Tokyo usually feels very modern with its bullet trains, loads of sky scrapers, and international food, but once in awhile, you’ll step into a time warp that takes you back to a time when the streets were filled with kimonos. Yanaka District is one of those places. Not far from busy Ueno, Yanaka is mostly a residential district now, but it’s filled with little traditional shops, old tea houses, vendors, and alleyways. Continue reading
Japan is all about seasonality. You see cherry blossoms in the spring, golden leaves in autumn, tulip fields in late winter, and lavender fields in the summer. If you have a chance to go to Hokkaido during the summer, you’ll be able to see this:
Ahhh the colors!
It’s so dramatic and breathtaking!
This is definitely on my to-do list, but I’ll have to drag my hubby in the wee hours before the crowds arrive, which if you’ve met my husband, is no easy feat!
– Sapporo Classic Beer is only sold in Hokkaido –
Last weekend, we flew up to Sapporo for my friend’s wedding. After a short two-hour plane ride from Tokyo, we were greeted by omiyage stands, the aroma of Genghis Khan restaurants wafting into the streets, and surprisingly cold weather! We checked into the Best Western Sapporo at Nakajima Park, which was a very reasonable, roomy, and modern boutique hotel (check out my review here), and then beelined to Sapporo Station to shop for some warmer clothes!
– The pond at relaxing Nakajima Park near our hotel –
– My friends and hubby wearing their Sapporo ‘summer’ outfits in Susukino –
I did a lot of research before heading to Sapporo to plan our itinerary. The famous places to visit in the city are Odori Park, the Sapporo Beer Factory, Ramen Yokocho, Mt. Okura Observatory, onsens, and the Hokkaido University campus. Beside Ramen Yokocho (ramen street), which shops cater to tourists and are not as tasty as those outside of this attraction, none of the other spots really attracted me. The food on the other hand… oh my!
– Japanese hairy crabs at Nijo Market –
Hokkaido and Sapporo are famous for good food: crab, scallops, Genghis Khan, miso ramen, Nijo Fish Market, sushi, omiyage, and Sapporo Beer! We only spent a day and a half in Sapporo, but we had 6 yummy meals :)
The Sapporo Classic (in the first picture) is only sold in Hokkaido and is almost impossible to find in other parts of Japan. It only has 2 ingredients and doesn’t use any of the additives that the other types have. Classic was more bitter and darker (for me) than the more common version in Japan. Mmmm.. beer sounds mighty good right now!
oh my omiyage 