I stayed in a capsule hotel in Sapporo in December 2015
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I’ve never been too picky about hotels. It is a place to sleep, not much more. I usually like to have my own room, somewhere I can be alone on my travels, and I like the room to have wifi. In Japan I don’t even need wifi as I can rent a portable wifi router.
I visited Bar Atomic Age in Susukino, Sapporo in December, 2015
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I could not believe it, in front of me was a bottle of Linie Aquavit. Norwegian Linie Aquavit. Named so because it crosses the Equator twice in its production. It is transported from Norway to Australia and back on a ship.
I visited Sapporo TV Tower in December 2015
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The view was perfect. You could see Odori Park running through the city, leading your gaze to, far in the distance, the ski jumping hill. The one used in the 1972 Winter Olympics. On a mountainside on the edge of the city it stood, in direct line of sight from the tower, no high rise in the way, only the trees of Odori Park.
I visited the Christmas Market in Sapporo in December, 2015
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I have been to many different christmas markets, I happen to travel a lot around christmas, but I had only been to markets in Europe. When I saw there was a christmas market in Sapporo while I was there, I knew I had to visit. I have been to christmas markets in Strasbourg and Berlin, Trondheim and Gdansk. They are usually very similar, but all with small differences.
It was the same in Sapporo, at first sight the market could have been anywhere. It looked like any christmas market, but at a closer look you could always spot the differences.
I experienced the winter in Sapporo for four days during December 2015
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Sapporo, despite actually lying just south of Nice, France, can be a a city of cold and snowy winters. With the Siberian High front developing over Eastern Russia and the Aleutian Low front developing north in the Pacific Ocean, a cold flow of air comes from the north and down to West Hokkaido. The result is usually cold and snowy winters, almost six meters of snow on average. In Niseko, a few hours by car from Sapporo this results in a ski resort with some of the best powder snow in the world. In Sapporo this means freezing winters, much trepidation, but also warm periods melting the snow to water which becomes ice due to the Heave, the cold ground. A problem also known in Norway.
I flew with Vanilla Air from Tokyo to Sapporo and back in December 2015
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Usually when I travel around Japan I use trains. Shinkansen for longer distances and express or local trains for shorter distances. With a Japan Railpass I can ride the usually expensive Japanese trains as much as I want for a fixed price, and in Japan there is always a train leaving. Add the speed and comfort of the Shinkansen and train journeys become a great way to travel. It was first on my fourth trip to Japan that I had a domestic flight.
I visited Otaru Beer Brewery Pub in December, 2015
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I was visiting Otaru, I had just finished my lunch, some delicious sushi, and not far down the road I found the Otaru Beer Brewery Pub. It was Christmas Eve, I was all alone, spending a few hours at a brewery pub sounded like a good idea. I went inside.
The entrance
I visited Sapporo and ate soup curry in December, 2015
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Winter in Sapporo can be quite cold, even for a Norwegian. There are freezing temperatures, icy winds, snow, ice. It is no wonder that the people here have found food that helps them keep warm during winter.
One of them is soup curry. A curry, but also a soup. A spicy curry broth, boiled potatoes and vegetables, meat or other toppings of your choice. A powerful soup for a cold day. I always say ramen is my favorite Japanese food, my favorite food for that matter, but soup curry is not far behind.
I visited Ramen Street in Sapporo in December, 2015
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I was getting hungry, headed for the Susukino area. I had heard rumors of a certain Ramen Street.
It was easy to find, a huge sign marked the entrance to the narrow alley. I love Ramen, it is my favorite Japanese food, I had to eat at Ramen Street tonight.
I have eaten ramen on every visit to Japan. The following episode happened in Okayama in July, 2015.
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It was late when I left Aussie Bar in Okayama, it had been a long night. I was tired, needed to sleep, but hungry as well. I’d heard of a ramen shop, Poku Ramen, just around the corner. It was open until 5am, perfect for a visit after some time in the bar. I headed for it. What could be a better meal before going to bed.