Otaru and Mt Tengu, in autumn

We spent this year's autumn re-discovering Hokkaido - so naturally Otaru was on our itinerary, with scenic Mt Tengu just an easy bus ride and cablecar away.

After landing safely at New Chitose Airport, we took the airport JR express train straight to Otaru.

We chose to stay at the Dormy Inn Premium just across the road from the JR Otaru Station, with its therapeutic on-site onsen, generous breakfast deal and complimentary ramen for supper every night.

Since Theresa and I had previously missed out on the gastronomic highlights of Otaru on our last visit in February, we specially made time to sample delightful eats at Sakaimachi Street. For example, the  cheesecake at LeTAO, unique green macha ice cream, and of course, lots of sushi!

For us, Mt Tengu in winter vs autumn was like night and day. Just take a look at the composite pictures of both seasons above and you can appreciate the enormous snowpile covering the slumbering Nature, revealed once the snow melts away...

Sounkyo Gorge

To get to our next destination Sounkyo Gorge, from Otaru, we had to take 2 changes of rapid express trains, via Sapporo and on to Asahikawa, where we picked up our rental car. We then drove leisurely into the mountanous  central Daisetsuzan National Park of Hokkaido. We finally reached our highly-anticipated onsen hotel, called the Choyo Tei  Prince, on a little hillock of its own, overlooking the beautiful gorge, complete with swirling mists. The architect cleverly designed it with a rooftop onsen and oriented it such that the hotel's centrepiece garden also had the best facing.

We could feel close to Nature as the wild deer roamed freely  around the hotel grounds and there was a relatively easy trail to a waterfall hike (Momojidani-no-taki) right behind our hotel. Unfortunately, the trail became challenging because a predicted rain system came earlier than expected and descended upon us on the way down!

Mt Kurodake, Daisetsuzan National Park

 

We always believe that if we stay long enough in a comfortable hotel at a beautiful location, it  will allow us to wait out inclement weather. Thus, when the weather turned sunny on Day 4 at Sounkyo, Theresa suddenly surprised me with a dare - to climb the "easy" Mt Kurodake summit trail!

Little did I realise that it was to turn out as technically challenging as any of our previous mountaineering adventures.  Considering that we had already done the Milford Track, in New Zealand (2009), and an arduous hike up to Lac Blanc, in the French Alps (2011), it just goes to show that it's life experiences that bring hard-won wisdom.

Since it was mid autumn and we didn't expect wintry conditions, we had left our crampons behind for this trip. Boy, were we surprised to find ice and snow on the ground, just before reaching the top. Not being mentally prepared for slippery "black ice", we cautiously reached out for shrubbery branches alongside the trail for extra support.

Needless to say, the view was certainly worth the effort put in and we easily blew an extra hour on the summit taking many tripod-mounted couple shots.

Back in 2008, Theresa had  successfully climbed her first real mountain, Kinabalu, to raise funds for the Children's Cancer Foundation of Singapore. Now a decade later, she dedicated this climb in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary this year.  To be  able to journey up, and down the mountain together,  we count our blessings.... grateful indeed are we.

"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." Sir Edmund Hillary

Furano and Biei

Although the New Furano Prince  may be better known during the winter as a ski in, ski out resort, we decided to stay there because our roadtrip naturally traversed the beautiful countryside in this part of rural Hokkaido.

It has a modern onsen, partially open to the elements. It also advertises an adjacent alpine village, Ningle Terrace, consisting of  wooden cottages, decked out with twinkling lights at night. Real artisans populate these cosy dwellings to showcase local handicrafts and encourage visitors to shop for unique souvenirs.

The nearby attraction for us was the famous Blue Pond at Biei, slightly over an hour's drive away. While there, most people would also drive a further 10 minutes down the road, to park and then walk  the bridge over amazing Shirahige Falls.

For us, these awesome pictures simply paint the best story without words. Honestly, the secret behind such breath-taking images is our humble motto, to capture them at the right moment...

Jozankei onsen town and Lake Shikotsuko

Somewhere inbetween Sapporo and the New Chitose Airport lie 2 uniquely Japanese icons. A hidden gorge blessed with therapeutic onsens called Jozankei, and a deep lake of blue, unfrozen even in Hokkaido's harsh winter, named Shikotsuko.

Legend had it that the ascetic monk Jozan first discovered the gorge and onsens which were especially beautiful in the autumn and winter. As with such places, hotels soon sprung up, to cater to the discerning visitors who appreciated the healing power of nature.

Staying at the modern ryokan-hotel, Mori no Uta turned out to be the best way for us to experience all the local sights there were to be had. On foot, it was minutes to the famous momoji vista of Jozankei Town and less than half an hour to the Gorge itself, to track across the Futami Bridge.

At night, there's even a specially commisioned light show at Futami Bridge from June to October, for the public to walk safely along the manicured trail and meditate after dark. We believe it brought a new dimension to the Japanese concept of "shinrin-yoku", or forest bathing.

During our stay in Jozankei Onsen Town, we also explored the nearby Hoheikyo Dam which supplies water to Sapporo. It is not only a man-made engineering wonder but a place that's dedicated to the concept of shinrin-yoku in all seasons.

Getting to this beauty spot involves a 10 minute car ride, to park and then ride a 5 minute electric shuttle bus through 2 mountain tunnels before reaching the Dam proper. Done with typical Japanese efficiency, it allows for many more to enjoy Nature close up, which might otherwise be spoilt from  excessive traffic congestion and private cars.

Sadly,  like all perfect moments in life, our autumn chase had to end.

Fortuitously, we chose to stay in a hotel closer to the airport, by the lakeshore of Shikotsuko.

This was the same site for our snow illumination side trip back in February. It was as interesting a contrast in seasons, as our stay in Otaru. This was also complemented by our last night's stay at a rustic ryokan hotel, with onsen and kaiseki fine dining. A fitting end to our autumn adventure indeed.

Sapporo Snow Festival 2018

Imagine a very cold place where temperatures dip way below zero degrees Celcius for weeks on end, with plenty of snow and ice. One can either struggle to keep warm and stay alive or ... create a whole tourist industry around a snow festival!

This started in 1950, when a group of local highschool students decided to carve a modest public display of 6 sculptures in Odori Park, which attracted 50,000 visitors. Over the years, the festival became famous & now gets 2 million visitors every year!

In 1987, Theresa and I escaped our steamy tropical island on a group tour to Hokkaido during the Snow Festival (Above left, is a snapshot of Theresa next to King Kong). In 2018, Sapporo celebrated its 69th edition and Theresa can be seen at right, pitching in with the locals!

This time, we decided to cobble our own itinerary, having already worked out the super-efficient Japan Rail (JR) transport system. Amazingly, these public transport trains still manage to run like clockwork in whichever season and changeable weather! Staying at hotels within 5 to 10 minutes' walking distance from the mainstreet JR stations made good sense, especially as the festival organisers organised most happenings right in the heart of town. For Sapporo, the central Odori Park was transformed into a magical winter wonderland, with Sapporo Tower's commanding overview of the Park.

In the intervening years, sister cities like Asahikawa and Otaru in Hokkaido, have also cottoned on to the idea. Thus, our trip this time round was far more interesting, with time spent experiencing their different interpretations. The "Snow Light Path" in Otaru was much more intimate and romantic while Asahikawa's ceremonies were on a grander scale, on account that their venue sprawled over a much bigger riverside esplanade. We shall elaborate more on these other celebrations in the next few blog postings...

Noboribetsu, Hokkaido's hell valley

As we had planned to see more than just the city snow festivals, our first 3 nights' stay was based in Sapporo, to view the pre-official preparations, recce the land and fit in a special side trip to Hokkaido's Jigokudani (Hell Valley) in Noboribetsu. Picture at left was taken in 1987.

We chose a reasonably calm day to do a whole-day exploration of this fantastical region of active hotsprings, fumaroles, geysers and vents. Take a walk with us, and appreciate how the Japanese are very stoic and have adapted well to this most inhospitable environment.

They have even discovered the miracle "cures" of onsen. Taking to the plentiful hotspring waters to warm the body and calm the mind, amongst other putative benefits.

Of course, one cannot really appreciate the whole experience unless you stay in one of the local onsen hotels. The smell of hydrogen sulphide, the micro weather systems and the threat of earthquakes are a reminder to humanity that change is a constant in life. One must always be prepared for all eventualities, while enjoying the moment.

Asahikawa, city in the mountains

We spent the next 4 nights up in the mountain city of Asahikawa. This coincided perfectly with the grand opening of their 59th Snow Festival. It kicked off with fireworks on the first night, over a humongous snow stage, set up by the riverside esplanade.

In the daytime, exquisitely carved snow and ice sculptures were displayed for the public to enjoy and these were also illuminated at night. Food vendors catered to the hungry locals and tourists like us, eager to sample the local favourites.

Knowing Theresa, she also couldn't help but try tobaganning down the longest ice slide, custom-built behind the massive stage (see sidebar picture sequence at left).

Having done our research in advance, we also bundled in multi-day trips to the relatively nearby Asahiyama Zoo. Just 60 minutes one-way on a dedicated local bus service, the zoo has made a name for itself by hosting a special twice-daily Emperor penguin parade within its precincts. This usually gets underway in late December once there is permanent snow cover on the grounds, which in good years, might last till early March.

These magnificent Emperor penguins are released from their fenced enclosure and shepherded along a loop trail within the zoo grounds. It's considered their winter exercise regime, witnessed by the hordes of tourists who line up behind markers along this trail.

This certainly beats a long journey to the tip of South America, followed by a treacherous and arduous ocean cruise to Antarctica, just to see them in the wild !

In line with the snow festival in Asahikawa, the Zoo also extended it's closing hours to put on a special "snow light" illumination. Pure magic!