So I’ve decided to travel back to Tokyo slowly by train. I don’t have all the time in the world so can’t travel too much of Hokkaido, but plan to make use of my 7 day rail pass to do a bit of exploring and make a few stops on the way down. On the morning of departure from Niseko, Simon dropped me off by the Welcome Center / Bus station. 

I Takkubin my snowboard back to Tokyo. A god send of a service where for $10-$20 USD you can send your luggage anywhere in Japan. It only takes a couple of days, but takes the pain of trying to drag your snowboard to and from the airport at both ends. Even more so when travelling around the rest of Japan. This may be a good point in time to tell Ben he might be expecting a snowboard at his apartment on Monday morning 🙂 

We are informed the bus to Sapporo has to take an alternative route due to the adverse snow conditions and they tell us it will take 3.5 hours as opposed to the usual 3. Ironically it actually only takes 2.5hrs. The bus is due to make 5 stops around Sapporo and I’m booked on the last stop. I do a quick look up on the map from my phone and I’d much better get off at an earlier drop.

As with the way in Japan the drive insists I stick to the plan and assures me the last stop is near my hotel. Oh how wrong he was. I was now off the bus 5 km from my hotel and running low on battery. I stand outside the bus for 5 minutes trying to figure out what to do when the driver opens the door and says its all ok and he’ll drop me off at the main station near my hotel. He must have made a call because he had two English speaking reps waiting for me to make sure I could get to my destination. Obviously my Japanese is not anywhere near the ability to explain myself, and no doubt there will be more of these situations to come.

I find my way to the hotel and drop my bags and have a wonder around the sights of Sapporo. By this point the winds are incredible strong blowing the fallen snow to make visibility terrible.

Though throughout the day I think I experienced all four seasons. The roads are covered in a powdered snow that resembles that of the stuff you get in indoor snow domes. Its a good few centimetres deep on the roads and falls away as you walk on it, but the temperature is so cold it doesn’t want to melt. It makes crossing roads a challenge, but I see hunched over old ladies manage fine, so just tell myself to man up and just get on with it.

I make a trip the clock tower and learn a bit about the history of the town. Still amazed how early on the Americans were here.

Then I head to the Sapporo Factory. Part of the old beer manufacturing estate turned into shopping mall that seems to specialise in mountain sports gear.

A little misnavigated walk later and I’m in the Sapporo beer factory – surprisingly interesting learning about the history of Japanese brewery.

Catch a bus back into the city centre and walk around the fish market. Humungous crabs bigger than my head! Had the fortune to try some back in Niseko. Chunkier than lobster and oh so sweet.

I find the Soup Curry place my friend recommended. I thought Japanese didn’t do spicy, but this brought on a good sweat.

Walking back to the hotel the city seemed to liven up at night. I walked past the TV Tower and decide to venture up to the observatory. The storm was taking full effect and though I could see as far as the famous Ski jump, the photos came out terrible as the camera couldn’t decide what to focus on.

Though against the norm I caved in and bought the souvenir photo of me with the background of Sapporo in better conditions.