Sapporo, Japan Feb 2025 (Pic Heavy)

 

Early February trip to Japan.

Feb 2 (Hawaii time)

Flight from HNL to New Chitose 

Food from ANA airlines. Was not a direct flight. One layover. Then a one hr train ride to Sapporo from New Chitose Airport. Landed around 1030PM at night. 

(Each day categories pics start from bottom to top, sorry didn't feel like fixing this). 

Feb 3 ( Sapporo) (Will be Japan dates from this moment forward)

The famous Nikka sign and pretty much a midnight snack before bed. According to google, the restaurant is called Asahi Ga Nobori Susukino and its right across the Nikka sign and has a animatronic ramen display. It's a good restaurant that features a staple of Sapporo: Miso. One of the few places that is open to a much later time. I think 3AM? 

Feb 4 

Nijo Market 

Yup. Hawaii. Nijo Market. Brunch pretty much at Ohiso. Gets packed quick so find a spot to catch your grub quickly. Lots of similar restaurants around here like Ohiso but like I said, find a spot quick because everywhere gets packed quick. 

Odori Park, Sapporo Tower, Sapporo Clock Tower

 

Odori Park is a close walk by after the market. The Sapporo clock and Sapporo tower is nearby as well. Both require admission fees to walk in. Didn't do it though. Odori park had an elongated display of ice sculptures. Try Hokkaido milk as well. 

Susukino St, Tanukikoji Shopping St, Soup Curry King

       

Ended the night with Soup Curry King. Another staple of Sapporo. Susukino had some sculptures as well. We lived by Tanukikoji so another famous spot to shop and dine. Ramen Alley is in Susukino as well but we saved it for another day 

Feb 5         

Asahikawa Zoo, Dinner: Tokachi Butadon Ippin

Asahikawa Zoo is a 2 hr train ride from Sapporo and another 2 hrs back. Also, you need the JR pass or another train ticket purchase that is not your IC card. This is pretty much a day affair. There is another Ramen place by here but another 45 bus ride I think? Didn't go for it. This zoo is famous for its Penguin walk which is featured twice the day in certain times. Mines was 1430PM. The Tokachi Butadon restaurant is back in Sapporo station. Waited really long for this one but its worth it. 

Feb 6

Makomanai Takino Cemetery, Sapporo Beer Garden, Shiroi Koibito Park, Ramen Alley.

Who would had thunk a cemetery be a tourist spot? Its about an hr from Susukino that involves a train ride and then transfer by bus. Also, the bus that comes here comes every 45 to 60 mins and back. So time accordingly if you have other spots to hit. The Buddha requires a fee to see it up close. Its nice to see Easter Island in Japan. Finally got to hit a Genghis Khan like restaurant in the Beer Garden. Shiroi Koibito Park is famous for selling and distributing lots of candy/chocolates throughout Japan. Now you get to see their HQ and workforce. We ate back in Ramen Alley for dinner. The Miso ramen as usual is why you want to eat here but I felt the first night where I ate was still better. The alley is pretty much all Ramen shops. We ate somewhere in the middle. Can't recall the shop though :\

February 7

Central Wholesale Market, Lake Shikotsu, Yakiniku Like, Lotteria.

Not a huge fan of seafood but Central Wholesale market is where you can pick your crab and boil the poor guy alive. Probably suffering this whole time so that's that. Lake Shikotsu from what I've been told can be taken here by car. But most of the time, most people opt to use some kind of tour host to bring them here. Its a good attraction for, I say, 2-3 hrs. However the tour I had was only 1 hr and 10 mins so if you really want to do this one in the winter, find the tours that do 2 hrs or more early. We didn't have much an option since we did it late. And one hr 10 mins was simply not enough to scope the entire premise out. Yakiniku Like and Lotteria was back in Tanukikoji shopping mall. 

Feb 8

Cafe Ranban, Otaru Canal, back to Odori park.

The coffee Jello plus sandwiches were close to my hotel: Cafe Ranban. Otaru Canal is a 45 min trip from Sapporo station and features an array of shopping venues plus eateries. Naruto Chicken is a popular chicken spot though I hear it gets packed at night. We did lunch and still had to wait a bit but I could only imagine the horrendous night wait in the cold. Otaru Rainbow Soft Cream is the spot where you can stack up to 10 different flavors on your ice cream. Walk if off after wards. Dinner was back in Tanukikoji. Its called Sya-bu yo according to the pic but this is what I found off the net:

Shabu Yo Sapporo Tanuki Koji Ten

That concludes the Sapporo trip. Thank you Jesus for a nice trip. See you next in Tokyo.