Sapporo

Sapporo Japan

Capital of the northernmost region in Japan, and world famous for its annual Sapporo Snow Festival and Ice Festival-held in early February. It is one of Travel Japan's favorite stops.


The Snow Festival is usually held early in February and showcases over 200 snow structures including a feudal Japan castle, a Japanese home, various cartoon and anime figures, to mention a few. Just down the street is the Ice Festival, where over 100 ice sculptures are on display along the street. It is truly something to see.

The Nijo Market is where you want to be to see and eat fresh seafood straight from the fishing boats. There you will see taraba gani or king crab. The king crab legs are huge with lots of crab meat-and sweet too! Fresh ikura, or salmon roe, uni, or sea urchin, hokke, a kind of mackerel, are available for purchase. Hungry, stop by one of the seafood restaurants-Domburi Chaya, located in the Nijo Market, and have a 9 topping kaisen don, a seafood rice bowl.

The Sapporo Beer Museum, dedicated to the beer that was brewed there until 2003, where after a brief tour, you are able to sample some of the beer. Next door is the Sapporo Beer Garden where you can try the Genghis Khan Viking buffet for 3300 Yen, grill the lamb on a skillet and drink beer for 90-minutes.


Susukino's Ramen Yokocho, or Ramen Alley, where you can warm up in the frigid air by eating some steaming miso pork ramen noodles. Close by are several crab restaurants, including an all-you-can-eat king crab restaurant for 4000 Yen (90-minutes), and an all king crab 8-course I think, (I lost track on how many) dinner for 4900 Yen.

Sato Land, an kiddies amusement park with a farm theme, and winter activities like ice slide, sledding, etc.


Shopping on the mind? Be sure to check out Pole Town running from Odori to Susukino, and Aurora Town from Odori Park to the TV tower. Both underground arcades feature many shops and shelter you from the elements.

Chitosetsuru Sake Museum, where you can get a free sake tasting and sample the pure clean water of the area and sample the extremely crisp and delicious sake made by the sake brewery, which uses Ginpu sake rice.

Getting to Sapporo is simple.  Just catch the bus limo or the JR railway line from the New Chitose Airport into Sapporo station. If you're traveling by train, from Sapporo station you can catch one of the local trains to your hotel, or catch a taxi.  

Hakone Onsen

Hakone Onsen

Hakone, a rustic but beautiful area in southeastern Japan, is a quaint onsen (hot spring) town and gateway to Mt. Fuji.  Fall colors (koyo) are very beautiful with brilliant red and yellow leaves you can see if you travel Japan in November.  On clear days, areas such as Mt. Komagatake and the Komagatake Ropeway, the Hakone Ropeway, and Lake Ashinoko are ideal spots for excellent views of Mt. Fuji.

Arriving by Shinkansen bullet train at Odawara station, proceed to the Hakone Tourist Information office in the station and get free maps and brochures on the Hakone area.  The nice lady in the office even called our hotel to send a shuttle bus to pick us up.

If you decide to use the Odakyu Hakone Free pass, proceed to the Odakyu office in the station and purchase the 2-day(3900 Yen) or the 3-day(4,400 Yen) pass-good for unlimited travel on the Hakone Tozan railway, the Hakone Ropeway, the Hakone Tozan cable car, Hakone Tozan bus, and the Hakone sightseeing cruise, a great value for the money. 

A recommended sightseeing route from Odawara station might be:
1.  A train ride on the Hakone Tozan railway to Hakone Yumoto.
2. Then continue from Hakone Yumoto to Gora on the Hakone Tozan train.
3. Take the Hakone Tozan cable car from Gora to Sounzan for fall colors.
4. Take the Hakone Ropeway from Sounzan to Owakudani where you can see steam emitting from hellish fissures.
5. From Owakudani to Togendai on Hakone Ropeway where views of Mt. Fuji can be seen.
6. Ride aboard the Hakone Sightseeing cruise ship on Lake Ashinoko where more views of Mt. Fuji can be had until Moto Hakone.
7. From Moto Hakone, catch the Hakone Tozan bus to Hakone-en, where you can walk to the Komagatake station and ride the Komagatake Ropeway to Mt. Komagatake for more fabulous views of Mt. Fuji.
8. Upon returning to the Komagatake station and walking a short distance to Hakone-en, hop on the Hakone Tozan bus and either go to your hotel or back to Odawara station.

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