A Cold Night Out in Sapporo Town

5th Jan, 2005 - The night in a Sapporo Winter can be a little on the daunting side... if there's snow about, the city lights can cast an eerie glow to the world. The air is cold at this time - and it's a good thing for double-glazing (something that's almost unheard of here in Australia).

Come the next day however, the sun is out, and there's blue (albeit cold) sky above our heads. There's something so refreshing about a cold Sapporo morning... or is that the blood rushing from my skin?

The train ride to Sapporo Station is a quick one (about  15 min for us) and it's always on time. Below you can see Teine-yama rising above the horizon.

The trains are comfortable - and whilst this isn't peak hour, even then they don't get oppressively crowded. The trains are easy in Japan... there's always a ticket machine with a handy map showing the price of the ticket required - which can always be adjusted at the destination if you put the incorrect amount on the ticket. A word of warning - using mobile phones and listening to loud music on the train is considered rude in Japan, though this is becoming more prevalent with younger people.

I'm not sure how digital camera's are considered.

One of the great things about Sapporo is the extent to which there are underground malls (such as Paseo, Stellar Place, Pole Town, Aurora Town etc). These are especially convenient come winter time. The shops are generally small - but there's great variety. Actually there are two major centres (Sapporo Station and Odori) which will soon be joined by an underground shopping mall (like the one shown below). If I remember correctly that will be completed in 2011/12... the amazing thing is that they're building underneath a road whilst the road's in use.

After an afternoon of shopping, we get ready for a night out with T-chan's best friend, T2-chan. It gets dark quick in Sapporo during winter.

We went to Tenkuu (Hidden Dining) Izakaya. This is a great little place - especially for atmosphere. People sit in their own little "earthen pod", which are spotted around an underground maze of steps and dark passageways. The food is ok (not brilliant), but you're paying for the ambience.

Lots of low-doorways and steps... have to watch your head and your step.

Afterwards we went to visit a Sapporo King Xmhu (pronounced Mu) who is like the patron deity of Suskino and the Sapporo nightlife. If you're confused, this was one of the largest icon night clubs in Suskino - but seems to have become just a venue these days. T-chan spent a bit of her crazy youth going to places like this. Ah - back when we were young.

By the way - if you're an enterprising man of good character living in Sapporo, T2-chan may be interested in meeting you. Japanese girls are struggling to find good partners these days, and T2-chan is one of those great gals just missing out on finding a good guy. I have to say that I don't understand why Japanese men are so stoopid... so many great women in Japan are single... but not necessarily in a "Sex in the City" kinda way. ?;-)

Christmas Illumination - Sapporo

25th December, 2004 - Odori Kouen is a little different when there's no Yuki Matsuri - however, it doesn't lack colour and light. Each year, Sapporo has lights up to White Illumination, from late November to about the 3rd of January. It's not quite Christmas in nature, but the illumination adds a lot of life to an already thriving park. And if you look hard enough, you can see a little bit of Christmas even here in cold, cold Sapporo.

Actually there's a thriving trade in Japan for Santa Claus, or Santa-san - it's what you would call seasonal work.

The illumination may not be a good win for carbon-emissions, but there's something that's definitely uplifting to see a night-light display.

Even the trees compete for our attention.

 And succeed in outshining even Odori's brightly lit Sapporo Tower.

There's something at once both beautiful and disturbing about this Christmas illuminated maypole... it's a little like a Christmas-themed toy-shop.

Hopeful smiles whilst simultaneously being strangely melancholic.

It's a beautiful time to be in Sapporo if you can't make the Yuki Matsuri.

Come 10:30pm, the lights go out, and it's off to home we go... the boulevard lights remain on to light our way... thankfully, Odori Subway Station is near-by. It's cold, but it's been a great Christmas Day - at my second home, Sapporo.

 

Day 10 - Yuki Matsuri (Sapporo)

9th February, 2003 - After a rest day - and my making a good traditional meal of Lasagne and garlic bread (actually it's not always that easy to find ingrediants for Western foods in Japanese supermarkets). We got ready for a night-time expedition back into Sapporo. Sapporo is definitely a winter city, and you have to wonder really at how their gardens survive the thick snow that buries them each year. The answer is - with a lot of care (and wooden supports to bear the weight of the snow).

We jumped on the subway and headed off to Odori Koen for another perspective of the Yuki Matsuri.


Even outside of Yuki Matsuri, Odori Koen is normally lit up - especially during winter to really look beautiful... but you have to watch out for those streets... during the night ice forms on the roads and even though they don't look that bad, they can be as slippery as hell! Odori Koen was apparently developed over a century ago as a natural fire break between north and south parts of the city - 100 metres wide and 12 blocks long. Perfect place to have a snow festival!

Sapporo TV Tower looks much more scenic at night.,, surrounded by a fairy garden of lights.

One of the scenes captured in snow was that of Captain Matthew Perry - a critical figure in Japanese history... and an American. Perry came to Japan with one mission. To open it up to American trade. This he aceheived using quintessential gunboat diplomacy... The first impact of this was that the port city of Hakodate (in Hokkaido) and Shimoda were officially sanctioned as open trading ports. More on Hakodate later...

A return to Edo-jo... looks different under lights!

Not sure those stairs would be easy to climb...

Stitch meets Mickey and Minnie... why - who can tell?

What happens at night? Many of the sculptures get rebuilt! Hard work... especially in the cold!