Wednesday, July 22, 2015

# Hokkaido Trip in Summer ♪ 4 days 3 nights Road Trip to Sapporo and Otaru- DAY 2 Otaru





# Hokkaido Trip in Summer ♪ 4 days 3 nights Road Trip to Sapporo and Otaru
 DAY 2 Otaru


A road trip to Hokkaido in the early June
Fulfilling four days, it is hard to express everything in words
so we are here to share with you all the photos!!!

You can check the overview of our trip here↓


Day 1 of our trip

From Sapporo to Otaru

Day 2 
Hello, Otaru!


 ▲ Canal Town, Otaru

40-min by JR express train from Sapporo
or 40-min ride by rental car!
We arrived Otaru!
The port of Hokkaido Modernization. 
Like a beautiful painting in general.
Beautiful sea, delicious food.
And the movie scene for us to memorize.

[From Sapporo to Otaru]
Train:  JR airport express directly to JR Otaru Station (Fare 640 yen)
Rental car: Take the highway west from Sapporo to Otaru IC, approximately 40km (about 45 minutes, toll fare 800 yen)
Take that State Road, along the National Highway 5, about 70 minutes



▲ Delicious to practice!

Breakfast after the first day stay at the Best Western Fino Sapporo.
Restaurant located on the 14th floor on the top, which can overview Sapporo Station.
Before heading to the next destination, let's have some food to recharge energy!



▲ thinking to move towards Otaru ~

After check out, 
let's get started!
Along the National Highway, we are heading to Otaru!!!
Nice drive!



▲ On the way to Otaru

How wise to choose to take the national road!
Green nature, sea, railway, train and roofs of the house.
What a nice landscape!
Let's leave a piece by pressing the shutter of the camera
and keep it in the heart as well!
What a beautiful memory in Hokkaido!




▲ JR Otaru Station

Otaru Station, the main traffic!
Busy bus traffic! Plenty of pedestrians and tourists.

How do we arrange the schedule of the Otaru travel?

Otaru Station>> Otaru City Hall >> Otaru Canal >> Sakai-machi
>> Music Box >> LeTAO >> posei bowl rice (lunch) >> Back to Otaru Canal >> Hotel

Okay!! First, let us take a look at Otaru Station!



▲ Inside Otaru Station

Hokkaido earliest pier opened as the first trading port.
After the railway opened in Sapporo, 
it was as the outport of Sapporo and "Ishikari carbon field," the port of loading.
Trading with Russia Sakhalin gradually flourished the town of Otaru.

Otaru has become one of the representative trading centers in Hokkaido!
Here is JR Sapporo Otaru Station!



▲ "Glass Lamp" of Otaru Station 

Glass lamp were decorated everywhere in the station!
In 1987, the station master of Otaru considered to make something as the decorative features of  Otaru.
Afterwards, "Kitaichi," a glass company has donated 108 glass lamps!
Therefore, glass lamp has become the symbol of Otaru.

Later, in early 1999, additional glass lamps were received!
Now there are 333 glass lamps in Otaru station.



▲ Tourist Map & Roadmap in front of the station

Looking at the ultra-practical map,
we decided to take a walk from Otaru Canal to Sakai-machi!
And returned to the hotel after reaching LaTAO!

How simple is the route of Otaru travel.
Let's check the map!

But before the start of our Otaru travel,
we had a place wanted to visit!!




Otaru City Hall

A Japanese masterpieces of director Shunji Iwai 
"Love Letter" 
Do you remember the scene in hospital?
It was filmed at the 2F of Otaru City Hall!

Even it has passed for so many years, 
there are still many tourists from around the world to visit!
Flashback to your own memories!!
Glad that photography is allowed.




▲ Do you remember?

In a stark contrast to the silver world,
what a 
Poignant but strong stained-glass windows.

Wanna write a love letter again!




▲ Architecture that recalls our memory

This corridor is
Oh!!! The shadow was found from the staggered of light and dark!

It was done, the thought that we have been longing for so long!
Okay!! Let's get started again!! 
Our journey!


Otaru Canal

Nowadays, Otaru has already well-developed into a successful trading port!
This Otaru Canel was built for unloading goods in the period of 1914-1923.
40m wide and 1.3km long.
Once, it was just for boats to moving back and forth.
But then, since the transformation of the surrounding environment in 1986,
it has now become the representative sightseeing spot of Otaru!

Beautiful sight at night along the canal,
made us feel like we have entered a town in France!
From warehouse to restaurant, glass crafts museum and a variety of antique shops,
which gave Otaru all new unique impression.


▲ Old-fashioned...
Climbing vines in the whole building. It still stood besides the canal and brought the new life to this romantic and exotic Otaru!
Let's take a walk then!


▲ A walk at Sakai-machi

Walk along the canal, we found this beautiful street.
Wow! The whole street was filled with refreshing coffee taste!! 
Here is the main street of Otaru!




▲ Famous dry food shop in Otaru

Otaru is both a cargo harbor and a fishing port.
We found this dry food shop called "Ika-taro" (Mr. Squid)

How cute!!
And the dry squid is chewing and tasty!
Let us buy several bags for souvenirs!

Oh!!!
We were getting hungry then!



▲ Our lunch in Otaru

Representative of Otaru seafood bowl rice
"Posei Bowl Rice"
It is called "Posei Don" in Japanese!
Interesting name!
"Posei" means god of sea and "Don" means Bowl Rice!





▲ Must-eat seafood bowl rice!

Like its name "Posei don"
Just 2100yen with miso soup and pickles

You know what it you wanna eat the same level rice bowl,
it is at least 3,500 yen or more!
Let's check it out!


▲ Wow!!!

This this this. . . This is seafood rice bowl? ?
Oh my gosh!! 
A super volume!!
Also, the long big crabs in the miso soup!!!
Otaru really surprised us!!


▲ Narrow but 120 percent attentive bathroom

Located on the 2nd floor
On the door, a paper written
"Sorry for the narrow space."
we wondered...
it was not that narrow huh!!
There were even space for baby to change diapers.
Appreciate to feel the Japanese hospitality. 


Sakaiya

After lunch, it is dessert time!
In this romantic Otaru,
there were a historial building called
"Kyu-kubo shouten."
Come here to taste the Japanese traditional desserts and coffee.
A famous coffee shop in Otaru!



▲ True Vintage

Old furniture and floors as well as the ceiling and bare wire
Nothing was artificial.
All were natural!!


▲ School bags have become antique bags.

Japanese students are still using this kind of school bag "Ransel" nowadays.
Wow!! The one hanging on the walls have almost 80 years of history!



▲ Private Moment

Drinking green tea, having sweet dessert
What a leisure time!
Play-backed the photo taken, looked out the window thoughtfully
That was the fun of travel!



▲ Hot sweet dumpling (dumpling) and red bean soup 

Most Japanese people like sweet red bean soup called zensai!
Although it is summer,
hot zensai is not that bad!

Price 680 yen


▲ Taste that stimulates imagination

Hot but delicious!
It must be perfect in winter!
While eating, we were thinking to visit again in the coming December!
A silvery and white world is waiting for us!

But dessert is not only on behalf of Otaru here oh ~



▲ LeTAO 3 Brothers of Otaru Dessert!

Representatives dessert of Otaru sweet!
Its name LeTAO is similar to "Otaru."
It actually confused many people!

From the left are chocolate, latte and original flavor
Prices are 500 yen
All three were delicious!!
It was really hard to rank them in order!!
Although it is difficult, 
we would rank original one the first prize, chocolate the second, and the Latte the third!

Taste the super sweet flavor and the texture of the whipped cream!
You got what we meant??





▲ No.1!!

If only one we can choose among three,
we would choose the original one!
Why? Cream is always perfectly matched with sponge cake!

Oh!!! Feel the breeze, 
the sky was getting darker!
It's time to be back to the hotel!


▲ Magic Hour

Looking at the attractive purplish sky
 walking the way back to the Otaru Canal
Wow!!! We found the best view to see the beautiful Otaru Canel!




Use your eyes, camera and your heart, whatever to record the fantastic time!



▲ Beautiful encounter twice

If you have time, you'd better come to visit Otaru canal twice during daytime and at night!
Even you have no plans visiting Paris and Venice,
Otaru would give you this beauty scene of the canal.

JAPANKURU has traveled a lot of places, 
we pretty love Otaru a lot!!



▲ Hotel of Day 2

Dormy Inn Premium OTARU

There are natural hot spring baths, you don't wanna miss it!
Close to Otaru Station
A premium hotel definitely would be you choice.


Check-in: 15:00  Check-out 11:00
Positions: 1 minute walk from JR Hakodate Line Otaru Station 
Price: Standard Double Room from 10,000 to 15,000 yen





▲ Otaru-featuring lobby

Indeed it's the town of glass!
Even the hotel lobby is so beautiful with stained glass decoration ~




▲ Otaru's single Room

Looking out of the window of the room
Wow!! Otaru gave us s warm sense of belonging!


▲ Otaru Twin Room

Feel the same!
Not the cheap wooden wall paper stickers!
But the wooden furniture gave us a warm feeling of tenderness at home.


▲ Famous in Dormy Inn hotel 

Have you had experience that you found hungry at night during traveling?
No worry!!
Come to 1F at Dormy Inn!
"Yonaki Soba" (Mini night soba) is freely provided!!
Check them out!

Available at
21:30 - 23:00



▲ Charming open-air hot spring

Open-air hot spring baths of Dormy Inn Premium OTARU
Japanese-style wooden and Otaru-style unique glass lighting
Dim atmosphere but a maximum of luxury

Available at 12:00- 10:00 the next day



▲ Use sweet to wrap up a day!

We found this interesting thing in sapporo!
Scrub that made of sugar from Hokkaido.
Can't wait to use it in the hotel!
Yeah!! Hello! Smooth skin!

We would introduce you more on our article of DAY 3


Let's take a bath, wash the face and jump into the bed!!
Wow!!! Flashback our day in Otaru!

What a great thing to travel in Japan.
Especially, the Hokkaido.
Enjoy the food, stay, spots, and transportation in Otaru!
No worry!!! Come to Otaru!!!
If you are hesitating where to go!!!

Okay!!!
We would be back to Sapporo the following day!
A place wanted to visit!!!
We were coming!!



Wow!!!
Where is it in Sapporo???
Please keep looking forward to our next article
DAY 3  Sapporo!

Tomorrow is another beautiful day!
[Road Trip to Sapporo]

To be continued...




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