I've been meaning to go to Hokkaido for a long time now although I never really knew why. Perhaps because it was far enough away from Tokyo that it has a certain "mystique" to it or that I've heard lots about how great it is up there. Either way, I made it a point in my trip to go and that was no small feat in itself. No Shinkansen goes directly to Sapporo and two train changes are required. What's worse, for the first time in my 5th or 6th Shinkansen trip, the train was late! The announcement said something about strong winds requiring the trains to slow down, but either way, I made it to Sapporo just before 6pm.
Sapporo is home to quite a few great sights and one of the first I went to was Odori Park. Stretching 10 blocks long and found in the middle of Sapporo, it's a colourful and interesting way to mix nature into the scenery. At one end of it is the TV Tower which offers a panoramic view of Sapporo. But for the same money (700yen) you get access to the 38th floor of the JR Tower attached to Sapporo Station, and from there it looks like...
This is where one of the first comparisons gets drawn. Sapporo is a lot like Vancouver. Everything from how vast the city is, how low most of the buildings are, and how grid-like the street layout is. Then there's also the mountainous backdrop and its closeness to the coast. Sapporo is also known for its winter sports and held the Winter Olympics at some point, the ski jump being visible at night. There's also a gigantic park in the midst of the downtown landscape. Even the city atmosphere is rather laid-back... All of it made me feel very much at home.
Anyways, I didn't do much at night and instead got up early the next day for yet another whirlwind tour. I caught the first train to Otaru, a coastal town 45min from Sapporo. Otaru is famed for its preservation of historic buildings and has actually divided up the town into different locales that represent something significant in terms of heritage and building design. Going at 7:30am, however, meant everything was still closed... but that was also a good thing as I got to take in the town at my leisure.
This is an example of one of the "preserved" buildings in Otaru. This building was "The Former Otaru Branch of Hyakujusan Bank" when it was built in 1908. There are various other buildings around the area that are similarly old with similarly clear descriptions but being that most of these buildings have been renovated to perform some other task (I believe this now serves as a cafe), it does require the costumed staff to be there to prop up the atmosphere. But as it stands, a lot of these buildings just look old without the charm or appreciation until you read the descriptions. Maybe it's the signs selling touristy things or the rather new buildings next to it, but it's sometimes hard to differentiate between what is simply an old building (which are also found in Otaru) and an old but important building...
Aside from age, Otaru's also known for its glassware, as this unfortunately named shop can attest to. I wonder if anyone's ever told Mr. K what some of the many misinterpretations of his store name are =P...
After walking around for an hour and a half, I was ready to leave. And, as it turns out with these things, I found this interesting building which belonged to the Kyosei Co. Ltd, a rice milling and dealing company. If the steam clock in front looks familiar, it's because it is. Donated by the very same Vancouverite and built using the same wood patterns as the steam clock found in Gastown.
Having had my fill of Otaru, I headed for the Historic Village of Sapporo. This is a really interesting place that initially feels like Disneyland. It's a bit out in the middle of nowhere and contains buildings from different time periods right next to each other, so it looks almost a bit constructed. Unlike Disneyland, however, all the buildings in the Historic Village are authentic, having been donated by their owners across Hokkaido, relocated to Sapporo, and mildly restored. After that, the interiors are filled with period correct items and/or displays showing photographs of what the buildings were used for. For instance, the building above was a fishing residence built by the Aoyama family in 1895. Inside the huge main building was sleeping areas for almost 60 people and found attached to the building are numerous store houses for nets/gear, rice, and wine.
Even better is that this place does actually do a good job of replicating the feel of an old town. The gravel crunches under your foot as you walk along and the wind sweeps through the plants all around you. You're free to enter the buildings and walk around, feeling the floorboards flex, seeing the patched up rice-paper doors, and smelling the musky wood and books. And because these buildings were owned and used by real people, very many of them reflect the trends of their era. Like the building above, owned by the Matsuhashi family who's upper-middle class wealth saw the installation of a Western-style study, a trend popular towards the end of the Meiji era.
You're also greeted by more authenticity entering the barn once owned by the Ogawa family. Built using plans acquired from the US, it housed his dairy farm and despite there being no cows (or dairy farming) taking place anymore, it still smells faintly of cows. And while that sounds rather uninteresting, these little details help you visualize what it must've been like to run a dairy farm back in the 1920's. It even helps that many of the original tools are placed around the barn, and you can see just how the cows were led in and out or where new calves were born.
One of the best parts of this place was a chance to see the Sapporo Normal School Martial Arts Hall built in 1929. This one was used for kendo on the left side and judo on the right. Again, kendo practice dummies and judo dogi's hanging on the window sills help to create the atmosphere. In other rooms, you can see photos of the original students using the hall and practicing. Next to it is a university dorm were speakers play a soft recording of the students signing the anthem while other buildings have recorded conversations and/or dummies mid-activity to help you visualize what it was like when these buildings were really being used.
Oddly, I found this place to be a better representation of classical buildings than Otaru. Perhaps it's the chance to see all the minutiae that really help give a sense of age, but whereas Otaru's old buildings had to explain their significance to be appreciated, these ones are easily to appreciate right away. Another example is the above building, built by Dr. Seikichi Kondo in 1919. This building was actually used up until 1958 and was noted for its then rare Western styling. If this building was found among a bunch of newer buildings, it might be easily overlooked but getting into the "sense" of heritage buildings means certain features like the balcony and woodwork in the arches stand out.
Exploring the Village took a good 3 hours and by that time I was ready for a break. And what better break than the Sapporo Beer Museum! The museum, run by the Sapporo brewing company, is a free tour which documents the history of the company as well as providing this cute display of how barley and hops are grown, how beer is produced, and how it's delivered. Although I'm not sure who the intended audience is because it seems like it was built for 4 years yet only 20+ year olds can enjoy the results... strange =P...
Starting on the 3rd floor and winding down, you soon reach their Beer Museum Bar which serves various Sapporo products for 200yen, including Sapporo soft drinks for kids and a special Sapporo beer not sold outside of Hokkaido. Or, for an entirely reasonable 400yen, you can have their 飲み比べセット, or Drink Comparison Set (above). From left to right, they serve the Black Label, Yebisu [The Black], and the Kaitakushi (brewed from the very first Sapporo recipe). It also comes with a choice of crackers or a piece of cheese, the latter which goes quite well with the beer. In terms of tastiness (since this is a comparison), Yebisu [The Black] (middle) was the best, the Black Label (left) was second, while the Kaitakushi (right), though by no means bad, came in third.
With that done, I headed for Nakajima Park, my last stop before returning to my hostel. The park isn't anything spectacular but it is nice and quiet with a small Japanese-style garden (above). I should also mention that Sapporo is famous for its Shiroi Koibito treats, which are essentially two soft crackers sandwiching an equally soft piece of white chocolate. It's particularly delicious and, if you have time, there's a Chocolate Village to visit built by the company that makes them.
Anyways, the park has a pond that, in the summer months, had rowboat rentals. Hey, boat 21 =P...
By this time, it was about 5:30 although it felt like I'd been out for a million years... I do sort of regret my method of travel and my time frame doesn't let me really get a feel for each city, but I think I get as much as I could out of each one and I leave them with at least a slight feel for what makes them unique. Anyway, I went out to grab a bite for dinner around 7:30 and managed to find a few interesting buildings back at Nakajima Park.
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