Day 1
After landing at New Chitose Airport, we got in the rental car and headed straight for Lake Shikotsu, just west of Chitose. It was alright, but it was just a lake - nothing special. The best thing we did there was eat some buttered potatoes on a stick (jaga-bataa).Soon after that, we headed straight for Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital
and largest city. Sapporo looks like somebody took a city from the U.S., put some Japanese people in it and some Japanese signs, and placed it in Japan. It was great - the wide roads, the huge houses. There was even grass every now and then - rare for a Japanese city. The park in the center of the city, Odori-koen, is pretty nice. We ate some delicious grilled and buttered corn-on-the cob (yakikibi) there. In the end, though, Sapporo was just another big city. There wasn't much there to do that we couldn't do in Osaka.Day 2
Much of Day 2 was spent around the scenic area west of Sapporo called Niseko. This area is more famou
s in Japan for skiing, but it's pretty difficult to find some kickin' ski slopes in September, so we just settled for sightseeing and omiyage-buying. We saw beautiful mountains, vast hills and farms, and a marsh. We ate some fresh ice cream, too. Great day, huh. Yeah, it was beautiful, but not that spectacular. For me, the best part was the driving. Hokkaido's about the only place in Japan where you can just go driving, driving, driving and see nature at its finest (and you don't have to worry about traffic while you do it).In the evening, we made our way to the gorgeous port city of Otaru. It was pretty cool, but, like Sapporo, it was just another city. The best part was the canal that cuts through the port area. With the antique streetlamps and the old European-style buildings, it's a good romantic spot at night.
Day 3
This was by far the best day of our trip. We made the two-hour trip up to central Hokkaido. Our first stop was the city of Asahikawa. While the city itself was your usual Japanese city, they had some pretty good Hokkaido ramen. The highlight was our visit to the Asahiyama Zoo, one of the best ones I've seen (even though its small). We were so close to the penguins that we could easily touch them without sticking our arms out all the way... but, of course, we weren't allowed to, so we didn't. The proximity to the animals was the best thing about the zoo. The worst... the crowds! I mean, it was like Disneyland, and I'm not kidding. We had to wait in lines just to see animal exhibits! It was like an hour's wait to see the polar bears having lunch, and not everybody was able to see it! I can wait an hour to ride a cool roller coaster, but I'm not too keen on waiting an hour to see some bears munch on some fish. It's better to just watch Animal Planet in that situation.
The afternoon was spent in an area called Biei. That place is wonderful. Nothing but rolling hills of grass and greenery and some spectacular views. It's hard to explain it to you; you just have to go there and see it. Apparently in the summer, it is more beautiful because the hills are covered with lavender flowers. This is what Biei is famous for. We spent a lot of time around the area, just taking pictures and looking out over the wonderful landscape. Biei is what I expected from Hokkaido. The town itself is also picturesque. It looks like some of the ski towns I saw in Colorado.Day 4
Well... we got on the plane at Chitose and headed back to Osaka. Not much of a day, huh?
The trip was great, I have to say. It was too short, though; there's too much to do and see in Hokkaido. You need at least a week to really enjoy everything we saw. I hope we can go back someday. Heck, I would love to move there. Not only is it beautiful, but the people are more laid-back and down-to-earth than in other areas of Japan. Of course, I can't move there. After all, the jobs, and my social life, is here in Osaka. Ah well... I'll just look forward to the next visit.
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