Senin, 30 Desember 2019

Sapporo: The Vibrant City of Hokkaido (And Where to Stay)


Now, let's head to Hokkaido. First stop: Sapporo. 

My last trip to Japan mainly focused on Hokkaido. Actually the only reason I went to Tokyo was because my Japan first-timer friend.  I've been looking for Jakarta-Tokyo and Sapporo-Jakarta airplane tickets months prior to this trip. From my previous visits to Japan, I found that arriving and departing from different cities could be the most efficient way to save on the transportation fee. After weeks and months of ticket hunting, I found that PAL got the best deal for this route. I got my return tickets for around IDR 4,8mio, and sometimes cheap bargain came with a risk - in my case was 6 hours transit at NAIA airport (which was quite dull) on our flight back home.

Meanwhile, I purchased another flight ticket from Tokyo to Sapporo for around IDR 1mio (Jetstar with extra 20kg baggage). You could fly for one and a half hour or if you have JR Pass, you could actually ride shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin Hakodate then change to limited express local train from Shin Hakodate to Sapporo for a total 9 hours trip.


There are two parts of Sapporo which I recommended you to stay, and these two areas located quite near to each other. The first area is the Sapporo Station area. Sapporo Station is the main transportation hub of this city both for train and bus.


The other great things about staying in this area is its shopping malls! Sapporo Station is connected to few shopping malls and department stores (Esta, Daimaru, Paseo, Apia) with good restaurants and variety of shops.

Just a few steps from Sapporo Station is Odori Park, one of Sapporo Snow Festival main sites. Talking about snow, Hokkaido is known being colder since it is located in the northern part of Japan. It was early October when I went there, and it was around 25°-30°C in Tokyo but the temperature started to drop to 15°-20°C in Sapporo. It was even colder on the last few days of my trip.


I found a very good deal at Hotel Keihan Sapporo on my date of visit. It was a quite decent hotel, and I stayed there for a cheaper price than my stay at a hostel in Tokyo. Plus point: They have free bathhouse inside the hotel.


The next part of Sapporo you should consider to stay at is Susukino. Susukino is comparable to Namba or Shinjuku. Susukino is filled with lines of shops, eateries, and pubs decorated fascinating neon lights and signboards. Do stay in this area if you prefer a lively neighbourhood with late night eateries.

I stayed at The B Hotel Sapporo Susukino which was quite a good place to stay. Extra point for the free coffee machine at the lobby. Actually I got some video footages of the hotels I stayed in, but I was just to lazy to edit them. Let me add them later.


And of course, the store I headed back and forth in Susukino was Mega Don Quijote. I bought all kind of food and stuff here! I think I need to make another post about this place later.


Transport modes you can use in Sapporo are buses, trams, and trains. But I mainly moved around Sapporo Station and Susukino, so I just walked. I did walk with my 28" luggage from Keihan Hotel to the B Sapporo Susukino for around 30 minutes. Well, quite a good exercise before dinner.


Talking about this city won't be complete without talking about its food scene. But let's talk about it on my next post since I found that this post will be too long if I summarize all of it here. Meanwhile, let's enjoy a cup of coffee!


A friend said that Sapporo is not really her kind of city - she likes Tokyo better. But after my visit to Sapporo, I thought that it might be the vice versa for me. Sapporo is a vibrant and lively city with less crowd and hustle bustle that Tokyo which is perfect for me.

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JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2019
Otaru: The Serene and Charming City of Hokkaido
Furano-Biei Day Trip: Farm Tomita, Shikisai No Oka, Blue Pond
Sapporo: The Food Journal
Sapporo: The Vibrant City of Hokkaido (And Where to Stay)
Falling in Love with Yokohama's Charm
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo
Reasons to Stay Around Asakusa (or not)
My Third Japan Trip - The Intro

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2017
Konnichiwa! I'm back!
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Preparation and Cost
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Back to Dotonbori
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Fall Foliage at Minoo Park and Quick Visit to Kuromon Market
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Autumn in Kyoto
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: A Day In Takayama
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: November Snow at Shirakawa-Go


JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2015
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Selasa, 19 November 2019

Falling in Love with Yokohama's Charm


I've been hesitating to visit Yokohama since my first visit to Japan though it is conveniently close to Tokyo. I thought that this city was not special, until I finally visited Yokohama last month. I fell in love with this city!

It took us around an hour and a few minutes from Asakusa to Yokohama and our first destination was Yokohama Chinatown which is Japan's largest Chinatown. Yokohama itself is the second largest city in Japan by population.


Entering Yokohama Chinatown will make you forget that you are actually in Japan for a moment. with all the traditional Chinese architecture buildings, bright red lanterns, and board signages in Han Zi.


It was Sunday afternoon, and the Chinatown was packed with people. Mostly tourists like us, I guess. Chinese restaurants and street snack stalls filled the area with their bright colored shop signs - I felt like I was in Mong Kok for a while since it got pretty similar vibes. Since we already had lunch before we went to Yokohama, we gave up to have a feast here.


Other than Chinese restaurants, I could easily spotted boba place here and there. Well, the boba craze was no different here in Yokohama.


From the Chinatown, we headed to our next destination - Yamashita Park on foot.



Yamashita Park is located along the waterfront which made me instantly fell in love! A combination of park + sea/lake works best for me.


You'll easily spot Hikawa Maru (the ship above) once you arrive here. This ocean liner is 90 years old and permanently berthed as a ship museum since 1961. On the other side, you'll spot Osanbashi Pier (below) which runs as an International Passenger Terminal.


It was quite windy in Yokohama that day, but I thanked God that it was not rainy. It was pouring in Tokyo since early in the morning.


Since it was not raining, I was able to have a picnic in a park. We bought snacks and picnic mat at a nearby supermarket on our way from Chinatown to this place. What a moment to just sit back, relax, and enjoying our snacks, drinks, while people and dog-watching from where we sit. Many locals brought their dogs for an afternoon walk here.


Other than enjoying the sea breeze and spending a lovely time at the park, watching acrobatics show from a local performer is one thing you could also do here.

From Yamashita Park, we walked around 10-15 minutes to our next destination: Osanbashi Pier which I have mentioned before. I enjoyed the harbor and sea view which was quite tranquilizing for me.


Osanbashi Pier itself was stunning. I don't know how to describe it in the right term, but the design was bold, modern, and unique.


It was a perfect place for an afternoon stroll and photoshoots. I got to witness Japan's aircraft carrier on my visit too.


After a brief visit to Osanbashi Pier, we headed to the Aka-Renga Soko aka Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse.


Apparently, Yokohama Ockoberbest was being held right next to the Red Brick Warehouse. Actually I was tempted to visit but since our time was a bit packed, we decided just to pass by.


So Red Brick Warehouse was formerly a Custom Inspection House in the early 20's and now turned into a shopping center. We just visited this place for a brief moment and decided to go back to Tokyo since the sky is getting darker already.


From across the street, I could spot the icon of Minato Mirai, the Cosmo World Ferris Wheel. Actually Minato Mirai is the central business district of Yokohama. But I haven't got the chance to visit the area. I will surely visit Yokohama on my next Tokyo trip.


The night view around the waterfront was simply stunning. I would love to enjoy a longer night stroll around this place.


Nearby Nihon-Odori station, stands this beautiful building which is called Jack's Tower (Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall).


The traces of the old port city, the beautiful waterfront, and the modern large city vibes of Yokohama left me a one a of a kind impression.

-------
JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2019
Otaru: The Serene and Charming City of Hokkaido
Furano-Biei Day Trip: Farm Tomita, Shikisai No Oka, Blue Pond
Sapporo: The Food Journal
Sapporo: The Vibrant City of Hokkaido (And Where to Stay)
Falling in Love with Yokohama's Charm
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo
Reasons to Stay Around Asakusa (or not)
My Third Japan Trip - The Intro

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2017
Konnichiwa! I'm back!
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Preparation and Cost
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Back to Dotonbori
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Fall Foliage at Minoo Park and Quick Visit to Kuromon Market
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Autumn in Kyoto
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: A Day In Takayama
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: November Snow at Shirakawa-Go


JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2015
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