The northern region of Japan is vastly different compared to the southern region. People are a lot more relaxed, open to more experiences and willing to communicate. If you ever get a chance, come visit this region after Tokyo or other cities north of it. You can get there with the JR Pass taking the Tohoku/Hokkaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto which takes roughly 4 hours. If you do not have the pass this one-way train costs ¥23,500 so, get the pass before you come to Japan otherwise your wallet will suffer.
Once you are there, you can either stay in Hakodate for a few days, there are a few scenic views and mountains but nothing special. If you do not want to do that, you can go to Sapporo which is the capital of the Hokkaido region by taking the Ltd express super hokuto from Hakodate. This adds another 3h30 so whether you want to break the journey up is up to you. This journey should be shortened in the future sometime in March 2030.
SAPPORO
The capital of the Hokkaido region, with the notable Odori park stretching out 1.5km at the heart of Sapporo leading up to the TV tower. There are numerous amounts of festivals happening in the park depending on the season. Definitely worth a visit, choose the right time and you will see some very spectacular things. Also known for its beer, which in my opinion is some of the best tasting and smoothest one I have ever tried. We will start with the famous park and TV tower as it will be the first thing you see most likely.
If you decide to go up the TV tower (Take the stairs before the elevator), you can buy a ticket that allows you to go at day and night which gives you two different views of the city. This will cost you ¥1100; you can also choose from deal tickets allowing you to explore different tourist attractions for a price.
They take your photo at the start and can get a photo souvenir when you come back down. An ice cream discount is included with the TV tower ticket.
Here are comparison photos
of day and night.
If you are in Sapporo Odori Park during May – June, you will see the flower festival. Going into Mid-late July you get the beer, summer, and jazz festival and much more. You can find out all the information here. Here are some highlights of the flowers they planted along the park in June 2019.
This is a small alleyway full of different ramen restaurants dating back to the 1950’s. Crowded amongst other places, offering different unique broths for ramen. Get there early to catch a seat or wherever you can find a free spot. Generally, a great atmosphere, relaxed and peaceful. These are also more meat oriented with occasionally a few veg ones as well.
After a night out, some ramen to cool you off and replenish your energy for the next day.
Have a walk around the area, there is plenty of night life and entertainment in the area.
If you are there during the daytime, then go to Nakajima park on a sunny day for a nice walk. Many things to see as well as relaxing spots.
Hours:
Monday – Sunday: 11:30AM – 3AM
Personal Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Average Cost: ¥1,000– ¥3,000 (£8 – £23) per person
Do you enjoy trying different beers? Do you want to taste some unique beers that cannot be found outside of this museum? Then come down to this museum. I guarantee the smoothness and taste will blow you away. The tasting set of 3 beers with some cheese is only ¥900, so go try it out if you are in the area. It is out of the way from the city but there are only a finite number of things to do so why not visit.
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