Land of the Rising Sun - 东京/北海é“
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Caption：The First Place to see the Rising Sun - Shiretoko Peninsula (知庄）
Date : 20 Sep 2010 - 10 Oct 2010
Although I have shamelessly named this thread as "Land of the Rising Sun" which represent Japan, I have but only visited 2/3 of Hokkaido places of interest and only nearby Tokyo, but I can still justify the name as Shiretoko Peninsula is the eastern most of Japan and rightfully still get to see the first rising sun of the day in the world!
This trip was first born because Lady SevenEleven wanted to go shopping in Tokyo but shopping was never my kind of holiday so I added Hokkaido into the self made iternary "shocking" both Mrs SevenEleven and Lady SevenEleven who never dreamed that my DIY holiday was such a chores. They had to climb mountains, hike in the jungle, dashing through the forest and driving into cemetries......
This trip was all possible giving credit to:
Mr SevenEleven - Team Leader/Tour Co-ordinator cum driver (Hokkaido & Mt Fuji)
Mrs SevenEleven - Logistics and Finance
Lady SevenEleven - Interpreter cum Vehicle Commander
Caption: OK, here's the rising sun
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Caption : Noboribetsu (登別) - Aniu Village (爱奴�部�) - The Colour of Autumn, the Colour of Death
Although the period of the travel was not ideal as autumn had just arrived and there was no full blown colour of autumn, nevertheless there are still some leaves turning yellow....orange....and red.
Japan is always thought to be expensive and it really is!!! But the reliable transport system and the food make up the short-coming. I really enjoyed driving my way in Hokkaido (1,641 km as indciated in the vehicle) and the GPS was very reliable (95%) in the cities with only some mistake in the mountain and forest area.
Caption: Io Zan (硫黄山) - Akan National Park (阿寒国立公å›)- Although beautiful, this will be their last glow before whithering away
We were able to manage most of the budget (transport and accomodation) except for the food (suprisingly expensive). We usually stayed in budget Youth Hostel, 民宿 (Ming Shu or people who opened their houses to travellers) and ocasionally hotels (3 stars). Believe me, it's more worthwhile to stay in 民宿 as they provide delicious traditional japanese breakfast and dinner. With Mrs SevenEleven, we were able to record up to 98% of our daily expenses in detail (the other 2% was donations thus not recorded)
.Tips to those who wants to do a DIY
- Whenever there is a mistake or a problem, it's never my fault or your fault, but our fault. I made it clear before departure especially I was the "Team Leader" and had to make decision which may not turn out right. I practice democracy and goes with the votes unless there is a tie, no decision or safety issue do I overwrite a decision.
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Hokkaido the rockmelon crazy price sia.... nihonjin sometimes really crazy lol.... they even have rockmelon kitkat lol....
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Caption : Sapporo (æœå¹Œ) TV Tower - City skyline from City Hall Building
Leaving the Chitose airport, we took the JR Line straight to Sapporo for a 1/2 day around the city. As I was looking forward to the countryside, Sapporo was of little interest to me. Nevertheless we walked round the city after leaving all the luggages in the lockers in Sapporo JR station. I was only looking forward to the Ramien Alley and a glass of Sapporo beer for dinner.
Caption : Susukino (薄野) - Sapporo - Red light district
There were 2 choices of seeing the city skyline, the classy way and the cheapo way. My choice was the latter, seeing them for free at the 19th storey viewing gallery at City Hall. You need to pay if you want to be classy and watch them from the TV tower. Other standard iternary includes the clock tower and shopping street such as the Tanuki-koji Arcade (狸�路). By the time we reached the end of 狸�路 , I already have another luggage to carry liao
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Caption : A typical Ramien shop in Sapporo
I chose to put up at Otaru for the night, which was 45mins away by train from Sapporo because it only cost only 1/2 the amount compared to Sapporo.
Tips to those who wants to do the DIY
- Do your homework. You need to plan way ahead. Read up about the the history and the places you want to visit, the means of transport to get there and the place you to put up for the night. That will give you an estimate budget you need for the trip.
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Caption: Otaru (�樽)- Shopping streets along the old warehouse
Otaru (meaning river running along the sandy beach) is a sleepy port city in the northwest of Saporro facing the Sea of Japan. This part of Otaru manage to keep most of its old building intact but given a new lease of life as a shopping streets. The place we put up for the night was previously a bank converted to a hotel.
Caption : A 2 km walk up the quiet road of Jigokuzaka (Hell Hill)
To the north of the train station is Jigokuzaka (Hell Hill). This stretch of hill is some 2km long with a 10 degree inclination upward. Now I know why it's call Jigokuzaka (Hell Hill). It didn't look far from the map but I got HELL from Mrs SevenEleven for recommending a walk there. But perhaps the real reason for calling it Hell Hill by the Otaruian is because the hill leads them to their University.
Caption : Otaru - Asahi Observatory - A splendid view of the port and Sea of Japan
We have to climb another 190m uphill (another 1 km walk) before reaching the Observatory Point where we were rewarded with a splendid view of Otaru Port and the Sea of Japan. In the evening, it was a stroll along the famous Otaru Canal (�樽�河) with those Victorian style street lamp.
Caption : A stroll along the Otaru Canal (�樽�河)
One mistake we made here was putting off our dinner till after 7.30pm because of the snacks along the shopping street, only to discover that every shops here closed from 7.30pm onward. I had intended to feast on the Jingisukan (a BBQ lamb in celebration for the defeat of the Ghengis Khan troops by the Kamakazi (God Wind)) but ended up walking very far away before finding a "German pub" that is still opened and sell food.
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Originally posted by Genie99a:
Hokkaido the rockmelon crazy price sia.... nihonjin sometimes really crazy lol.... they even have rockmelon kitkat lol....
yes....dead expensive. it cost SGD $92.60 each
. I could only afford a piece for $8 but they are very sweet indeed
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Caption : Otaru - Jigokuzaka - Forest trail
We got our rented car today from the Toyota Car Rental at Otaru and were on our way to Lake Toya. We decided to take the National Road (50 km/hr but free) instead of the Expressway (90km/hr but a need for toll fees) for various reasons. Firstly we were able to save on the toll fees and more importantly we wanted a scenic drive along the coast and into Niseko. Unfortunately, no snow mountains and nothing fantastic caught our eyes. To see Hokkaido completely, you need to see them with all 4 seasons.
Caption : Driving past Niseko, a world class ski resort but where are the snow mountain?
It was also the time to get used to the GPS system in the car. Because of our limited knowledge in the Japanese language, we had some difficulties using road names on the GPS initally, but got over it by using telephone numbers or postal code instead. That was really a breeze.
Caption : Farmland along Makkari
All the worries of driving on foreign land was soon gone. The traffic wasn't heavy and the GPS was working wonderfully. All the advance preparation helps and in less than 3 hours, we reached our destination.
Caption : Lake Toya (洞爺湖) - Fresh vegetables harvested directly from the farm behind the roadside stall for sale!!!
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zomg~
where's the picture of the food~~
TEH FOOOOOOODDDDD~~~~~~~
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Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
zomg~
where's the picture of the food~~
TEH FOOOOOOODDDDD~~~~~~~
I'm leaving the best to the last
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Originally posted by SevenEleven:
I'm leaving the best to the last
hoh gawd...I feel soooooo excited tat I scared I eat the monitor when I see the peektures of the food...
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Caption : Lake Toya (洞爺湖) - Shikotsu-Toya National Park (支ç¬�洞爷国立公å›)
Toya-ko or Lake Toya lies in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park and is a 10km diameter volcanic caldera lake. It is said to have never iced even in the winter when most of the other lakes in Hokkaido freezes. The water in the lake is almost transparent and in the middle of the lake lies an island Nakano-Shima that houses the Toya Lake Forest Museum.
Caption : Nakano-Shima, the island in the middle of Lake Toya
Toya-ko is a popular lakeside spa resort with numerous onsen surrounding it. Trout and smelt fishing is also a popular sport in the lake. Come! Enjoy yourself soaking among the piping hot onsen......... if you can take your mind off the 2 active volcanic mountains at the southern rim of the lake
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Caption : Morning walk along the shore of Toya-ko
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Caption : Showa Shinzan (æ˜å’Œæ–°å±±) - Shikotsu-Toya National Park
Shinzan literally means "new mountain" and this 398m volcanic lava dome was created by a series of strong earthquake between 1943 & 1945. As this was the period reigned by Emperor Hirohito during the Showa period, thus "Showa Shinzan".
Caption : The Story of Mr. Masao Mimatsu, Owner of Mt. Showa Shinzan
In 1943, a wheat field in the area began to experience rapid uplifting as the result of a sudden earthquake and this seismic event eventually changed into volcanic activity. As Japan was at war, supplies of food, camera film, paper, clothing and other items were very scarce, and therefore scientists lacked the resources to attempt to study this geologic phenomenon.
Mr. Masao Mimatsu, who served as the local postmaster of Sobetsu-cho at the time, watched the eruption very closely. Remembering the lesson he once learned that "Eruptions are the biggest opportunity for studying the interior of the Earth," he started to record all of the details of the volcanic activity on paper. He did his best to devote himself to the creative study of the volcanic dome that was being formed.
Caption : Bird-eyed view of Showa Shinzan from Mt Uzu (有ç� å±±)
Furthermore, in 1946 he bought up the land using all of his savings and became owner of the volcano. In 1948, his data was presented at the World Volcano Conference in Oslo, and his paper sketches were referred to as the "Mimatsu Diagram" and were highly praised by experts from around the world. In Japan as well, he was honored for his achievements and he received many awards including the First Hokkaido Cultural Award.
In 1977, he was able to witness the third eruption of Mt. Usuzan in his lifetime, however he unfortunately died of illness on December 8 the same year at the age of 89, without seeing the end of the eruptive event.
A memorial statue of Mr. Mimatsu was built at the foot of Mt. Usuzan reflecting his love for nature, and it is hoped that the statue will contribute to the protection of the mountain.
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I always enjoy reading 7-11 travelogue because he takes the trouble to explain and narrate
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Originally posted by elindra:
I always enjoy reading 7-11 travelogue because he takes the trouble to explain and narrate
Thanks
. I like to write what's on my mind before I forget them. -
Caption : Ginnuma Crater (银沼大ç�«å�£) - Mt Usu (有ç� å±±)
And if you think I'm frightening you about the active volcanco, let it be known to you that Mt Usu had erupted 4 times since the 1900s: 1910, 1944-1945, 1977 and the last time was 31 March 2000. Fortunately, we do not have to climb up Mt Usu as there is already a ropeway in placed. But if you want a closer look at the crater, you'll still have to put in some effort.
Caption : Mt. Usu Minamigairin (Southern Crater Rim) Nature Path - Mt Usu
If you really want to catch the best view of Ginnuma Crater (World largest volcanic crater), there's still a nature path from Mt Usu Observatory Platform to the Date-shi Crater Basin Viewing Platform some 1.1 km away. Thanks to the new path and steps that we are spared treking on the rough but that is still no easy piece of cake. We had to climb down the flight of steps before going up again.
Caption: The best picture we can manage
We were only half way (at the bottom of Mt Usu Observatory Platform) before giving up because Lady SevenEleven couldn't make it and the smart Mrs SevenEleven was waiting at the Mt Usu Observatory Platform, so no picture of Ginnuma Crater from the Date-shi Crater Basin Viewing Platform which was suppose to be a better view.
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Caption : River flowing from the Kimundo-no-taki (Kimundo Waterfall) - Lake Toya
While driving round the perimeter of the lake, we took a detour on a small road to look for the legendary waterfall. It is said that Kimundo waterfall is as it was during the primeval time. We drove on and on until the road ended and had to go on foot through the forest trail beside a small river. The surrounding was quiet and peaceful. We saw salmons swimming upstream and we could feel the nature surrounding until we came across a sign warning that bears are known to be found around here.
Caption : Kimundo-no-taki (Kimundo Waterfall) - Lake Toya
Salmons = Bears Food!!! That's when both Mrs SevenEleven and Lady SevenEleven becomes uneasy and wanted to turn back. Luckily another group of 3 girls came along looking for the same waterfall and together we braved on to look for the waterfall. Finally when we came to the end of the trail we saw the legend. All I can say is that we had braved the risk of being fed to the bears for this little waterfall.
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Caption : Cape Chikyu (地�岬) - Muroran(室兰)
We were supposed to drive to Noboribestu but we decided to detour a little to Muroran. Muroran city is an iron industrial city so there were plenty of iron factories but what we were looking for was this lighthouse at the end of this cliff.
Caption : Cape Chikyu Observatory
The observatory of Cape Chikyu at 174 metres, offers a paranomic view of Pacific Ocean and a 13 km of shoreline with cliffs over a 100 metres high. If you will to look at the horizon, the ocean seems to curve against the sky giving you the idea that Earth is round.
Caption: The Earth is indeed round!!!
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where are the makan pics huh ?
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Caption : Jigokudani - Hell Valley (地狱谷) - Noboribetsu (登別)
Noboribetsu is the most popular onsen resort in Hokkaido, boasting over 30 bathhouses clustered together along the narrow and winding street. The rejuvenating water for the onsen originates from the volcanic sulphurous "hell" above, offering onsen experience par excellence.
Caption : 我�入地狱�入地狱？With onsen experience par excellence, I wouldn't mind.
There are numerous "Hell Valley" in Japan but Noboribetsu would be considered the most authentic of them all. Not only did they have Jigokudani that look like a mountain on fire, they have successfully created HELL in the street; with iconic hell beings statue and streets name such as Hell Street 1..2..3 etc.
Caption : Hell Beings greeting you at the entrance to Jigokudani
Dai-ichi takimoto-kan the grand-daddy of all onsen, boasting some 15 different type of bath making it a "must visit" in Noboribetsu. From the "take off the skin" scorching soak to the "cryogenic freeze inducing" dip or from the "sulphurous medical" dip to the "skin and youth rejuvenating" soak, all to your desire.
Today stay was 3 times our daily budgeted room rates but the truly japanese ryokan style rooms complete with japanese tatami bedding, japanese snacks and the japanese style service (they knelt down, bow before sliding closed the door behind you) offers yet another experience.
Caption : Dai-ichi Takimoto-kan - A Japanese style garden overlooking our room window
All that being said, I found Dai-ichi takimoto-kan a little to commericalised and lacked the personal service (food was buffet styled and mass cooking feel) I received from the smaller Ming Shu and youth hostel. Even at 3 times our budgeted room rates, it was still the cheapest rate there, thus our room faced Jigokudani giving a great view in the day but a little choking at night when Jigokudani emits more sulphurous gases.
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Originally posted by Fatum:
where are the makan pics huh ?
frankly, we were abit cheapo and ate microwaved bentos from convenience stall at times but I can say we did really tasted the truly japanese style cooking at the Ming Shu. Pics a little bit later -
Originally posted by SevenEleven:
frankly, we were abit cheapo and ate microwaved bentos from convenience stall at times but I can say we did really tasted the truly japanese style cooking at the Ming Shu. Pics a little bit later
The cost of living there veri high lol so cheapo is understandable I woulda done the same. Did you go the nekkid spa? -
Caption : Oyunuma (大汤沼) - Noboribetsu
Oyunuma is a crater lake created by volcanic eruption. The highly sulphuric bubbly mud is about 50 degree hot. Flowing out of this lake is a river called Oyunumagawa which flows through the forest.
And if you hardworking and adventureous, Oyunumagawa reward you with a free natural foot bath if you hike along the forest trail where the river flows through.
Caption : Mt Hiyori - the active volcano
There's a walking trail to these observatory platform if you are game enough or you may drive to the lake for a closer look if you have a deep pocket (carpark fees is $7 per entry)
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edited
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Wah yer photography standard not bad sia lol.
I luv japanese culture haha and the people so polite too.... talk to them feel so embaressed haha
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Originally posted by Genie99a:
Wah yer photography standard not bad sia lol.
I luv japanese culture haha and the people so polite too.... talk to them feel so embaressed haha
I can definitely find some reasonable photos from the more than 2000 shots.....