I ran out of Shinkansen bullet trains after leaving Hakodate so took a Limited Express to Sapporo.
It was comfortable but three hours did seem long after the bullet trains!
My last train this trip, so feeling a bit sad.
Watching over his shoulder, but not any further ahead trying to read Japanese.
Sorry Sapporo, but you just aren’t that interesting.
I’m so glad I took the train north and stayed in Sendai and Hakodate, because I think it’s common to fly in.
Those cities had more interesting history – ancient and with western influence.
Sapporo was designed in the 1870’s with assistance from American experts in urban planning and agriculture. Japan was just opening up Hokkaido and wanted to emulate western powers.
So there are grid streets, but Sapporo does have an amazing green space that runs 13 blocks down the centre of town.
My brain was saturated and I was satisfied with just walking in a nice place.
Odari Park view from the Sapporo TV Tower.
Looking down another street towards the Nījō Ichiba (seafood market with blue roof) and Sōsei-gawa river.
The far end of Odari Park.
Olympic Rings monument built in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Winter Olympics. The scaffolding was still there, but the shroud from the day before had been removed.
The annual flower show was on. There were displays that people could vote on, and greenhouse sales.
Flower carpets were started at 10:00 Tuesday as I was walking by!
Sapporo Clock Tower (1878) is the oldest in Japan.
Tanuki-kōji shopping arcade was seven blocks long, and a great way to get out of the sun. And rain.
Sapporo Train Station was surrounded by high end shopping.
Trams. Old and new.
The ‘famous’ Nikka whiskey man at Suzukino Crossing in the neon entertainment area. Shades of Osaka.
Little place away from the tourist area for my tsukemen (dipping noodles) with spicy sesame soup.
Government building with nice ponds.
University Botanical Gardens with a Canadian Rock Garden (2001) to commemorate the partnership with University of British Columbia.
Sweet baby foxes were nice. Bears not so welcome, but they do have quite a few here.
At the airport
So farewell Japan.
And back to Seoul.
I don’t usually go back to places, so it was a treat to know where I was.
City Hall and the Library looked very different with the fencing down.
There was a huge ‘outdoor library’ with couches.
An old gate with a new traffic circle around it.
Very Seoul.
Deoksunung Palace
Always lots of police presence around national monuments.
Tourist Information booth
Mobile tourist information
Lively singers
More shopping and eating
Hotteok, a rice flour pancake oozing with molten brown sugar and cinnamon, were my favourite.
A touch of Canada! 🇨🇦
So it’s time to head back to Canada.
It’s been a great trip with six weeks each in South Korea and Japan.
It’s easy travel. Clean. Safe. Well connected by public transport but need to understand the system.
It is always good to get home and relax. Plan the next trip!