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Visiting Hokkaido in winter is something I've always wanted to do, but end up
chickening-out of because of daunting expenses and the thought of spending a holiday
somewhere freezing my butt off.
Keeping an eye on flight deals, at least half of those problems disappeared,
as we scored a round trip ticket to Sapporo for ¥30,000.
Our recent Hiroshima snowboarding trips (Geihoku and Mizuho) were fun, but the slopes were
covered with a thin layer of mostly-fake snow, so the idea of experiencing powder
for the first time was very exciting.
When we got to Hiroshima airport, it was an added bonus when they didn't bat an eye at our bulky luggage
and there was no extra cost to check our snowboards in as baggage (airlines love to charge extra for bicycles).
Once into Sapporo's "Chitose" airport we picked up a great (4-wheel drive) rental car from
Nissan that came rigged with snowboard racks and snow tires (not having to mess with chains is a wonderful thing).
I must admit that sometimes I feel a bit nervous about driving in a new city, but having never been to Sapporo before,
we easily made our way through the well marked
streets lined with walls of snow, to our hotel
in the city center.
Marks Inn tel:011-512-5001/fax:011-512-3999 ¥3,000 per night/per
person including breakfast.
Other inexpensive hotels
in Sapporo city include the Sun Route and four branches of the Green Hotel (tel:011-231-1661) among others.
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We chose to stay in the city because there is more to do and see when not on the
slopes, and we found the hotels in Sapporo to be a bit cheaper than those near the
ski areas, although on my next trip- I'd like to splurge and dedicate more time to the slopes.
Driving to the ski areas wasn't too bad, most are within an hour's drive of Sapporo.
Traffic in the city center was a bit skiddy at times, but most drivers knew how to handle themselves
riding out the slips and slides along the way, careful to give other cars enough room to maneuver.
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Sapporo City
The city is one of the easiest to navigate, all the streets are numbered and organized in a grid pattern.
The main sites in the city center include the Sapporo tower, the old Clock Tower, City Hall, and during winter, the Odori Koen (Park) which hosts the many snow and ice sculptures of the Sapporo Snow Festival held every year in the beginning of February.
Being in the city the week before the festival was great! We were able to walk around and watch the amazing sculptures being designed, cut and molded into shape. The artist and engineers at work were friendly and happily talked with us about their projects.
Apparently during the actual festival, there are so many people that the hotels are
fully booked and the roads are congested with traffic- so if you do want to come
during the festival, be sure to book your hotel and car well in advance.
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If you are planning to go in the early winter, Odori Park is lit up with millions of
lights from late November to the end of January, to create Sapporo's romantic "white illuminations" which are so bright, they can be seen from space.
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Another popular spot which will be on the minds of every soccer fan is the Sapporo Dome "Hiroba" the new, impressive venue being set up for the next World Cup.
Another popular place to visit is the
Sapporo art park which looks beautiful at any time of year.
Or the popular Sapporo Beer Brewery which offers a variety of all-you-can eat
and drink deals served with "Fresh" Sapporo beer.
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Eating out in Sapporo is wonderfully difficult because there is so much to choose from.
If you are interested in crab, one of Sapporo's claims to fame,
the Sapporo Crab
website gives a detailed account of the Sapporo varieties.
Other famous Sapporo dishes include: "Jingisu" Gingis Khan, a spicy Mongolian
Hot-Pot which many restaurants have "tabe-hodai Viking" all-you-can eat deals
that will leave you stinking for days.
Hokkaido Ramen, Hokkaido "Uni" Sea-Urchin and countless other treats from the sea
are extremely popular. In fact, Sapporo is a great place if you love good food.
I also noticed that the recent hot-and-fashionable-Asia boom seen in most Japanese
cities has also been an influence on the "hot" Asian restaurants in Sapporo
highlighting the most delicious and spicy dishes of China, Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia and India.
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Near the Susukino (drinking/entertainment) area of town, there is a standard but delicious Soba Noodle Restaurant called
Maruyama (011-531-0402) on the corner of the main intersection, next to which is
Sushimoto (011-241-4866) on the second floor which offers delicious sushi
sets at lunch for a reasonable ¥1,000.
The area of Susukino is loaded with restaurants and bars to choose from, including the ¥500 bar
and Hendricks Cafe among the many Sapporo Ramen shops and Asian restaurants.
For local
Gourmet Hokkaido style dishes Ogochan is a local favorite.
Ogochan: Chuo-ku Minami 3 Nishi 3 (near Kawanaka sports) 17:00-02:00 Closed Sunday
011-272-0444 (average price ¥3,000)
If you want something fast, cheap and delicious pop into one of the many Freshness Burger
shops where they serve ordinary and extraordinary (try "negi-miso")
burgers, onion rings, soups, salads and desserts and more served on real plates with
lots of extra toppings and sauces to choose from.
One branch located near the Sapporo Tower: 011-233-4567 open everyday 08:00-12:00am Midnight
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Walking around the city, we found one cafe in particular that you really shouldn't
miss if you love good coffee, cake and jazz.
Soul Masters Cafe, is a bar/cafe which serves delicious food and
cake sets along with the standard bar fare. The booths are intimate yet the staff friendly
as you sit in a dark, cozy cellar.
open 10:30am-01:00am/B1 DelaDeux bld. Higashi-Muki Nishi 3 Minami 2 Chuo-ku/011-221-1116
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Snowboarding/Skiing
I didn't realize that snow could be so different until we stepped onto the slopes
the first day at the
Kiroro resort.
The gondolas and lifts were long yet protected us from the cold as we rode
up to the peaks where it was usually freezing, but once we started down the slopes
(as fast as we could), we soon warmed up. Usually it didn't even register that it was below freezing, which can only be good.
The views were spectacular, the slopes
wide and the other skiers and snowboarders seemed pretty skilled at avoiding each other
despite many traveling at high speeds.
Learners, talented skiers and boarders all shared the same slopes, some opting for
the soft powder along the side of the slope
and others for the straight and fast down the middle. I did see a few emergency rescues in action, so wear a helmet if you like
to bomb down slopes, as there are a few trees along the way.
While we were there we also had a chance to see some of the downhill racing that was
happening that day-it was very cool, there was lots of "big air" courtesy of
male and female boarders alike (although
the male champs did walk away with twice as much cash in their pockets).
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Most ski passes for the day will cost ¥5,000 including rides on the gondolas.
Parking is usually free and
driving to the ski areas is fairly unproblematic as most of the road signs are clear and easy
to follow (written in both English and Japanese), mostly clear of snow and ice, and the tolls are reasonable.
Kiroro is only one of many great slopes, other popular resorts are Rusutsu,
Niseko, and Tomamu
Rusutsu which is located about an
hour from Chitose, can accommodate 4,000 skiers/snowboarders, and boasts
consistently good weather.
Niseko is another big resort that is famous for its splendid view of
Mt. Yotei, the "Fuji of Hokkaido," a breathtakingly beautiful site on clear days.
Niseko actually has four ski areas on one big mountain, and
if you purchase a "passport" you can use
all four.
Although Tomamu is further away (3 hours from Sapporo) it has amazing facilities and
a variety of outdoor and indoor activities to choose from.
They have cross country skiing, mountain biking, snow mobile riding, parasailing, paragliding, snow-tubing,
off-piste tours, treks, and a large "free-ride" area for snowboarders who like jumping.
They also have an "ice-bar" where you can drink cocktails made in ice-cubes instead of with them, they also have a
romantic yet spacey ice-dome village full of colorful igloos.
And if you are simply tired of being cold, you can also soak for hours in the many pools and onsens
(hot-springs) at Tomamu.
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If you want strictly a ski/snowboard vacation, ask a travel agent about a package
deal which includes staying at one of the on-site, resort hotels.
You would waste less time
traveling and be able to enjoy more skiing/snowboarding as well as the spectacular views of the
mountains from the rooms, onsens and restaurants.
There is so much to see and do in Sapporo in winter, it would be a shame for anyone to miss out on a chance to go
while you're visiting or living in Japan.
Keep your eye-out for travel and package deals to go enjoy some of the best skiing
and snowboarding in the world.
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