Sapporo Snow Festival 2018
______________________________________________________Exploring Sapporo Snow Festival 20188 - 12 February 2018 Hokkaido is an island at Japan’s northern extremity, also least developed of Japan’s four main islands. During winter, Hokkaido is blessed with plenty of powder snow and it’s unspoiled nature has attracted many skiers and snowboarders.  Airlines : Airasia ( Kuching - Kuala Lumpur) Airasia X ( Kuala Lumpur - New Chitose Airport, Sapporo) Kuching - Kuala Lumpur(KLIA 2) - New Chitose Airport, Sapporo. Air Asia flies direct to Sapporo, so it is the best and cheapest way to travel to Sapporo. Accommodation: Century Royal Sapporo Itinerary Day 1
Flight 7.45pm Kuching-Kuala Lumpur. reached Kuala Lumpur and collected Wiyo Pocket Wifi at KLIA2.
Flight KL- Sapporo at 11.20pm. Gate Q22, KLIA 2.
Day 2
Landed at New Chitose Airport at 7.50am. Arrival was at Level 2, Immigration check was quite fast.
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Snow White of Sapporo from the plane.
Taking JR train to Sapporo Station costs 1070Yen. Ticket can be purcahsed from the ticket machine.
View along to way to Sapporo Station, around 40 minutes ride.
At the end of Odori Park is TV Tower.
This is the view from TV Tower.
Just below the TV TOwer, there was an ice skating rim druing the Snow Festival Week.
Lunch at Stellar Palace (shopping mall at Sapporo JR Station)
Hanamaru Sushi,Lot 21, Located at level 6,
My waiting time for my turn was around 1 hour 30 minutes. waited from 12.15noon and got my seat around 1.30pm. Surprisingly, they called quite fast. It was worth waiting.
Interesting working culture at the restaurant, one sushi man will ask question using microphone and the rest of the staff answered simultaneusly. This is done repetitively by different person. It makes the working environment so lively and everybody work so fast and efficiently.
 
After rest after heavy lunch, next trip is visit to Sapporo Beer Museum. Hotel staff advised me to take cab from the hotel. Sapporo Beer Museum slightly away from my hotel. Taking cab from in front of Royal sapporo Hotel to Sapporo Beer Museum (1050Yen), around 10 minutes ride.
Reached the museum around 4.45pm and had museum tour and beer tasting at the end of the tour.
Hokkaido is the birthplace of beer in Japan. Sapporo Beer, one of the oldest and most popular beer brands in the country, has been brewed in Sapporo since 1877.  
outside of the Beer Museum.
   
Beer Tasting Hall
Next to the Sapporo Beer Museum, there are few restaurant. I went to a Kessel Hall for Eat and Drink Buffet. 
Having Genghis Khan Dinner after museum tour. The Dinner was at Kessel Hall.
Eat and Drink as you can ( around 4200 Yen)
    
After another heavy meal for a day, back to Sapporo Station, and walk to Odori park to see Snow festival at night.
Outside of Sapporo Station
Performance at Odori Park
one of the performance stages.
many Ice sculptures.
Food Feast ar Odori Park.
Day 3
Wake up early and see morning view from 13th floor of Hotel Room.
Buffet breakfast at Hotel Restaurant 'Yuuyoo Terrace' . Varieties of selection of Japanese and continental breakfast.
  
Cak
es plater 
Champange and fruit
After Buffet breakfast at the Hotel, getting my way to Sapporo Station. Taking JR train to Otaru ( 290Yen)
the train journey took 40 minutes.9.30am from Sapporo Station and reached Otaru around 10.15am. Otaru is a city surrounded by sea. Previously was a port .
    
Near Minami-Otaru Station
In Otaru, walk along sakaimachi Street, Steam clock, Music Box Museum, Seafood shops along the street. Very heavy snow when I was at Otaru. temperature was around -3'C.
Steam Clock , just steaming at 12 noon. Snow started to fall and very cold.
Music Boxes
Otaru city ( along sakaimaichi street)
Clearing snow on top of the roof.
   
on the way to Otaru Canal.
Background of Otaru canal.
Otaru Canal.
Brick Building
  Outside of Sankaku Market , fresh seafood.  
Snow Crab lunch at Sankaku Market ( next to the Otaru Station) before heading back to Sapporo.
Otaru Station
Taking JR train from Otaru -to Sapporo around 3pm and stopped at Starbuck Cafe inside Kinokuniya Bookstore. Building attached to Royal Century Hotel.
Adding my mug and tumbler collections.
 Brief walk to ESTA mall , on the east side of Sapporo Station/ Went to BIC to see G-Shock watch collection.  Managed to get this latest collection of G Shock.  Along the way back to hotel, passing through Daimaru. A lot of food and drinks at the basement.     Day 4Started the journey early. It is also a snowy morning.    
at the entrance of Sapporo Station.
Taking Subway ( Nomboku LIne from Sapporo Subway station to Makomanai Station) passing through all station until the end.
At makomanai Subway station, and getting a bus to Takino Suzuran HIllpark. At Platform 2. The Bus platform is on the left side after exiting from the subway..
440yen per person and stopped at the last point of the bus ( Takino Suzuran Hillside Park). 
At the entrance of Takino Suzuran Hillpark.
      
View on the way back to Makomanai Station .
taking 1 pm bus. (last bus is at 3.28om). From Makomanai station to Sapporo station (290 Yen), But I stopped at Susukino , which is 2 stations before Sapporo Station. Susukino is a modern types of shop areas and also one of the sapporo Snow Fsetival site.  
BIllboard at Susukino area
   
Tanikinoji Shopping Arcade
Snowy Former Goverment Building, on the back back to the HOtel.
Night view outside sapporo station
Nice decoration at Daimaru
Day 5
Early morning check out and walk to sapporo Station to get the first train to New Chitose Airport.
 
At New Chitose Airport before boarding.
 It was a great, short and sweet trip. Interesting and packed. Will come again to Sapporo. Sayonara! |
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