Japan Hokkaido Travel

27/06/2024

When one thinks of Hokkaido, one usually thinks of ramen noodles and seafood. However, the food that is most representative of Sapporo is soup curry.

Soup Curry SAMURAI in Sapporo serves up deliciously nutritious soup curry great for the approaching winter!

09/06/2024

The sake maker tells me that rice is grown to the sound of the cicada. The sound of summer is the lullaby of the sake maker. Maybe you can imagine the summer holiday when you partake in a sake tasting set.

Why is this sake named after the Cicada? Maybe my mother in law has a clue, having collected Cicadas and butterflies in her youth in this mountain village, filled with the joy of nature.

07/06/2024

The mountains in this region is the beginning of Japan’s Southern Alps, and it was certified as an UNESCO Ecopark in 2014. Most of the forest surrounding the Bridge of Dreams is natural forest - completely untouched by human activity. It is home to various wildlife, such as the rock ptarmigan, the Asiatic black bears, and Sika deer.

The Bridge of Dreams, or Yume no Tsuri Bashi, is a wood and steel suspension bridge built across the Sumata Gorge in the northernmost part of Shizuoka Prefecture. This region of mountains is the beginning of the southern alps in Japan, and is a certified UNESCO Ecopark.

23/03/2024

Hakodate, like the endearing squids swimming happily around the tank, is the little city that could. Despite being six times smaller than Sapporo, this compact port of 270,000 packs its punch with attractions like the Victorian-era mansions of Motomachi, waterfront Beer Halls, the Mount Hakodate ropeway, and Yunokawa Onsen.

If the thought of eating a still alive squid will make you squirm, there are other alternatives to get close to the freshest seafood this side of Toyasu or Tsukiji.

01/03/2024

I arrived in Hokkaido late at night, having flown halfway across the Pacific Ocean, like the Oojishigi or the red-billed Sandpiper.

The joy of your first snow fight, less than an hour from landing at Sapporo Chitose Airport.

25/01/2024

The people of Hokkaido have a lifetime of experience in turning things over to “cook” them, whether it is wet gloves over a heater from a snow storm, or lamb over a hot grill.

Cooking your own dinner can be a fun experience for two people but sharing one skillet amongst four adults may test your mettle. Named after the Mongolian warrior's helmet, Genghis Khan is communal dining for soldiers and civilians al

09/01/2024

Ancient seafarers navigated using the Southern Cross, so it is no wonder that this constellation on the southern end of the Milky Way light up the flag of Australia today, while the flag of Japan is the rising sun, giving direction and life to this archipelago.

JAL has served the Sydney to Tokyo route for over 40 years. Check out why they have been so successful at flying this route on a daylight flight from Sydney.

27/12/2023

Vale Bill, you gave so much sunshine in our mornings.

Sunny interior overlooks the ocean at Shichirigahama. Enjoy the Australian vibrant flavors of bills’ much-loved dishes.

10/02/2023

Have you ever wanted to use your phone on the plane?

28/01/2023

Watching the snowflakes swirl outside to the slow rhythmic sounds of koto strumming, I am transported to another world, spirited away inside an Ukiyo-e scene of a kimono-clad lady braving a winter blizzard with a bamboo umbrella.

I am mesmerized by the patterns on the aprons. The cats’ eye patterns evoke an ancient culture, hidden beneath the snowstorms. It was said that patterns are a concentration of nature, removing everything that distracts us from the essence of life itself.

04/12/2022

The jewel in the crown on the Tokyo waterfront is the mesm Tokyo, Autograph Collection, which only opened two years ago in the spring of 2020. A rich and artistic collaboration between Marriott's Autograph Collection and East Japan Railway Company, mesm has become one of the most-sought after stays in the beating heart of the capital. With spacious balconies that look over the stunning Hamarikyu Gardens and unrivaled views of the riverside, port, and landmarks such as Tokyo Skytree, it is a genuine upscale and luxurious experience.

Only two stops from Shimbashi on the quirky Yurikamome Line, or a six-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station on the Yamanote Line is the quaint port town of Takeshiba.

21/10/2022

If the thought of eating a still alive squid will make you squirm, there are other alternatives to get close to the freshest seafood this side of Tsukiji.

If the thought of eating a still alive squid will make you squirm, there are other alternatives to get close to the freshest seafood this side of Toyasu or Tsukiji.

22/09/2022

"Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has said Japan will further ease border controls aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Kishida made the comment to reporters in New York where he attended the United Nations General Assembly.

Kishida said Japan will end the limit on the number of people entering Japan. It will also lift the ban on individual travel and allow visa-free visits from October 11." Source -

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has said Japan will further ease border controls aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

29/07/2022

“The night passes, the priest awakens, the sisters are nowhere to be found. Only the sound of the pine tree.”

Bunraku’s contribution throughout time, and to modern entertainment, has been recognized by UNESCO, granting it Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2003.

25/07/2022

The menu at Otto Sette is based on Calendario Gastronomico. Their head chef Takeda san tells me that every month in Hokkaido is associated with the harvest of a particular vegetable or seafood.

Previously known as Tsubaki Salon, Otto Sette celebrates the culinary calendar of Hokkaido, with riches from the sea, land and sky.

23/06/2022

You may have heard of the term, Japanese Italian cuisine. At one extreme, it is putting Japanese ingredients into Italian recipes, like nori seaweed flakes on top of the pasta, having soy-infused sauces, and so forth. On the other end, it is more about designing menus, portion sizes, and styles that are more in tune with Japanese diners.

This restaurant comes with a health warning. Don't hit the slopes for an hour after a big meal here. It will take you time to digest the famous raclette cheese.

30/04/2022

A movie set here could bring it to life, but nothing like taking the footsteps of scholars past and present.

The Katahira Campus of Tohoku University, located in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, is packed with 13 “Registered Tangible Cultural Properties”. Interesting wooden or brick buildings and ruins are dotted around the tree-filled campus, making the location ideal for a stroll.

19/04/2022

Meatlovers, step up to the Hokkaido Wagyu. This is your opportunity to experience the Kobu Black brand, with their Kuroge Wagyu or black-coat Japanese cow whose diet is supplemented with Hidaka seaweed and glutinous rice, decreasing the melting point of the fat and making it easier to taste the sweetness of beef. Other meat dishes include Tokachi Wagyu and Ezo venison.

Experience Spanish flair and Japanese expertise in Hotaru Street, the heart of Hokkaido's ski in ski out Tomamu Resort