After an adventurous day in Sapporo, the following day I joined many other ALTs on a day trip to Tiene to go skiing! The resort resides in only 40~ away by train from Sapporo, and the slopes an even shorter bus ride away. On the bus we saw a hilarious add where the models were around a grill in the same fashion as the last supper. I wonder how many Japanese people got the reference.
Tiene hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. The resort, while small by Colorado standards, is pretty sizable for Japan, especially considering it's convenient location. After strapping on some vintage ski boots, yes they are backloading (so comfortable!) we set off onto the slopes. I started my day on the lower section, warming up with some less seasoned ALTs on some easy cruisers. After a bit I hopped on a lift through the mountains to the upper runs, with steeper gradients and longer routes.
The top of the mountain had a majestic view of the ocean and the massive urban sprawl of Sapporo. Definitely strange to look at the ocean and a metropolis from atop a ski resort.
The rest of the day was great, and I managed to ski every run on the mountain. Either because of the weekday or other unknown factors, the mountain was practically empty save us ALTs and a high school field trip. So I was able to get a lot of runs in, and I ate a hearty late lunch.
After getting back to Sapporo I was ready to relax, and in Japan the best way to do that in at the public baths. I mentioned this idea, and was joined by Kirsten and Bianca, a couple JETs from other areas of Japan. Just a short walk away was Gokurakuyu. The place was a buffet of relaxation, with a massive sauna complete with a widescreen, a cold bath, a hot bath, a really hot bath, a standing massage jet thing, an outdoor bath, lounge chair like seats with hot water running down them, and a steam room. Even though I was there for over an hour, I feel I could have spent even longer lounging around. Japan definitely has relaxation down pat.
Afterwards Kirsten joined me for a late dinner. We wandered through the completed, illuminated competitive snow sculptures. The finished works were incredible, further accentuated by prismatic lights, giving each piece a unique tone.
On the way back through the park we passed another section I had not seen quite yet, until we reached the Basilica again. As we showed up so did a fleet of military vehicles. They were the group who created this particular sculpture, and they come overnight to maintain it's appearance. Fun, unrelated fact, due to some legislative changes Japan can now have a standing military. It was a controversial decision that happened late in 2015, and I recall seeing protesters in Tokyo.
We headed to ramen alley, since Kirsten had not yet gone, and I am glad we did. This time we ate at Banraiken Second Stage, which had grilled pork ramen cooked by the snappy sarcastic chef Uchibayashi. This was hands down the best ramen I have had in Japan, and a great way to end my day.
On February 7th day started off rather slow, as expected for a bunch of 20-something year olds after a nomihodai. Since not too many people had definitive plans, I began to make my own. To my surprised, as I finished charting my route at the hostel, I saw Daniel, a former DU student and fellow ALT who I had met just prior to my departure to Japan. We set off together with a few other ALTs, starting with breakfast!
I was craving pancakes, so we went to a cafe close by specializing in them. I was floored by the variety and quality. We all ordered our own sets, and then split a Strawberry Custard stack (the custard was layered between the pancakes), and a Maple Butter Stack. My set was a Salmon Avacado (with onions on top, a classic Japanese pairing) pancakes with a pesto sauce. This is my first time having had savory pancakes, and I will say they worked quite well! The restaurant itself had a fun vibe as well, and the service was fast, so we started the day off right.
Next the other ALTs headed off, leaving Daniel and I to go wander towards Odori park. On the way I routed us to pass by the Sapporo Clock tower, which stands as an historical representation of the city. Built in 1878, the building's western style reflects the nature of the city itself, which was constructed during that decade with the aid of the US government. Our timing was impeccable, the clock struck noon right as we arrived.
Walking just a few more blocks, we arrived at the snow festival. We began our power tour through the whole park. But we were immediately distracted by a massive ski ramp structure, where a group were just starting up their performance. People of all ages were launching off, showing their skills. A few middle school girls launched off at first, followed by younger people in their teens. But the most impressive were a few guys in their 50s who not only hit the kickers, but threw backflips! I might have to set some new life goals. Some of the most skilled skiers were even throwing synchronized flips as well!
The rest of the park featured a stunning variety of sculptures. The main attractions were the massive, corporate sponsored displays which doubled as stages for a variety of performances. The newly constructed Hokkaido Shinkansen line also had a big display, of a snow bullet train and its mascot, because most everything in Japan has some sort of adorable, nonsensical creature for branding purposes. At the time we passed by the mascot was even on stage, presumably to present information about the soon to be opening on the train line. Other big displays included Attack on Titan which I mentioned in the last blog, a rendition of the Ruins of St. Paul's constructed by the Japanese military, and Dragonball Z.
But there were also an abundance of smaller displays. Some were pop culture references, others were more traditional art. Among these were a group of incredibly detailed sculptures currently being built. We learned these artists hailed from all over the world, and were participating in the festival's snow carving contest. Some countries included Latvia, Indonesia, and Finland. There were also a couple US teams from Portland and, surprisingly enough, Hawaii. They were all quite interesting in their own right, I would not want to be a judge to objectively pick between them. That being said, my personal favorite was Indonesia's dramatic rendition of a tidal wave.
Our walking route had conveniently put us near the subway line, which had a direct train to Shiroi Koibito Park. Far from being a green open space, the park is actually a massive chocolate factory. This fantastical place had been turned into a pseudo museum complete with a factory tour. The faux European facade of the entire complex added a feeling of elegance to the whole operation. The tour featured fine china for drinking hot chocolate from all over the world, back when such a treat was a luxury for the aristocracy. There was also a wall full of vintage chocolate brand packages. I greatly appreciated the detail and typography these old brands used. It had a chocolate hallway so realistically painted I am sure children have tried licking the walls which presented the original process of creating chocolate in a diorama. Even the uniforms of the staff were fanciful, and they were kind enough to let me take a photo.
The tour ended with a view of the actual factory, where the famous Shiroi Koibito chocolate sandwich cookies are made. Even the factory floor was humorously ornate, with animatronic figures on an upper balcony. Regardless of age, I am sure everyone felt, justly so, like a kid in a candy store.
After the tour we passed a cafe with a lengthy queue (typical for Japan) which also created impressively florid sugarcraft, an apt product for a such an ostentatious sweets factory. I was particularly impressed by the elegant piano cakes, which rightly deserved to be preserved behind glass instead of eaten.
The latter half of the museum hosted an entirely different displays. One section featured phonographs and old record players. One displayed was even from the inventor, Thomas Edison himself.
Another collection was practically a time capsule, hosting toys throughout the decades. While it was rather haphazardly displayed, it must have been done on purpose to give visitors the thrill of looking through an old toy chest. And while they all look dated, even I recognized much could be considered incredibly rare collectors items. I am sure the Mickey Mouse paraphernalia alone was priceless.
Spread around the atrium were a few more random art displays that were quite a lot of fun, the top one being a statue of Abraham Lincoln you could sit with.
The tour ended at a grand call, where they sold the famous cookies, and even had a hard candy store where we watched candymakers roll hard candy with impressive showmanship. I ended up buying way too many cookies for my coworkers as omiyage, which is a Japanese custom where you bring souvenirs when you return from a trip.
Upon my return to downtown Sapporo I wandered through the Snow Festival yet again on my way to dinner. As I walked through I saw a crew maintaining the Attack on Titan display. To keep the new snow from burying the sculpture, these workers climbed all around, using high powered air hoses to dramatically blast the snow off. Their presence provided scale to just how massive these main displays were. At another nearby display I stopped to listen to a few different bands perform. I am not sure if these were local bands, or more well known performers (I suspect the former), but the music was fun regardless. I continued to be impressed by the variety of attractions such a simple festival incorporated to keep drawing visitors back. One stage had a Yamaha piano set up with rather talented musicians stepping in and playing.
Soon after I met up with a couple of new friends, Deuce and Cody in Sapporo's ramen alley. Quite literally a cramped alley, this tourist trap offered the goods. Lined solely with ramen restaurants competing for a hungry crowd, each tiny venue plastered their storefront with photos of their specialty dishes. At the far end there was even a helpful chart for choosing a restaurant based on broth strength and noodle thickness. We ended up going to a shop featuring the "Hokkaido Special" ramen, chocked full of famous Hokkaido foods: butter, corn, and crab.
Leaving the alley we walked right into ekimae-dori, a major road closed for the Suzukino Ice Festival. Lining the middle of the road were hundreds of detailed illuminated ice sculptures. Some were purely works of art. There were also a couple sculptures you could interact with, which me made sure to do. There was even a curling rink!
Just like other festival in Japan, sponsors names were not in short supply. Yet some of these were the most humorous, with multiple displays quite literally enshrining alcoholic beverages. Another impressively humorous one was a nearby sushi restaurant which had frozen a fish into it's promotional sculpture.
When we finished our stroll past the art, we hopped underground into Pole Town, a walkway and shopping mall underneath the main streets where we grabbed some delicious ice cream. There is a whole network of these underground passageways throughout Sapporo, ideal for avoiding the winter weather, and also a much more direct means to get to and from the station.
To end my evening I emerged from the underground and ventured up the Sapporo TV Tower, which overlooks Odori Park and the snow festival. The tower is surprisingly old, being built in 1957 by the same architect as the Tokyo Tower. It hosts a fantastic view of the city, with urban sprawl I have not seen with the exception of Tokyo.
The The tower's gift shop also had some really absurd souvenirs, like the bear corn magnet, since Hokkaido has bears and is famous for growing corn.
Of course, the main draw was the center stage view of the snow festival, illuminated for the crowd unabated by the cold.
On Feburary 6th I started my much desired vacation up to Hokkaido for the Snow Festival and skiing! I began my day in Kobe, where Willy and I caught a cheap flight up through the discount airline AirDo. This was my second experience in a smaller Japanese airport. Their layouts are surprising consistent. They are structured like a long hallway, consisting of a lobby with the check in counters, and upper floor with shops and restaurants, a roof with a garden and viewing area, with a short security checkpoint and then a row of gates on the other side. The departures are incredibly simple and quick.
This flight was notable for me mostly due to the receptionist. We had a pleasant conversation about where I was going as I checked in. She followed up by writing a really nice note, which she had one of the cabin attendants deliver to me after takeoff. It even included candy and a small crane! This extra effort made my morning.
Arriving at Sapporo, I was pleasantly surprised to see we came into good weather. It was not all that much colder or snowy than Tottori. Wandering the city was very much equivalent to wandering outside in Denver during colder days in the winter.
I went to the hostel to drop my stuff off, where I met a plethora of other ALTs. There were over 60 of us staying at this one hostel together. I had made more acquaintances this day than I am able to list, but they are all interesting people! I joined a small group and briefly wandered part of the snow festival, getting a teaser of the event. We grabbed some stall food, and I had my first Hokkaido specialty, oyster. It was in a soup, which kept me warm as I wandered the park.
Some of the sculptures are absolutely massive.
The sun had set, and having dinner plans, I started to head back to the hostel. On my way, I serendipitously passed the Attack on Titan snow sculpture right as a performance started. Suddenly the bombastic theme song of the popular television show (written by my favorite Japanese band, who I wrote about here) blared through the speakers. A myriad of lights were projected onto the statues, synchronizing dramatically with the music! The "titanic" figures came to life with the Colossal Titan's eyes glowing yellow as the music swelled to a grand crescendo.
That evening I went with the vast majority of the ALTs to a huge enkai, hosted at the Urban Sapporo Building. It was a yakiniku tabehodai, which featured all you can eat pork, beef, and Hokkaido's renowned mutton. I sat with the right group of people, since we all ate fast and managed to get through 5 helpings!
After an adventurous day in Sapporo, the following day I joined many other ALTs on a day trip to Tiene to go skiing! The resort resides in only 40~ away by train from Sapporo, and the slopes an even shorter bus ride away. On the bus we saw a hilarious add where the models were around a grill in the same fashion as the last supper. I wonder how many Japanese people got the reference.
Tiene hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. The resort, while small by Colorado standards, is pretty sizable for Japan, especially considering it's convenient location. After strapping on some vintage ski boots, yes they are backloading (so comfortable!) we set off onto the slopes. I started my day on the lower section, warming up with some less seasoned ALTs on some easy cruisers. After a bit I hopped on a lift through the mountains to the upper runs, with steeper gradients and longer routes.
After getting back to Sapporo I was ready to relax, and in Japan the best way to do that in at the public baths. I mentioned this idea, and was joined by Kirsten and Bianca, a couple JETs from other areas of Japan. Just a short walk away was Gokurakuyu. The place was a buffet of relaxation, with a massive sauna complete with a widescreen, a cold bath, a hot bath, a really hot bath, a standing massage jet thing, an outdoor bath, lounge chair like seats with hot water running down them, and a steam room. Even though I was there for over an hour, I feel I could have spent even longer lounging around. Japan definitely has relaxation down pat.
Afterwards Kirsten joined me for a late dinner. We wandered through the completed, illuminated competitive snow sculptures. The finished works were incredible, further accentuated by prismatic lights, giving each piece a unique tone. 
We headed to ramen alley, since Kirsten had not yet gone, and I am glad we did. This time we ate at Banraiken Second Stage, which had grilled pork ramen cooked by the snappy sarcastic chef Uchibayashi. This was hands down the best ramen I have had in Japan, and a great way to end my day.
