Otura & Historic Hokkaido Village - Thursday, October 20, 2022

Driving along Sea of Japan on the way to Otura

  

Otura, facing Ishikari Bay & Sea of Japan, is known for its’ canals. The port was opened to trade with USA & UK in 1899. 

The port has been restored and now houses cafes, museums, shops & restaurants

Local craftsman making various “rubber band” weapons and motorcycles out of wires

Happy Halloween!

Musical Clock in front of the Music Box Museum

Anne enjoying her “6 layer” ice cream cone, actually Otura’s famous ice cream cone is 12 layers

Visiting Historical Village representing Hokkaido from 1868 to the 1920’s

Like our Greenfield Village

It was a beautiful autumn day for a stroll through the village

Rice drying - looks like wheat or barley

Sayonara Japan!

Time Flew By! - Heading Home - Friday, October 21, 2022 Japan Time

We’ll be home October 21. Actually we will be back in Michigan before we “left” Japan.  Here’s how we spent the last two days:  

Wed 10/19:  Just a short way from our hotel, we visit Jigokudani, "Hell Valley", in Noboribetsu.  About 10,000 years ago a mountain collapsed when a volcano erupted within it.  The area is still active with green and arid landscapes, steam vents and the smell of sulphur.  Some steaming locations gurgle and pop.  Anne walked up the path and saw a lake high above which supplies the local hotels with their therapeutic baths water.  About an hour north, we learn about the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Northern Japan.  At the Upopoy National Ainu Museum we see replicas of their homes and craftsmanship.  They have no written language.  We heard a story told in Japanese about them and their spoken language.  Then we heard their haunting songs and watched dances.  During one dance,  women in native costumes moved and flapped their winged sleeves imitating cranes.  Then another dance was in celebration of a successful year.  Their dress and songs resemble some similar native tribes in Central Asia and North America.  A song was played by women on an idiophone similar to a mouth harp; it was marvelous.  You can google Sinot Inomi to see some performances from this traditional performing arts program.  We moved on to Sapporo,  where we toured the Sapporo Brewing beer museum.  The original brewer had learned the craft by studying in Germany.   Our next stop was the Sapporo Clock Tower, built in 1878 in the western style with help from Americans who came to teach farmers modern agriculture techniques.  It's the oldest clock tower in Japan.  A couple blocks away is the Odori Park, about eleven blocks long in the middle of the city.  It's the site for annual snow sculpting contests.  Around a corner is the red light/entertainment district.  Billy takes us into a Pachinko parlor at our request, where we promptly lose 1,000 yen (less than $7) in less than five minutes.  It's like a pinball machine on steroids.  Glad we saw it.  At a nearby pharmacy, we bought some packets of bath salts so we can have our own therapeutic bath in the privacy of our own home.

Thurs 10/20:  Our first stop on this ideal fall day is at Otaru, facing Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan,  known for its canals and glassblowing.  Its port was opened for trade with the UK and the USA in 1899.  Now it's beautifully restored,  and the former warehouses hold cafes, shops and museums.  They also make some chocolates and cheesecakes here.  Billy tells us the 1972 Winter Olympics were held in this area.  Our last stop is to the historical village of Hokkaido, similar to Greenfield Village.  The weather couldn't have been better.  We say thanks and goodbye to our driver Sato-san and bid a fond farwell to Billy.  He flies to Tokyo tonight and begins another tour in the morning.   We are spending the night in Sapporo and fly from here to Tokyo in the morning.  Then we fly to Detroit in the afternoon,  arriving, like I said, before we left Japan. Today while Anne was in the smoking room she met a guy from Indianapolis here in Japan on business.  Instead of getting her “Scrabble” fix, she chatted for 45 minutes.  Amazing how many Americans we have met throughout our travels.

Anne and I are so very fortunate to be able to travel as we do.  We have met great people and experienced much kindness from people in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand,  Laos, South Korea and Japan.   The people we've met have all had their troubles during Covid, and they've all been so resilient.  We've experienced so much and learned a lot.  Thank you to our home team (Allan, Andy, Roddy).  Thanks also to Marcia for the travel TP.  It came in handy.  Hope to see you all soon.

 

Jigokudani to Sapporo - Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Jigokudani in Noboribetsu City, Hokkaido 

Jigokudani appropriately named  Hell Valley for steam geysers - a crater created by the eruption of Mt. Hiyoriama.

Hiking up to Oyunuma Lake - over 200 stairs and uphill climb

Oyunuma Sulfur Spring - created by the remnants of Mt. Hiyoriyama. Several of Noboribetsu’s Hotels source their water from here.  Surface temperature is about 40-50 degrees  Celsius, but water can gush out as hot as 130 degrees.

We visited the Anui Village - indigenous people of Hakkido. Visited the Upopoy National Anui Museum & Park

Inside of  an Anui house refinished to show how they live (used to have dirt floors, now you must take off your shoes to step inside).

We saw a really nice traditional song & dance show presented by the Anui (should not be missed).  We visited the museum with beautiful handcrafted items.  We found this interesting memorial on the site too.

We visited the Sappora Beer Museum - oldest brewery in Japan

Clock Tower in Sapporo built in 1878 in western style with help from Americans who came to teach farmers modern agricultural techniques.  The clock was manufactured & purchased from the E. Howard Watch & Clock Co. Of Boston, Massachusettes

View of the Sapporo TV Tower from Odori Park (built in 1957)

We walked to the Red Light Entertainment District and Maddy spotted this station. Billy, our guide, told us it was an underground shopping area.

Pinball machines on steroids!

And we finally were able to visit a Pachinko Parlor where we quickly lost 1,000 yen (about $6.68 US)

Hakodate on the island of Haikkado - Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Visiting the Hakodate market - a variety of live fish to purchase, below hairy crabs

Colorful fresh fish and caviar

Fresh squid skimming in a tub

You pick one, try to catch it, and the vendor cleans it for you  and it is ready to eat (no thank you)

Visiting the Site of Shoguns’ Fort Goryokaku

Magistrate’s Office in the Fort was destroyed when Meiji defeated the Shogunite - rebuilt by the government

It was a pentagon shaped fort, now a lovely park

Billy, our guide, cooking our lunch on the steamers which are fed by the geysers in the area

(Shikabecho)

Steamers outside 

How to cook with steamer

Scallops in dough balls, bacon, cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, onions and oysters (we did not eat the oysters)

Driving by Lake Toya

Mt. Showa-Shinzan was created from the geological activities of the 1943-1945 eruption of Mt. Usu

Steam is still rising from Mt. Showa-shinzan

Taking the Usuzan Ropeway to see the Mount Usu crater basin and surrounding town and lake

Lake Toya from the ropeway

Steps up to the highest viewing point - another viewing terrace near the viewing terrace and observatory on the left

Mount Usu Crater Basin - last eruption was in 2000

 

Towns were completely destroyed from the last eruption, but locals continue rebuilding & living in the area

Toyota Coaster - our vehicle during our last week of touring Japan

Our Japanese room - Queen Madalyn sleeps on the rollaway, Anne sleeps on the floor - really fun trying to get up from the bed - NOT!