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part 1 |
Thursday 15 May 2025
We leave home at 10 a.m. and take the metro to Central Station. We
catch the IC Direct at 10:41 to Schiphol. The train is on time. After
checking in our luggage, we go straight through security. In the
backpack there was a small pocketknife that hadn’t been noticed on
earlier trips. Now it’s gone.
We have lunch and head to the gate. Boarding for our KLM flight begins
at 13:20, and we depart on time at 14:05. We’re served our Indonesian
meal first, but after that, things slow down. We have enough legroom,
but sleeping is still difficult. We arrive at Narita Airport in Tokyo at
10:30 local time. Immigration goes quickly and the bags show up within
five minutes. Then through customs. I need to collect the activation
code for my Mobal eSIM.
After showing my passport, I receive it. With Mobal, you not only get a
data allowance, but also a Japanese phone number when presenting your
passport. Mobal is the only provider that offers this.
We head downstairs to the train station and take the Keisei Skyliner at 11:39. It gets us to Ueno in 40
minutes. From Keisei Ueno station, it’s a 5-minute walk to the Matsui Garden hotel. The hotel’s location opposite
Ueno station is ideal for us. The room is very small, which is common in
Japan, especially Tokyo. The bed is against the wall and there’s little
space for the suitcases. It’s oppressively warm in Tokyo—cloudy and
25°C. We’re very tired. We rest and nap a little.
Afterward, I buy a few things at 7Eleven and withdraw cash there too. Seven Bank
charges lower fees than other ATMs. We’d been warned beforehand that
Japan still relies heavily on cash, but that turns out to be a bit
exaggerated. Most places accept credit or debit cards. In convenience
stores like 7-Eleven and Family Mart, you can even pay with your transport
card (Suica, Pasmo, iCoCa—more on that later). Only small family-run
shops don’t accept those. Later, we get something to eat at a small
eatery (Yayoiken) around the corner. You place your order on a screen
and the food and drinks are brought to the table. It tastes great and
isn’t expensive. Then back to the hotel. We shut down for the night at
half past eight."
Weather in Tokyo: 25°C, cloudy
Saturday 17 May 2025
We get up at 8:15. Breakfast is a savoury affair—everything is warm, g
rilled,
or boiled: vegetables, meat, shrimp, soup. A solid start to the day.
After breakfast, we have coffee at Andersen in Ueno Station before
walking through the rain to the National Nationaal Museum of Tokio. There's a long
line for tickets. We buy admission for the permanent collection (¥1000
per person). The exhibition showcases the highlights of Japanese art
through the ages—beautiful decorative and figurative pieces. Tapestries,
folding screens, drawings, manuscripts, samurai weapons and armor,
clothing, and even some Western-style art from the 19th century.
Spacious and pleasantly cool inside. After the museum, we enjoy a drink
on a covered terrace before heading back to the hotel.
In the afternoon, we walk from the hotel to the street market.
Underneath the railway viaducts, there’s a lively daily market with many
food stalls. Originally, after the war, mostly candy was sold
here—brought by American occupation forces. These days, you can buy
almost anything. Vendors are very loud and the crowd is thick. In the
evening, we dine at an izakaya near the hotel. Simple but tasty Japanese
food. Then back to the hotel.
🌧️ Weather: rain, 23°C
Sunday18 May 2025
🍽️ We have another savoury breakfast at the hotel. At 9:30, we check
out and cross the street to the station. The Shinkansen tracks are three
levels underground. For this train journey, we’ve purchased a
six-day JR East and South Hokkaido rail pass for ¥35,370. 
Reservations are
mandatory for the Shinkansen to Hakodate, but they're free. I booked the
pass and seat reservations online (maximum one month before the first
travel day), and picked them up at a ticket machine at the station using
a QR code and passport. There are other regional passes for multiple
days, which are sometimes cheaper than buying individual tickets. The
national JR rail pass has become so expensive that it's no longer
worthwhile.
We buy a bento box for the ride. The JR East train departs precisely at
10:51, just two minutes after arriving. Before we’ve properly settled,
we’re already speeding northward. Speeds reach between 250 and 300 km/h.
The train makes six brief stops, and we pass through an 85-kilometer
rail tunnel between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. At 15:01, we
arrive at Shin-Hokkaido Station, where the Shinkansen line currently
ends. The extension to Sapporo has been delayed until after 2030. We
transfer to a local train to Hakodate and arrive there fifteen minutes
later. We walk to Hotel
& Spa Century Marine—a lovely hotel with a view of the harbor.
🍣 In the evening, we dine at Kantore Sushi Restaurant on Hakodate’s ocean side,
getting there by taxi. Many taxis are very old Toyota Crown
models—nearly as old as the drivers themselves. The driver opens the
left rear door remotely from the dashboard, and the streetside rear door
is off-limits. The drivers wear white gloves, which takes some getting
used to. At the restaurant, we sit around the kitchen and are
boisterously welcomed by the staff. We order using an iPad, and the food
is served incredibly fast. The sushi is delicious—some pieces so spicy
they bring tears to our eyes. Then it’s back to the hotel by taxi.
🛁 I finish the evening with a bath in the onsen on the 14th floor. An
onsen is a thermal bath that uses water from volcanic sources. Men and
women are separated, and everyone bathes nude. But first, you wash and
shower thoroughly while sitting on a stool. The bath is for
relaxation—not for getting clean. Silence is observed in the onsen. On
the 15th floor, there’s even an outdoor relaxing pool under the open
sky. Absolutely lovely.
🌥️ Weather: Cloudy, 25°C in Tokyo, 16°C in Hakodate
Monday 19 May 2025
🍳 We don't for breakfast until 8:30, since the hotel warned that
between 7 and 8:30 it's rush hour in the restaurant. We're allowed in
fairly quickly, though it's still quite busy. There's a huge variety of
options, but nothing European. Lots of hot food: meat, fish, pasta, and
even Indonesian rendang and ayam.
🚋 After breakfast, we take the tram
to the Old Red Brick Warehouses. You can pay for the tram with
an IC card, Japan’s public transport smart card system. Each region has
its own version—Suica in eastern Japan, Pasmo in Tokyo, and Kitaca in Hokkaido—but they all work the same way
across the country. The only difference is if you want to get a refund
for unused balance, which you can only do at the issuing company. It is
worth mentioning tha the card is valid for ten years. You can buy them
at train and subway stations, load money onto them via machines, and use
them by tapping in and out at the validator or sometimes just by tapping
in only. Cash payment is sometimes possible on buses and trams, but
involves hassle with coins or bills and most of the time the machine
doesn’t give change. iPhone users can preload Suica, Pasmo or ICOCA
cards into their digital wallet, even before arriving in Japan, and top
up the balance via Apple Pay — super convenient. For Android users, this
only works with devices purchased in Japan.
🏛️ The Red Brick Warehouses are 19th-century harbor warehouses built
when Hakodate became one of four Japanese ports open to international
trade. Before that, only the Dutch had trading rights through Dejima
near Nagasaki. These warehouses now house shops and restaurants. We have
coffee there and buy a souvenir.
🏘️ Next, we explore the Motomachi district. Steep streets are
lined with grand 19th-century wooden houses. This area also features
several churches built for foreign residents of that time—a Roman
Catholic church, a Russian Orthodox church, and an Anglican church. All
three are open to visitors.
☕ We have coffee in a smoky little café (!) and then return to the
hotel. After a break, we head out to eat at Lucky Pierrot Burgers—a legendary spot in
Hakodate. Their hamburgers are served in wildly decorated restaurants.
There are seventeen locations in the city, each one uniquely and
clownishly themed. It’s a filling lunch!
🛁 In the afternoon, we soak in 
the onsen
at the hotel with a view over the city.
🌆 Dinner takes us to Daimon Yokocho, a cozy alley filled with tiny
restaurants known as yatai. We randomly pick a place run by someone from
Myanmar. The beer menu is pan-Asian and the food covers much of East
Asia. We each order a house specialty.
🚠 Afterward, we take a taxi to the Ropeway
(cable car), which brings us to the summit of Mt. Hakodate in
just three minutes. It's said to be the most stunning view in
Japan—especially in the evening—over the narrow strip of land between
the bay and the ocean on which the city is built. It’s extremely crowded
and we have to work hard to find a good spot.
🚋 Return by tram.
🌞 Weather: sunny and 16°C
Tuesday 20 May 2025
Het is weer druk bij het ontbijt. Na het ontbijt nemen we de tram naar het Museum van de Noordelijke Volkeren. Voordat de Japanners het eiland Hokkaido volledig koloniseerden in de 18e eeuw, woonden hier voornamelijk Aino, een volk dat verwantschp heeft met volkeren in Siberië en op de Aleoeten, de eilandenrij tussen Siberië en Alaska. De kolonisatie heeft de Aino geen goed gedaan. Ze werden volledig gemarginaliseerd. Pas in 2008 werden ze wettelijk erkend als apart volk met eigen cultuur, taalen religie. Het museum bestaat sinds 2003 en toont de geschiedenis en diverse aspecten van de Aino cultuur door foto’s, voorwerpen, video’s en verhalen.
Daarna nemen we de tram en de bus naar Goryokaku-park. Hier stond eind 19e eeuw een fort dat Japan tegen de Russen moest verdedigen. In 1905 raakten Japan en Rusland echt slaags en won Japan. Van het fort zijn slechts de muren en de slotgracht over. Het middenterrein is nu een park en enkele gebouwen zijn gereconstrueerd. De vijfhoekige vorm van het fort is goed te zien vanaf de 80 meter hoge uitzichttoren naast het park. Hoewel het populaire seizoen van de kersenbloesem wel voorbij is, staan hier nog een paar bomen in bloei, al zal dat niet lang meer duren.
We gaan terug naar het hotel. In de middag ga ik nog naar Motomashi park. Motomashi is de meest karakteristieke wijk van Hakodate met veel houten 19e eeuwse huizen, gebouwd na de openstelling van Hakodate voor buitenlandse schepen. Het oude Britse consulaat, dat dienst deed tot 1934 is nu een museum, net als de Public Hall ernaast, die een mooi uitzicht geeft op de haven.
’ s Avonds gaan we nog een keer naar Kantore Sushi en genieten van het heerlijke en uitgebreide assortiment.
Weer: zonnig, 16 graden
Wednesday 21 May 2025
🕗 On Wednesday, we take the Hakuto Limited Express toward Sapporo, departing at 8:56. It's not a local train, but still makes quite a few stops before reaching Noboribetsu at 11:28. From there, we take a taxi to our hotel in Noboribetsu Onsen. We can't access the room yet, but we’re able to check in. Shoes must be removed—they’re kept safe by the concierge. The hotel offers both Western and Japanese-style rooms. In Japanese rooms, there’s a tatami floor and you sleep on a futon mattress laid directly on the floor. There’s a low table with cushions instead of chairs.
🍜 We walk 10 minutes into town and eat at a ramen shop. Simple,
but tasty food. This
little mountain village revolves entirely around its thermal springs.
All the hotels draw their onsen water from these sources. A faint
sulfur smell—like rotten eggs—is always present, though not
unpleasant.
🔥 We walk to the viewing platform overlooking Jigokudani—the “Valley of Hell.” The valley resembles a lunar landscape, pocked with vents from which steam escapes. It’s a dramatic sight. From here, a short trail leads to another view, this time over Lake Oyunuma—a volcanic, deep blue lake that bubbles and steams. It’s a stunning view from above. We return to the hotel, where the room is now ready. The porter greets us and collects our shoes. On the fourth floor, another staff member escorts us to our room and soon after, serves Japanese green tea.
🛁 Later in the afternoon, we enjoy the hotel’s onsen. It’s small but filled with natural spring water, heated to around 40°C. Since it’s outdoors, it’s called a rotemburo. (Japanese have a word for everything!) A thermal bath with tap water, by contrast, is called a sento. After about 30 minutes of steaming, we head back upstairs.
🍶 We order a sake tasting to accompany dinner, which is served in our room shortly afterward. It’s elaborate—so much that it doesn’t quite fit on the table, which is designed for Japanese body proportions and quite low for us. Erik opts for the beef version of the kaiseki meal, while I choose fish. I receive generous portions of sashimi: cod, salmon, shrimp, and tuna, along with some grilled fish. Two pots are placed on a burner—one with rice, one with hotpot. Erik sears his meat at the table and even gets beef sashimi. It’s all delicious, but a lot to eat. We finish with dessert: strawberry bavarois and jelly.
🌤️ Weather: partly cloudy with sunny intervals, 15°C
Thursday 22 May 2025
🍱 Breakfast is once agai
n served in our
room—varied and generous. After eating, we take the shuttle bus to the
station. At the station, a railway staff member informs us we can take
an earlier train to Sapporo, saving half an hour. The ticket clerk
updates our seat reservations. Once in Sapporo, it takes a moment to
find the JR
Inn hotel—it’s close to the station, but we initially head in the
wrong direction. Unfortunately, early check-in isn’t possible; our room
won't be ready until 3:00 p.m.
☕ We enjoy a coffee at the station’s Starbucks before taking the metro
to Odori, a wide boulevard in the city center. Here we find the Sapporo
TV Tower—a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower. From its
observation deck at 90 meters, we get a decent view, although surrounded
by taller buildings. We have lunch in a department store along the
boulevard.
🕰️ After lunch, I visit the built in 1878. It’s the only
surviving structure from the agricultural college that once stood here.
The tower’s namesake clock, installed by E. Howard & Co of Boston,
has been running since 1881. It’s now the oldest working clock in Japan.
🌃 In the evening, we head to the Susukino district—Sapporo's
entertainment hub. The area is lined with neon lights, nightclubs,
restaurants, and bars. It’s noticeably colder now, with a sharp wind
blowing through the streets. The intersection of Sapporo Ekimae Dori and
Tsukasimi Dori glows with the largest and liveliest signs.
🍜 We make our way to Ramen Alley, a narrow tunnel beneath an office
building filled with ramen shops. We choose one called Noodle and order
from a vending machine. Erik gets white ramen with extra egg; I go for
the black ramen with bamboo shoots. It’s tasty, and pairs perfectly with
a cold Sapporo beer.
🌥️ Weather: variable cloud with sunny spells, 16°C
Friday 23 May 2025
🥣 The breakfast at JR Inn Sapporo is a stark contrast to what
we’ve had so far—especially compared to Noboribetsu. Tiny bread rolls
with a bit of jam and some yogurt. That’s all we get. After breakfast
and coffee, we walk to the Botanical Garden of Sapporo Univ
ersity. It was established in 1886 and
designed by Professor Myabe Lingo. Beautifully landscaped, it holds a
large collection of trees and plants—including the oldest lilac in
Japan.
👚 Later, we head to the Damairu department store next to the station to buy a blouse for me. It’s a large and upscale store featuring all the global brands, but I’m looking for something Japanese. I settle on a blouse by Takeo Kikuchi. We have lunch at one of the Daimaru restaurants. At the entrance we’re informed that all the meat is ox tongue. That’s fine by us—it tastes great.
🍺 In the afternoon, we take a taxi to the Sapporo Brewery and Museum. The brewery was founded in 1876. While Sapporo beer is brewed in other places too, there are still two breweries located here. The free exhibition ends at a tasting room. I try a tasting set, Erik goes for a non-alcoholic brew.
🌤️ Weather: partly cloudy with sunshine, 15°C
Saturday 24 May 2025
🥐 After another modest breakfast, we order a taxi using the Japanese
Go app. Uber does exis
t in Japan, but it’s not very
popular. Go taxis never keep you waiting long. You can input your
destination in the app, which avoids tricky communication with the
driver.
🚙 The taxi takes us to Nippon-rent-a-car,, where we pick up a Toyota
Yaris Cross. Our first stop is Moerenuma Park, about 10 km from
downtown Sapporo. At the entrance, bicycles are available for rent, but
we don’t yet realize how vast the park is—so we leave the bikes and
explore on foot. We cross a bridge and discover two enormous hills and a
glass pyramid. The pyramid is free to enter, but the large interior
space doesn’t have a clear purpose. There is a (closed) restaurant on
the ground floor, and the observation deck is accessible via elevator.
🎨 The park is dotted with artworks, including a large fountain that is
activated several times a day. There’s also a baseball stadium, a tennis
court, and plenty of space for locals to relax—or break a sweat, with
inline skates for instance.
☕ We grab coffee at the park cafeteria and then drive north to Furano,
arriving after a little over two hours. Lunch is at Shirona, a specialty
restaurant known for gyoza—Japanese dumplings filled with chicken.
Delicious!
💧 Later in the afternoon, we head to Biei and visit the nearby.
This stunning pond glows with an almost unreal shade of blue. The color
comes from aluminum compounds in the water that reflect blue light from
the sun—the water itself isn’t actually blue. The pond was created to
help prevent landslides from Mount Tokachi. The aluminum originates from
the Shiragahige Waterfall. Fun fact: the Blue Pond was featured in a
2012 desktop wallpaper on Apple's iMac! Snow-covered peaks rise
majestically in the background.
🌞 Weather: sunny, 18°C
Sunday 25 May 2025
🌧️ It’s raining when we wake up—and it’ll continue all day. Today
we’re served a "Western" breakfast—at least what the Japanese imagine
Western to be. There’s one very small bread roll, plus soup, salad,
scrambled eggs, sausages, and a few other items. It’s filling enough.
🚗 After checking out, we drive through the rain to Kumifurano, to the
Flowerland fa
rm. Fields full of colorful
flowers are usually grown here, but they’re not visible yet. The rain
makes it all feel a bit dreary. In a large barn we grab a coffee and
browse some knick-knacks in the gift shop—but we don’t linger long.
🌸 Next, we head to Tomita
Farm. This place operates on a more professional level—with a
proper cafeteria, shops, and most importantly: flowers already in bloom.
It’s much more cheerful, even in the rain.
🍴 Afterward, we drive back to Sapporo, stopping at a roadside
restaurant for lunch. Around 1:30 p.m., we return the car and by 2:00
p.m. we’re on the train to Otaru. It’s a kind of commuter rail
(S-Bahn), and it’s quite crowded. After a few stops, we manage to sit
down. In 40 minutes, we arrive in Otaru.
🏨 A taxi takes us to Hotel Furukawa,
located on the Otaru Canal. It’s a special
hotel—dated, but charmingly so. The first three floors are classical,
with a newer construction above. Our room is on the third floor, with a
balcony overlooking the canal.
🍺 In the evening, we eat at the Otaru Beer Garden, housed in a former
warehouse along the canal. It’s styled like a German beer hall—complete
with Schlager music. We order a large beer, a currywurst, and a
schnitzel. It’s close to the German original—but not quite. The food is
delivered by a robot.
🛁 After dinner, we soak in the hotel’s onsen.
🌧️ Weather: rain, 12°C
Monday 26 May 2025
🍱 Today we’re served another t
raditional
Japanese breakfast with a wide selection of warm dishes—along with fresh
milk and yogurt. After breakfast, we set out to find a barber. Google
Maps leads us to a location that barely qualifies as a barber shop—it
reeks of cat urine and is cluttered with junk. Unbelievable! We leave
quickly. Just 300 meters away, we find a proper barber: an older man and his wife. My hair is
trimmed with great care and precision to 1 mm. My eyebrows are tidied
up, and my ears are shaved with a razor-sharp blade. Then comes a
shampoo wash (admittedly unnecessary given the current hair situation),
and surprisingly, it’s done leaning forward over the basin—not backward!
Yet another new experience.
🏛️ After the haircut, we walk to the museum of the National Bank of Japan, housed in a
former branch office in Otaru. It’s an impressive building detailing the
BoJ's history from 1871 to today. The museum explains the central bank’s
role and displays examples of every banknote the BoJ has ever issued. A
digital display shows the amount of yen currently in circulation: around
124 trillion yen. Eventually, we pass through a 30 cm-thick vault door
and enter the safe itself. Inside, you can lift a bundle of bills worth
100 million yen—it weighs about 10 kilograms.
🦀 Lunch is in a cluster of small eateries near the hotel called
Denuki-koji. Not cheap, but the ingredients are top-notch—crab, salmon
roe, sea urchin, and eel. The owner asks where we're from and is
surprised when I answer in Japanese.
🎨 After lunch, I visit the House of Western Art. The collection leans
heavily toward Art Nouveau glasswork, with many Gallé pieces. There are
also stained glass windows, Roman-style mosaics, and rooms decorated in
Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Upstairs, there’s a collection of
Meissen porcelain.
🚢 In the late afternoon, we take a taxi to the ferry terminal to board
our Shin Nihonkai
Ferry to Niigata. Embarkation begins at 16:14. With our QR code,
we pass straight through to the walkway. We’ve booked a luxurious
outside cabin with a balcony—a spacious room with a seating area.
Compared to European ferries, the onboard amenities are limited: a
restaurant, a snack bar, an arcade, and a small shop. There is, however,
a sento (thermal bath), including an outdoor soaking pool.
🍽️ Dinner is at 6 p.m. Ordering is done via a tablet interface—entirely
in Japanese but with helpful images. Combined with our translation app,
we manage just fine. After dinner, I visit the sento. The highlight is
soaking in a hot bath under the open sky while out at sea. As always,
men and women bathe strictly separately.
🌦️ Weather: rain and a cold wind, 9°C. In the afternoon, the rain stops
and the sun breaks through.
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