Cely 完美的一天

Yokoso Japan - Hokkaido Day 3

Continue from Day 1 and Day 2.

As you can see, the pattern of our Hokkaido trip was slow and relaxing. We did spend a lot of time on bus. Traveling from one city to another city took 2-3 hours sometimes.

Day 3 trip was considered the most rushing day of the whole Hokkaido trip because we were traveling between 3 cities, from Sapporo to Otaru, then to Asahikawa.

The breakfast at APA Resort was normal. A normal American breakfast. I guess they can’t really make it anything different than American breakfast, not all tourist like to eat rice for breakfast ba. Japanese breakfast sure got rice.

After the breakfast and check out from the hotel, Kelvin (Japan Tour Guide) brought us to the Sapporo Salmon Museum. Why museum? Because it was located very near to APA Resort.

Well, museum is always being labeled as boring place. Anyway, I did learn a bit about Salmon. Kelvin is a very knowledgeable tour guide. He can explain really well about the history of Salmon.

Almost everyone is listening to him. :p

After that, we visit the aquarium. There were few fish tanks there showing different stage of Salmon fish. From the eggs to a grown fish.

Now you see the real Salmon fish. It’s ugly. Hahaha. But they taste good :p

Then everyone also take photo outside the museum. You know, tree with autumn color again.

We saw christmas tree also. I can imagine it will look very nice cover with snow!

The outer look of the Salmon museum. The environment is green and clean. Well, I must admit that Japan is a very clean country. Trash bin is hard to be found in the city. I have to keep my own used tissue paper/garbage in my bag first, then throw in hotel room trash bin.

After visiting the museum, we went visit Asahi Beer Factory. There were few factories in Japan, headquater was located at Tokyo. A lot of people might be thinking, why visiting factories of products? I only eat them, I don’t need to know how it’s produced.

But you won’t force yourself visiting these factories if you are not in a trip.

I have no idea what the signboard writing about. But I guess it was about beer promotion, try out their beer for 600 yen or something like that.

A kawaii Japanese staff was assigned to explain the process of brewing Asahi beer. Kelvin the tour guide was doing the translation to all of us.

All Asahi Products. I am surprise to see so many. Especially the snacks.

Some Asahi posters. Very old school and retro. Hongkiat loves them very much.

After learning about the brewing process, we were led to a resting place where we were given a complimentary glass of asahi beer. Hongkiat tried the stout and me tried out the Asahi ‘Dry’ draught. The “Dry” draught was very good. I stop the staff from pouring me a full glass of beer, I worried that I cant finish it.

Cute staff. :) She was trying to sell beer.

Everyone was tasting the Asahi beer and having some complimentary packets of nuts.

After visiting the Asahi Beer Brewing Factory, we went for seafood lunch at Otaru.

Another big canteen cum market.

We can buy fresh seafood from the market, then they will cook on the spot. Any additional seafood we buy will be additional expenses from own pocket. A normal seafood meal already included.

Me and Hongkiat decided to try abalone for real, for the first time. We chose a big abalone from the tank. It’s a live abalone. It’s moving. It’s a big as my palm. It cost us 6000 yen. A luxurious lunch.

Why does seafood never look appetizing before they are cooked?

The famous King Crab. Look more like spider.

Some dried seafood like dried scallop.

The Canteen.

Our lunch was not bad. A fish, small steamboat pot and rice.

I don’t know what fish is this. hehe

Small steamboat pot. Got meat ball, vege and toufu.

Japanese rice.

There were always some topping for you to put on the rice, like this salmon topping. Me like it.

We actually watch the abalone being ‘burn’ till it is cooked.

The abalone was moving actively, like struggling.

After 10 minutes it was being ‘burned’, it was about half cooked already. The staff there came collect the abalone, clean it and cut into pieces. Then the abalone was put in a small bowl, put butter and lemon on top, cook for another 10 minutes before it’s being served.

Well, the first 2 pieces i had, it taste a bit weird. Like I was chewing some rubber like that. But my third piece, it was great. Probably it’s more cooked.

After the luxury lunch, we went to the famous Otaru canal. I don’t even know it’s famous till Kelvin said so. There was a famous Japan movie, Love Letter, was filmed at Otaru. The movie got very famous till it makes Otaru became more famous. Actually, I don’t know much about Hokkaido. I am glad I learn a lot from this trip.

If I got time, I will definitely watch Love Letter. I want to know how beautiful is this Otaru or Otaru canal.

The little store. Note that the weather at that moment was about 14.5 degree Celsius. Cold.

The famous Otaru steam clock.

“This steam clock was made by Canadian clock maker Raymond Sounders in the same fashion as the clock built in 1977 in Vancouver’s “Gas Town”. Made of bronze, it is 5.5 m in height, 1 m in width and 1.5 tons in weight. The clock itself is electrically operated, and a computer controls the steam-producing boiler. the clock chimes on the hour, and the steam chimes play a five-tone melody every 15 minutes. The steam clock in front of the Main Building of the Otaru Music Box Museum is also very popular as a backdrop for posing for photos”

When you are at Otaru, you must visit this Otaru Music Box Museum. There were lotsa different kind of musci box. We did not take any photos inside. It was very spacious, high ceiling, red brick building. If you have enough time, you may want to take a course learning to make music box. You can choose and craft your own music. Off course, there will be a price to pay for this course. But I thought this might be interesting. Too bad we can’t stay any longer. The course will take 1 hour and reservation must make in advance.

I bought one cute pooh bear music box anyway. How can I not buy something from there. :D

Kelvin advice everyone to try on the home made ice cream. 6 different tastes of ice cream in a cup/ cone - Milk, Strawberry & Milk, Banana, Kiwi, Yubari Melon and chocolate. I actually like the Melon taste a lot. Eating ice-cream at cold weather, imagine that.

Both of us finish the cup of ice-cream. It cost 500 yen.

After visiting Otaru, we continue to visit the very famous Shiroi Koibito Park. This is a super must visit place in Sapporo, Hokkaido.

Firstly, it’s a kind of theme park, owned by Ishiya Chocolate. The theme park was like disneyland lor. The buildings, the shops, cafe etc.

Very nice right? Can you imagine by just selling chocolates can earn this much? Building own castle! Moreover this Ishiya only sold in Hokkaido. You can’t buy the same brand at other place. No other place in Japan selling Ishiya chocolate. Except Narita Airport in Tokyo.

We then went inside the building. You can never guess it’s actually a factory. Ishiya Chocolate factory!

This is how they work. We were standing at the observation level. Take a closer look at the wall decorations. It’s such a cheerful environment to work. You do not have to face only machines and chocolates.

I guess this was because the factory is open for public visit. They have to decorate it.

This Big screen was inside the factory. The was a camera capturing visitors from far.

We found this super duper kawaii and beautiful little girl in a class. A class to teach people to make your own cookies.

Look at her satisfying cute little face. I think she was happy with her work.

After finish visiting the factory, we were led to a mini museum.

Where they collect figure like this. Ghost Rider.

Ultraman! Haha. A lot more Japanese cartoon characters.

Upstairs was the mini museum. Downstair was where you can buy Ishiya Chocolate. Oh yea, we were given a complimentary piece of Shiroi Koibito Cookies when we enter the factory. It taste really good. Love at first bite.

That’s  our tour lead - Kevin.  I bought few boxes of the Ishiya Chocolates for friends and family. It’s not cheap. It was about 4000+ Yen for a box of 52 piece cookies.

Everyday about 5pm, the ‘castle’ will have a show. There will be cute figures coming out from the castle, ‘dance’ and sing to visitors. It’s like a cuckoo bird clock, when it’s time, it will come out and announce the time like that. But we did not pay any attention to the show, because we were busy taking photos with mini houses.

Kelvin told us to get on bus after the show finish, therefore we must make sure we have enough time to take photos with the surrounding before get on the bus. We did not want to waste time on watching the show.

Cute lor hor :D

The fountain.

The show last for 15 minutes. Everyone was being called to board the bus and head for dinner.

I thought the dinner for day 3 was quite ordinary except this time round, we were not sitting in big canteen but a restaurant like. This restaurant was empty. It seems like the staff there were waiting for our arrival and prepare to serve us.  The table was set properly before we arrive.

I like this Scallop sashimi.

Hongkiat and his ‘finish eating’ pose.

After the dinner, we had a city tour. We went to Ashikawa. Kelvin said we shoul tour around the red light district there. So he brought us there. Imagine whole bunch of tourist walking on the street when Kelvin was pointing the building and explaining those buildings were night clubs, brothel, blah blah.

It’s not hard to imagine how booming was the prostitution business in Japan. They had people wearing nice suit standing on the street, giving out brochures for their brothel. There were colorful neon lights signboard with lotsa pretty sexy girls photos hanging on the buildings.

We tour one round on the street for about 15 minutes, then fast fast get on bus and head to hotel.

I won’t say I learnt much from the tour, but it just an eye-open tour lor. I am not really interested in prostitution la. I did not take any photo There were so many people on the street. I dare not take photo of those boards that full of sexy girls’ photo.

I shall end my day 3 post with the hotel room photo. This hotel was by far the smallest room we stay during the Hokkaido Trip.

Presenting - Hotel Crecsent Asahikawa. According to Kelvin, it’s small because we were in city area. It’s pretty normal that the room was smaller compare to all the previous hotel we stayed.

I will blog faster for the rest of my days in Japan. I wish I wont delay much longer. Haha. Make me miss Japan so much.