up being a bakery at the train station called Saint Germain. We picked from the top 5 most recommended pastries, and boy did that butter melt in my mouth. There’s also a pretty cool fish cake factory, some famous sweets/chocolate stores with samples and gift sets, and a huge music box museum.
Sapporo
Sapporo is the capital city of Hokkaido, and the center of our stay. In our three short days, we explored the 5th biggest city in Japan, although it was off-season and emptier than expected. Sapporo is a wintertime ski destination, a springtime cherry blossom spot, or a summertime flower bloom excursion destination. We conveniently arrived during the rainiest, emptiest time, but had fun entertaining ourselves just being in Japan.
Our favorite spots:
Maruyama Park, a peaceful walk with a really nice shrine (Hokkaido Jingu)
Hokkaido University, to see fall foliage (that we were too early for)
Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade, an arcade nestled in the heart of Sapporo that we lived right off of and perused every evening
Sapporo TV Tower, the famous tower. You can climb to the 6th floor for free, and enjoy all the comics and merch they created with the mascot, TV Daddy
Shiro Koibito Park, a Disneyland-wannabe entertainment park created to sell the company’s well-known cookies. I thought the langue de chat and white chocolate filling were too sweet for my taste.
Sapporo Beer Museum, a fun place to learn about Sapporo’s (the beer) history and its Western influence. There was a mall nearby that we found an amazing bakery at.
Nemuro Hanamaru Daido, a popular conveyor belt sushi chain with long waits. We thought it was worth the hour-long wait. Lively waitstaff and very reasonable prices.
Shihachi, for amazing inexpensive kaisendon bowls. This was our first meal in Sapporo and I was hooked.
New Chitose Airport’s Ramen Dojo. It’s worth waiting to get to the airport to eat ramen, and buy all the gifts!
Hot tip: During rainy season or bad weather, use the underground walkways! We didn’t find out about them until the last day, and realized there is just as much going on underground than above ground.
Although Hokkaido wasn’t chock-full of sightseeing this time of year, we really enjoyed the high-quality food found everywhere. The dairy products were magical: cremia ice cream, cheese, bakeries with French-style breads and Hokkaido milk and cream fillings. The sashimi was incredibly priced for what you get: kaisendon (seafood donburi), scallops, fish cakes. Other things we enjoyed: zangi (fried chicken), shime parfait (kind of expensive for what it is), Gheghis Khan grilled mutton, soup curry, and sweet potato as the seasonal autumn ingredient in everything.
The European influence in architecture and urban planning was also fascinating. The Meiji period brought commercialization to Japan, establishing the Hokkaido Development Commission that developed the prefecture of Hokkaido.
Last but not least, I loved admiring the local trends and styles. The younger folk are super stylish in their own way, donning jackets or pants that are baggy but tailored to fit. Different from Western style, Japanese people play with proportions in new ways that don’t rely on showing skin or pairing everything with jeans. There were lots of loafers, lug boots, blazers, maxi skirts, and alternatives to denim bottoms.
Okay that’s all I’ve got, hope you enjoyed this hastily put-together blog post! Been busy lately and really struggling to finish writing these. See you at the next one.
Sashimi to gorge on, animals to pet, videos games to play, and pedestrian streets to fall in love with all over again.