Our first 36 hours in Japan have definitely lived up to our expectations. What a country! We are sure to have experiences in the next month which will influence our thoughts, but so far, WOW!
However, before I get into that, I have to acknowledge our trip over here. Karen was able to get a great deal on business class tickets direct from Calgary to Tokyo on WestJet (this is how we decided to go to Japan in the first place).
Waiting to depart is not nearly as wearisome when you get to enjoy a lovely glass of bubbly.Honestly we are like a couple of kids when we fly. The journey should be enjoyable and this one was. The Fight Attendents were awesome and made the trip a joy.And whoever does their menu is amazing. This was our appetizer, and it was delicious. The non-stop drinks were wonderful as well.
Upon arrival at Narita Airport in Tokyo we were through immigration and customs with our luggage in 20 minutes. It was incredible.
We spent a night at a hotel in Narita before catching a flight north to Sapporo to start our exploration in earnest. If you are not familiar with Japan geography Sapporo is on the northern most and largest island in Japan, Hokkaido.
My knowledge of Sapporo was limited to the fact that they had hosted the Winter Olympics (1972) and Sapporo Beer. So we figured a good place to start was the Sapporo Beer Museum.After learning about the history of beer brewing in Japan we headed down to the tasting hall. And to top off our trip to the brewery, when we were walking through the grounds we were treated to our first good glimpse of the seasons cherry blossoms.From Sapporo we hopped a train for a short trip to Otaru to check out the canals there. Otaru was a major port on Hokkaido and the canals were built to help with the transfer of goods. Now they make a nice place for a walk.The municipality has invested a lot to make the area welcome and interesting. You can still find fishing boats in the canal, some of which are outfitted for nighttime fishing.One of the things that grabbed our attention soon after arrival was the cleanliness of the streets. Otaru takes it a step further and does not even allow smoking on the streets. There are specified booths where smokers are supposed to go.While in Otaru we stopped for a coffee and a bite to eat. When we went to leave we were introduced to another unique Japanese feature. The automated cashier. Fortunately it was quiet so we had time to figure out what to do to pay our bill.
It was also our introduction to having a robot bring us our coffee. Very entertaining.On the way back to the train station in Otaru we came across this statue in memory of a fire station dog. I loved the way the locals had taken the time to keep it warm during the chilly months.I was a little concerned when we were heading here in that we may have trouble navigating the train system. However there is nothing to fear. All the important signs are posted in both Japanese and English, and if you have problems the workers there are very helpful and friendly.On the train ride to Otaru we went along the coast of the Sea of Japan. It was neat to see the wind farm out on the water. An impressive engineering feat. It always makes me chuckle when we are back in Canada and I hear the “experts” petulantly yelling about how alternative energy just won’t work, then you travel and see that the rest of the world is already using it.For our first dinner out in Japan we thought a Ramon place would be a good choice. We were right. A bit intimidating when you first walk in, but the staff immediately made you feel welcome and helped us with the process, even though no-one in the place spoke a worn of English. Too much fun.Also, the food was fantastic! The miso broth was incredible.In Sapporo we went for a walk through Odori Park. The trees everywhere were doing their best to show us spring was here.I must say, I love being in a place where there are still large numbers of people using proper cameras. This class was getting the fine points of photography, but there were also dozens of others walking about with DSLR’s and mirrorless cameras. I felt like I fit right in.The other amusing thing we came across in Odori Park was the controls for the toilets in the public washrooms. All the standard buttons were there, but the music one was new to us.Having spent a bit of time in the Fire Service I always check on the escape routes when we stay in hotels. I discovered the secondary route for our room was right outside our room window. Though the thought of opening the hatch and descending a rope ladder while on the 11th floor left me a little uneasy. I am sure it was only to get to the 10th floor, but none the less.
We have enjoyed our time in Sapporo and have appreciated our introduction to Japan. Next stop, Hakodate, at the southern tip of Hokkaido.
Leave a Reply to Kevin PattisonCancel reply