Sapporo and Niseko
Sapporo is a city in Hokkaido Japan. It is very far north, and it is cold there. It is also an excellent place to go skiing. Sapporo is quite a big City, Niseko is more of a village with skiing slopes and some large resorts nearby.
Best Experiences
Some of the best experiences in Sapporo were experiencing the "true" Japanese food scene and culture. There are a lot of incredible experiences there, and it is a fascinating place because it feels very Western but is so different. I remember very clearly the tiny streets packed with Ramen shops, how polite people were, the need for cash, and how everything from the toilets to the ski lifts had a speaker that communicated with you.
Niseko had an exciting and cool downhill skiing scene, and I enjoyed the JaPOW immensely. Also, the warming cabins and small restaurants had fantastic places.
Souvenirs
Going for some Ramen gear would be very smart; I bought not that many things other than warm clothes (Traveling from Singapore had some disadvantages). Also, some super cool commercials for Sapporo Bear from the Brewery Museum of Sapporo Pilsner would be awesome.
Food
The food was one of the best things from my trip. The best, or the most fascinating, was going to a sake bar followed by a super old-school sushi restaurant.
- Sake Bar. Tasting different types of sake was an excellent experience.
- Sushi Bar: This is maybe the right place, but this was a recommendation from the Sake Bartender for a good sushi place, and man, did it live up to expectations. One of my favorite experiences in Japan is eating authentic sushi made by a chef with about 40 years of experience.
- Ramen Street is a Very cool place to go and have ramen. Traditional ramen places from the birthplace of ramen. There are lots of Ramen shops, and some have long lines.
Niseko places
- The Barn by ODIN looked like a cool place; I did not go there myself, but it was a high-end diner that I liked and thought was fantastic to visit.
- Tozanken Ramen is a trendy ramen place with long lines.
- I was at Cafe Cubanons almost every day. Took it as a lunch. A cubanos with a Sapporo pilsner was a fantastic break from the slopes. All the employees looked to be Australian (mullets and mustaches). It was also the same place as a physical therapist for some weird reason.
Links
- Onsen Baths Found in Niseko. Very hot and nice after a long day skiing. But similar to saunas.
Thoughts
- I think just taking in the experience of Japan is important. So many things are different from what I was used to.