We found out yesterday morning that Jack and Gretchen’s flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis was cancelled due to maintenance. After almost an hour of figuring out an alternate plan they were rebooked to fly through Canada to get home. They showed up to the airport to find out that flight was oversold and they would have to stay in Tokyo for another 2 nights. Fortunately, Jack was able to re-re- book a last minute flight through LA that night to get home on Monday night.
Pretty sure eat, drink, and be merry is the best way to describe our first day in Sapporo. The first stop was to check out the fish market which was within walking distance of the hostel. Nothing too special just that there were a lot of options on what to eat. We chose one that had a large variety on their menu posted in front. My priority was to get Joanna to eat good sea urchin and for me to get grilled mackerel (I love the crispy skin, oily flavor, and firm flaky meat). Joanna wanted a scallop as big as her hand. Our total meal came out to be about $20 per person which was pretty good for very very fresh seafood.
We did everything by walking, they were expecting about an inch of snow during the morning. I was a little worried with being too cold and walking around but we discovered they have miles of outdoor covered sidewalks and underground walkways. Really convenient given the weather conditions.
I noticed a bunch of girls dressed in really elaborate kimonos and guys wearing suits walking around in groups during the day. Joanna found out it’s “Coming of Age Day” which is a national Japanese holiday. Wikipedia can explain better than me:
It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached the age of majority (20 years old (二十歳 hatachi?)) over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adults. Festivities include coming of age ceremonies(成人式 seijin-shiki?) held at local and prefectural offices, as well as after-parties among family and friends.
I guess with the low birthrate in the country, this holiday has become more important than ever. One thing I love about travel is the privilege of experiencing other people’s daily lives as they go out and about. It’s just really cool to see how different things are compared to what I’m used to at home.
We killed time until the next meal at the JR tower which is just a 10 floor shopping mall near Sapporo station. Turns out there’s an entire marketplace of prepared food. Cakes, Ice cream, and grilled meats galore. I told Joanna that I hoped heaven looked like this and hopefully with free samples.
Hokkaido prides itself with its quality of milk. Over the day we split 3 ice cream cones which were very creamy and flavorful.We also got an assortment of cookies from Aunt Stella’s cookies. My favorite was the raisin almond, Joanna liked the milk tea flavored cookie.
After several hours of window shopping and snacking it was time to eat dinner haha. When you’re in Sapporo you have to go to to the Sapporo Beer Garden. We ate at Kessel Hall which used to be where they produced beer and ordered a local dish called Genghis Khan, grilled lamb with veggies. I had the option to get unlimited Genghis Kahn and unlimited Sapporo beer for $47 but I didn’t want to push it :p
You cook the food yourself and they provide you with a plastic bag to put your jacket in so it doesn’t smell like meat. The meat was tender and delicious, I loved the dipping sauce it came with, and everything paired really well with the beer we ordered. I also got the 5 star draft which is only available here but I didn’t think it was anything special since I’m not a regular beer drinker.
I really love it here in Sapporo. I think I like it better than Tokyo actually. It’s Japan’s 4th largest city so it’s not as crowded, I think I can get everything here that I can in Tokyo plus the local Hokkaido stuff (ice cream!), things are slightly cheaper here, and I’m totally in love with how much snow they get. I will definitely have to consider coming back here, but for now, we’ll just have to keep finding tasty things to eat.
