KOBI’s 2019 Self-Drive Hokkaido Summer Vacation Plan (version 6.0)

HOKKAIDO SELF-DRIVE VACATION - SEPTEMBER 2019

Sep Mon 2 Tue 3 Wed 4 Thu 5 Fri 6 Sat 7 Sun 8 Mon 9 Tue 10 Wed 11

830

900 Breakfast

at UCC Café

Plaza

1000 Breakfast

at

Furano

Deliceto

Sankaku

Market Yamamoto

Asaichi

Marketto Lake Toya Odori Park

1100 Furano to Atsutaka TakinamiOrchard Uni

MurakamiLake Toya Mitsukoshi

1200 Marche Hitsuji

No OkaDiamant

Sakaimachi

hondori Stto Niseko

GoryokakuBoyotei Parco to Airport

1300 ShourakuteiTomita

to OtaruVenetian

MuseumMusu

Park Ebiten

BuntenRaclette

1400 ShinyaFarm

Naruto Kitaichi Glass Red Brickto Sapporo Pole Town Shopping

1500 AirportCheese

Melon

House OtaruKitakaro to Yakumo

WarehouseReturn Car

Chi-ka-ho

Ishiya Cafe

1600 Rent CarFactory

Art Base Music Box

MuseumHarvester

Lucky

Pierrot

Kieo Plaza

Hotel SapporoTokyu

1700 Wind

Garden

Miyama

Art Park

Hotel Nord

Otaru

Silver Bell

& Le TAOto Hakodate

MountDaimaru ESTA

1800 to FuranoNingle

Terrrace Canal

Cruise

Kokusai Hotel

Hakodate

HakodatePaseo Stellar Place

1900New Furano

Prince Hotel Yakiniku Gotoken

2000Sennari Kumagera

Hide

Toriya Masa Baribari

Sekkatei

Erimotei Katsukani

2100Shabu x2

Otori zushi Saran

Motomachino Hanasaki

Airport

(start)

Lake Toya

Shakotan

(end)

E37

241

273

38

451

231

5

5

5 or E5

230 E5

5 or E5

230

Furano

Shinya

Yuiga Doxon

Sennari Shabushabu

Miyama Art Park

Yakiniku Hide

Azemichi Yorimichi

Tomita Melon House

Furano Delice

New Furano Prince Hotel

Cheese Factory

Hitsuji no Oka

Farm Tomita

Furano

P

P

Phone No. of JR Station is 0167-22-0073

Shourakutei

Shitto Coco

Furano

New Furano Prince Hotel Nakagoryo, Furano, Hokkaido Phone 0167-22-1111 Website

Wind Garden This beautiful 2,000 sq. m English Garden was originally planted over a 2 year period for the Fuji TV drama Kaze no Garden. The garden has been maintained and even expanded after the series ended. Though simple, the garden contains 20,000 flowers from 365 species.

Ninguru Terrace Ningle Terrace is a collection of beautiful boutique cottages in the woods connected by a wooden walkway. Each cottage sells specialty arts and crafts made from natural materials. The artisans continue to make their products everywhere as you wander about.

The four-star New Furano Prince Hotel is the best large hotel in the Furano area. This is the nicer of two Prince hotels (hence the New) and was last renovated in 2012. It is what one might call a resort hotel, as the region is known for its snow. There is a large souvenir bazaar in the lobby where free coffee is provided from 2pm to 7pm. The hotel is popular as it has its own hot spring spa and the ropeway up to the ski slopes begins right outside the hotel. In addition, the hotel has many attractions built into the woods around the hotel.

Mori no Tokei & Soh’s Bar Mori no Tokei means clock of the forest and is a coffee shop in a cabin in the middle of the woods around the hotel. The name is a reference to how time slows down in the café. There is also a bar located in another cabin nearby called Soh’s Bar.

Flowers have become one of Furano’s biggest tourist draws and Farm Tomita is the undisputed driver of this phenomenon. The main season for flower viewing is between June and September and at its peak in July the roads to Tomita tend to be jammed with visitors making the pilgrimage to Tomita. At that time a grand landscape of lavender unfurls like a violet carpet over the area and the scent of lavender floats everywhere. Other flowers cultivated at Tomita include rape blossoms, poppies and lupins from June, lilies from July and sunflowers, salvias and cosmos from August and September. The most famous of the farm’s field is the Irodori field, where coloured flowers are arranged in bands like a rainbow.

Scattered along the roads lining the flower fields are about a dozen ‘houses’ to provide visitors with a place for to take a break from the outdoors. Most contain cafes and shops. Hanabito House is the biggest of these and contains a farm museum. Products available at shops include lavender by the stalk, potpourri, and lavender essential oil, lavender-scented souvenirs and dried flower arrangements. The cafes serve foods featuring local ingredients but have similar and overlapping menus; the lavender soft ice cream is especially popular.

In 2008, Farm Tomita began a second farm, Lavender East (open only in July). Located on the other side of the highway, it has by far largest lavender acreage in the Furano area, covering 14 hectares. One can take paid 15 minute rides on the "Lavender Bus" through its fields.

Furano

Farm Tomita (and Lavender East) 15 Nakafurano Kisen Kita Nakafurano, Sorachi District Phone 0167-39-3939 Website

closed : no day off

Flower Map Eatery Map

a food outlet

Furano

Miyama Art Park 33 Go Nishi 8 Senkita, Kamifurano, Sorachi Phone 0167-45-6667 Website Google Translated

The Art Park is situated in the Miyama Pass, a 300m high mountain pass on the route between Furano and Asahikawa. One of the main attractions at the park is a Trick Art Museum which showcases clever 3D effects on 2D pictures. The observation deck of the Miyama Pass Lavender Garden (free admission) is also popular with tourists. It offers great views of the Tokachidake Mountain Range to the East and the surrounding flower fields. For an even better panoramic view, there is a 50m Ferris wheel on site. Some other attractions are the Miyama Gelato Factory and the Hanakanmuri Studio specializing in cheese tarts.

closed : November to March Tomita Melon House Miyamachi 3-32, Nakafurano-chou Phone 0167-39-3333 Website

Arguably Furano’s most famous retailer of cantaloupes, Tomita boasts an annual shipment of 70,000 melons to consumers. Besides buying freshly harvested whole melons (these are premium Akaniku melons, not the notoriously expensive Yubari King melons) at the Melon House you can also enjoy all manner of melon related foods, such as fragrant melon slices (¥300), melon ice cream, melon shakes and smoothies, melon bread, melon tarts, cakes and puffs.

closed : Oct to May

Kumagera 3-22, Hinode-machi, Furano Phone 0167-39-2345 Website

Kumagera is a restaurant specializing in rustic local cuisine using ingredients grown and produced in Furano. You can even order roasted bear meat. The most popular dish is the Yamazoku Nabe or Bandit’s Stew, which is venison, duck and chicken cooked in a rich miso broth. The other famous dishes are the Beef Sashimi-Don and homemade Cheese Tofu. The restaurant is a 5 minute walk from Furano Station and is easy to recognize from afar; vines are growing all over the restaurant’s outer walls.

Furano

closed : no day off Yakiniku Hide 2-5-18, Nishikimachi, Kamifurano-cho, Sorachi-gun Phone 0167-45-5006 Website

The is a yakiniku restaurant located near Kamifurano station, one of a handful of restaurants highlighted by Taniguchi Farm, breeder of the Furano Black Wagyu. The restaurant is run by the son of a butcher located across the road. The quality of their well-marbled meat is reputed to be excellent while the prices are reasonable. The restaurant has many good reviews but apparently, they don’t accept overseas bookings so the reservation has to be done via a local agent.

closed : no day off, but dinner only

Furano

Shourakutei Saiwai-chou 7-21, Furano-shi Phone 0167-22-1978 Website

This is a friendly family run restaurant specializing in omelette curry. This is the signature dish of Furano, as indicated by the little yellow flag that comes with it. The other popular dishes are the pork loin curry and pork hamburg steaks. Shourakutei is located at Furano Marche 2, but the access is from the street directly. The food is not expensive at all and every dish is under ¥1100.

closed : on fridays Furano Cheese Factory Nakagoku, Furano-shi Phone 0167-23-1156 Website

Although it is not in Tokachi (Hokkaido’s famous cheese making region), the Furano Cheese Kobo is still a destination for cheese lovers. The factory has free cheese samples, an exhibition on how cheese is made, a Handmade Experience Studio where you can enjoy making your own cheese (¥880 per person), an Iced Milk Factory where you can enjoy gelato (with strange flavours like grape and asparagus) and a Pizza Factory where you can taste Napoli pizza topped with cheese from the factory, made in an oven specially imported from Italy.

closed : Dec 31 – Jan 3

There is a small takeaway restaurant next door selling a super long egg roll called the Namara Bou (なまら棒) . You should try it.

Furano

Sennari Shabu-shabu 1-19 Asahimachi, Furano Phone 0167-22-2376 Website

This is a old-style restaurant known for its pork shabu shabu and its reasonable prices. It charges ¥1,000 per portion for the pork or lamb and ¥1,600 for beef. Apparently the prices haven’t been revised in decades, and they have English menus, so it’s always full, on both its floors. Although they are not serving premium cuts of meat, every last review of this restaurant has been good, invariably using adjectives like: simple, friendly and value for money. Sennari is very near Furano Station, behind the Natulux Hotel and closes relatively late, at 11pm on weekdays.

closed : no day off, but dinner only Hitsuji no Oka Beberui, Nakafurano-cho, Sorachi-gun Phone 0167-44-3977 Website

Hitsuji no Oka, literally meaning Sheep Hill, is a farm restaurant where you can enjoy Jingisukan, which quaintly translates as Genghis Khan; because it is the Japanese version of Mongolian BBQ. This cuisine is relatively popular in Hokkaido as it is the only place left in Japan where sheep are still reared. The farm is not far from Lavender East. You have a choice of either British Suffolk mutton or milk lamb. The latter is raised solely on its mother’s milk and is sans lamb’s usual gamey grassy overtones. The restaurant does not accept reservations, so arrive early.

closed : closed Oct to April, lunch only

Furano

Furano Marche 13-1 Saiwaichō, Furano, Hokkaido Phone 0167-22-1001 Website Google Translated

closed : no day off

This is a spacious cluster of shops in downtown Furano. It serves as a central retail hub for the produce and products of the surrounding region, and is very popular with tourists. Furano Marche is organized into 4 distinct zones:

ARGENT sells consumable souvenirs, essentially the region’s famous products such as cheesecake, jams, wines and lavender related items.

HOGAR is a farmers' market selling fresh fruit and vegetables along with other produce from the surrounding farms.

SABOR houses a boulangerie cum patisserie and the café Cazares, but the favourite of this zone is the ice cream parlour at the entrance called the Bus Stop. Compared to the Tomita lavender ice cream sold in the Furadish zone, theirs is milkier and the lavender is not as overpowering. Their other popular item is the Milk Frappe. Bus Stop will mix crushed toppings into its ice cream on a cold slab for you.

FURADISH is a food court that sells finger food and snacks. The best food here is the takoyaki, a small ball-shaped Japanese snack made from a wheat-based batter typically filled with diced octopus (tako).

FURANO MARCHE 2 became the fifth zone when it was opened as a new extension across the street in 2015. It sells ‘other’ items such as household items, fresh flowers and candles. It also houses additional food outlets.

Furano

Furano Delice Shimo-Goryou 2156-1, Furano-shi Phone 0167-22-8005 Website Google Translated

Furano Delice is the area’s celebrated patisserie. Their famous signature item is the Furano Milk Pudding; its superior taste comes from their use of fresh non-homogenized Furano milk. Actually all their desserts are made with locally sourced premium ingredients. People also like the Double Fromage, the Delice version of the famous Le TAO cheese cake. The store includes a cafe serving their original blend of coffee and a terrace overlooking the surrounding area.

closed : on irregular days Kashi Tsukasa Shinya 4-7 Asahimachi, Furano-shi Phone 0167-22-2042 Website Google Translated

Shinya (菓子司 新谷) started as a confectionery in 1954 but today the shop is known for its delectable pastries, in particular their the Hesono Omanju (Memory of Furano), a tea cake with the outline of Hokkaido stamped on its top with Furano (a.k.a. the belly button of Hokkaido) at its exact centre. There are three flavours of filling, miso red bean, sesame and green tea. The green tea flavoured version is exclusive to the shop while the other two flavours can be found in various souvenir shops around Furano.

closed : no rest day

This is a quaint café in Atsuta surrounded by a white picket fence, by the seashore, in the middle of nowhere, where there shouldn’t be a cafe. The interior is arranged more like someone’s home than a restaurant. It serves a full range of food, from cakes to bread to cooked food. It’s the best place to make a pit stop going down the west coast to Otaru and a good waypoint for GPS.

Furano -> Otaru

Diamant Pur Cafe 51-1 Atsutaku Kotani, Ishikari-shi Phone 0133-78-2755 Website

closed : on Mondays and Tuesdays, opens at 11:00am

Diamant Pur

Salad 2nd

optional stop in Takikawa: Saruta 2nd (サルタセカンド)

Cakes & Sandwiches tel 0125-24-0219

Takinami Shokudo

Toriya Otori

Naruto

Otaru P

Continued on the next map

Otaruinaho Parking tel 0134-22-7749

Hotel

P

Sankaku Market Public Car Park

Sankakutei

Denuki Koji

P

Masa Zushi

Kitaichi No.3 & Hall

Otaru

Le Tao

P

Otaru Music Box Museum Hall No.2

Continued from previous map

Car Park Phone No. is 0134-33-1993

Kitakaro

Hotel Nord 1-4-16 Ironai, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido Phone 0134-24-0500 Website

Nord is a 98 room European-style hotel, located at the bustling Chuo Bridge intersection of the Otaru Canal. The exterior is of white marble, and there is an indoor courtyard which is a good place to have your morning coffee (free from 9am to 9pm). The popular bar Duomo Rosso sits on the top floor. It was renovated in 2018 and is a delightful place to spend the evening enjoying the grand night view of the canal and Ishikari Bay beyond it. Many places of interest such as Otaru Art Base, the canal-side restaurants and the jetty for canal cruises are within walking distance of the hotel.

Silver Bell

P

Car Park Phone No. is 0120-11-5076

Char House

Otaru

Otaru Canal

Otaru Canal was completed in the year 1923, during the period when Japan was rapidly modernizing and quickly became a crucial part of the city's busy port; cargo ships transferred their cargo to lighters, which then unloaded the goods at warehouses along the canal. When modern dock facilities were finally built, the canal slowly became obsolete and fell out of use. In the 1980s a 1km stretch of the canal was beautifully restored with the warehouses lining its eastern banks converted into cafeterias and restaurants. From spring to autumn one may enjoy an Otaru Canal Cruise (day ¥1,200, night ¥1,500) which takes about 40 minutes.

Sankaku Market 3 Chome-10-16 Inaho, Otaru Website Google Translated

Sankaku Market is so named because it has a triangular roof. It is a small market by most standards and has only 15 stores. The attraction of the market lies in the fact that there are 6 restaurants in the market operated by the seafood mongers themselves. Therefore, many people go to the market not to shop for groceries, but to eat chirashi-don or kaisen-don. Besides Takinami Shokudo you can also eat live steamed whole crab at Sankaku-tei Restaurant. (pictured below on the right). It is bigger and has more seats.

Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Emporium No.3 3 go-kan 7-26 Sakai-cho Otaru-city Phone 0134-33-1993 Website

During the Meiji era, Otaru made a name for itself in glass making, and even came to be called the City of Glass. Kitaichi Glass is the oldest of the city’s many glassmakers and had its beginnings in 1901 as a manufacturer of kerosene lamps. It has since grown to become the premier glassware company in Otaru. Consequently few tourists leave Otaru without buying some Kitaichi glassware as souvenirs. Kitaichi owns many buildings in the Sakaimachi district but the most famous is Kitaichi Emporium No.3 or Sangokan. This is a former stone warehouse where glassware is displayed according to 3 different themes; Modern, Traditional and Western. Located within the same building is Kitaichi Hall, a cavernous café where 167 kerosense lamps are lit by hand every morning at 8:45am; anyone is welcome to watch. Further down the road opposite Kitakaro is the Kitaichi Glass Outlet (top 2 pics) which retails sets of sake cups and decanters, and sake itself.

closed : no off day

Otaru

Otaru Art Base 1 Chome-3-1 Ironai, Otaru Phone 0134-31-1033 Website

Otaru Art Base is known for its extensive collection of beautiful stained-glass art and consists of four Meiji Era stone buildings repurposed into a museum campus. The primary exhibition venue is a former bank which has now become the Nitori Museum of Art. This displays Art Nouveau & Deco works, including the stained glass works of the American Art Nouveau artist Louis Tiffany. The Stained-Glass Museum is a separate building showcasing stained glass windows collected from demolished Victorian churches from England. A third building is the former Mitsui Bank Building, beautifully restored to the resplendent glory of Otaru banking in its hey day a century ago.

closed : every Wed from Nov to Apr

The Venetian Art Museum is sponsored by Kitaichi Glass and first opened its doors in 1988. The exterior is modeled after the Palazzo Grassi in Venice and the exhibits within include a gondola that once transported Princess Diana and a collection of glass mosaic adaptations of Van Gogh paintings. In all the museum houses 3,000 pieces of Venetian art and furniture curated on the theme of aristocratic culture, many of them glass-related because of Venice’s rich history of glass making.

Venetian Art Museum 5-27 Sakaimachi, Otaru Phone 0134-33-1717 Website

closed : no days off

Otaru

Otaru Music Box Museum 4-1 Sumiyoshi-cho, Otaru Phone 0134- 22-1108 Website Main Building Hall No.2

The museum is spread across a number of buildings around the Märchen (German for Fairy Tale) Crossing. Each of the buildings can be appreciated in their own right for their elegant Meiji-era architecture and the different wares they offer (over 25,000 music boxes in total). The Main Building was built in 1912 as an office of a grain trader and today features the most substantial exhibition and shop space of the museum. At the entrance you will be greeted by a gigantic steam clock; this chimes hourly and plays a melody every 15 minutes.

closed : no off days

Also at the Märchen Crossing are the famous Silver Bell No.1. and No.2 souvenir shops. They are popular as they each have a café upstairs that lets each customer keep the cup and saucer from their tea set.

Hall No.2 of the museum diagonally across the junction is also worth visiting. This houses antiques and features some of the oldest musical devices in Japan, including a grand English pipe organ. There is a 20 minute organ concert 6 times a day. A third part of the museum is the Yume no Ota Character House which specializes in anime music boxes featuring characters from Disney, Ghibli, Doraemon etc.

Otaru

Le Tao Main Store 7-16 Sakaimachi, Otaru Phone 0134-40-5480 Website

Le TAO stands for La Tour Amitie Otaru, which translates as The Amiable Tower of Otaru. This is the renowned patisserie of Otaru with branches all over Asia. Its headquarters building boasts a large store, a spacious and elegant café, and an iconic tower. The signature cake is the Double Fromage which consists of a layer of light milky unbaked cheesecake featuring mascarpone from Lombardy, over of a layer of rich baked cheesecake. Another hit is their Darjeeling infused ganache pyramids, the Royale Montagne.

closed : no day off Patisserie Kitakaro 7-22 Sakaimachi, Otaru Phone 0134-31-3464 Website Google Translated

Though the Kitakaro Main Store is just an unassuming windowless grey brick building, it’s what awaits inside its bright orange doorway that matters. In Hokkaido, everyone knows the best cream puffs are made by Kitakaro. They are not only jumbo sized, but also generously filled. The top sellers are the crispy Dream of the North Dome, the delicate choux Wonderous Dream and the chewy Piscot, but there are also many other types of puffs and pies. If you crave for more later, Kitakaro has an outlet at Daimaru in Sapporo.

closed : on Jan 1st

Otaru

Masazushi Main Branch 1-chōme-1-1 Hanazono, Otaru Phone 0134-23-0011 Website Google Translated

Masazushi was founded 70 years ago on Sushiya Dori, the street in Otaru famous for its dozen of so Sushi restaurants. The restaurant was rebuilt in 1995, which is why I looks a lot newer. There are two busy branches in Tokyo but this Otaru branch is the original. In order to reliably offer the best maguro all year-round, they buy up over 300 kg of carefully selected tuna of each November (i.e. prime season). The other popular item is the squid cut into noodles. Be prepared to wait an hour for your sushi during peak hours.

closed : on wednesdays Takinami Shokudo Sankaku Ichiba-nai, 3-10-16 Inaho, Otaru Phone 0134-23-1426 Website Review

Kita no Donburiya Takinami Shokudo is located at the Otaru Triangle Market and is directly managed by one of the seafood vendors of the market. The restaurant is known for its generous portions of fresh seafood. The most popular dish to order is the luxurious Wagamama-don, where you choose 3 or 4 ingredients out of a standard list of 10 to top a bowl of rice. The rice they use is vinegared (Chirashi-don) as opposed to plain (Kaisen-don). The uni-donburi which uses different types sea urchin is also favourite of customers, as is the Crab Soup, made with white miso. If you like cooked food, try the fisherman’s BBQ style seafood, like abalone or scallop. There are only 8 tables and no reservations, so go early to avoid a long queue.

closed : no rest day, open until 5pm,

Toriya Otori 1-9-11, Ironai, Otaru Phone 0134-32-2229 Website

Toriya Otori (鶏屋鳳) is a popular izakaya-style restaurant specializing in chicken dishes. The most recommended item on the menu is Mizutaki, a hot pot using a collagen rich soup made from stewing the local ji-dori chicken for more than 10 hours. The actual meat in the pot and all their other chicken dishes is from a different chicken, the Sakura-hime Chicken of Atsuma; this breed of chicken is very tender and not gamey. Chicken Sashimi, Yakitori and Spicy Fried Wings are the other specialities of the restaurant.

closed : on monday Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten 3-16-13 Inaho, Otaru Phone 0134-32-3280 Website

Chicken Generation Naruto is famous for it’s ¥1,100 Hanshinage Chicken Meal, a deep-fried half-chicken. On a busy day they serve 1,000 of their signature meals. The chicken is seasoned with salt and pepper for a whole day before they fry it at just the right temperature to get the skin cooked to the perfect golden crispiness while leaving the meat juicy and tender. The other Naruto specialty to try is Zangi. This differs from Karaage in that it is pre-marinated with more flavours and has a thicker batter.

Otaru

closed : no day off

If you don’t want chicken for lunch and dinner, consider the back up Otaru Denuki Koji.

Yamamoto Sightseeing Orchard (山本観光果樹園) is a fruit farm located in Yoichi, just 30 minutes by car from Otaru. This 17 hectare farm grows a large variety of fruits such as strawberries, pears, grapes, peaches, apples and chestnuts. Because of this diversity, the harvest season is quite long, lasting from June to October. Lunch (either Teppanyaki or Jingisukan BBQ) is available in the farm’s Rest House but you have to make a reservation a few days in advance. The farm also sells various items made at the farm from its produce, such as apple turnovers, strawberry jam, and fresh apple or grape juice.

The all-you-can-eat fruit picking course for adults cost ¥1,100. The price is the same no matter which type of fruit you’re picking, and there is no time restriction. And, if more than one fruit is in season at the same time, you can pick them all without extra charge. There are English speaking staff on hand, so you can enjoy fruit picking without having to worry about language.

Otaru -> Hakodate

Yamamoto Sightseeing Orchard 1102-5 Noboricho, Yoichi, Yoichi-gun Phone 0135-23-6251 Website <- select language in top left corner

Otaru -> Hakodate

Harvester started out as an experimental farm of KFC in the 80s and has evolved into a Farm-To-Table self-serve restaurant today. The farm is situated in a sprawling country site, on a grassy knoll overlooking a the beautiful Kansas style countryside. If you fancy the serene ambience there is outdoor seating as well. Though KFC sold the facility to the pizza chain JC Comsa, people still go to Harvester for the chicken; they sell many types of fried and roasted chicken. If chicken is not your thing, they also serve other foods, like pizza.

Harvester Yakumo 365 Hamamatsu, Yakumo, Futami-gun, Phone 0137-64-3113 Website Google Translated

closed : no day off

Mūsu is a trendy French Bistro during the day and a tapas bar once night falls. The restaurant sports floor-to-ceiling windows and looks out into downtown Hirafu village. Like many of the nicer restaurants in the Niseko ski resort area it caters to English speakers. What makes it different is that it opens in summer, and opens for lunch. While the menu is not extensive, it offers a nice mix of seafood, meat and salads. You can park at the Seicomart next door.

Mūsu Odin Place, 190-13 Yamada, Kutchan Abuta-gun Phone 0136-21-7002 Website

closed : no day off

Hige Steak & Hamburg

Baribari Saran

Hakodate Kokusai Hotel

Lucky Pierrot

P

Car Park Phone No. is 0138-31-8171

Asaichi Market

Red Brick Warehouse

Lucky Pierrot

Gotoken Sekkatei

3 Churches

Ropeway Station

P

Car Park Phone No. is 0138-26-1422

Hakodate

Hotel

WALK DRIVE

3 Historic Buildings

Fort Goryokaku is a massive Western style citadel, built 150 years ago at the twilight of the Edo Period. The fortress’ five-sided star (Goryo) shape allowed for more gun emplacements on its walls than the traditional Japanese design, and created overlapping fields of cannon fire that precluded blind spots that the enemy could approach from. The fort was built to protect the Tsugaru Strait against a Russian invasion but instead became the site of a battle in the civil war between the forces of the Shogunate and Meiji emperor in 1869. In the centre of the fort stands the (reconstructed) Magistrate’s Office, from where all of Hokkaido was once administered.

Hakodate

Fort Goryokaku & Goryokaku Tower 44 Goryokaku-cho, Hakodate Phone 0138-57-7210 Website

The 107-meter Goryokaku Tower was built in 2006 adjacent to the fort and from its observation platform one has a magnificent view of the fort and its surrounding flora, which changes with the seasons. In springtime the scenery is pink; Goryokaku is one of Hokkaido's top cherry blossom viewing spots. In summer the moat is fringed with lush greenery. This turns into a blazing scene of crimson foliage in autumn. By winter everything is blanketed in white snow.

Hakodate

Mount Hakodate is a 334m wooded mountain at the southern end of the Kameda Peninsula on which much of Hakodate is located. It is always a feature of horizon in Hakodate and you can see it easily from anywhere in the city, for example at the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse (see next page). It is renowned for its panoramic view of the surrounding bay and city. In fact the view from the mountain is considered one of Japan's three best night views (the others being the views from Nagasaki's Mount Inasa and Kobe's Mount Rokko). The peak contains an observation platform, souvenir shops, and some restaurants. Accessed is via a ropeway cable car (¥1,280 for a round trip) that operates every 15 minutes from 10am to 10pm.

Mount Hakodate Website

ropeway closed : Oct 16 – 27 each year

At the base of Mount Hakodate base is Motomachi, a neighbourhood of steep streets lined with Meiji era Western-style buildings and three majestic churches. Hakodate was one of the first ports opened to foreign traders during the Meiji Restoration and Motomachi is where the foreigners were based. Iconic buildings such as the churches, the Public Hall and former British Consulate are illuminated from sundown to 10pm, creating a beautiful setting for an evening stroll.

Motomachi District

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse was the first commercial warehouse in Hakodate and remains as one of the symbols of the early days of the shipping industry in the Hakodate bay area. The set of huge red brick buildings were built at the start of the 20th century when Hakodate was making a name for itself as an important port in the region and they have been restored to their former glory as a shopping mall. Visitors can shop for items and souvenirs that are representative of Hakodate as well as enjoy delicious meals and confections. Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse is divided into 4 areas:

BAY Hakodate has a chapel, cafés and features a canal going down the middle of it. If you wish to enjoy the night lights, this is the place.

Kanemori Yobutsukan has a lineup of European lifestyle goods. It is packed with shops with personality and plenty of variety.

Hakodate History Plaza has a beer hall and some souvenir shops.

Kanemori Hall serves as a venue for various events, like concerts or weddings.

Hakodate

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse 14-12 Suehirocho, Hakodate Phone 0138-27-5530 Website

Hakodate Kokusai Hotel 5-10 Otemachi, Hakodate Phone 0138-23-5151 Website

Hakodate Kokusai is a 3-star hotel (no porters, but otherwise it’s a 4-star) overlooking Hakodate Bay with 400+ guest rooms furnished in 10 different styles. The hotel is ideally located for sightseeing in Hakodate and a perfect base for exploring the city. It is situated on the waterfront with the Asaichi Market and JR Station to the north and the Red Brick Warehouse area to the south. The historic Motomachi District and Mount Hakodate ropeway station are also within ‘walking’ distance (20 minutes).

Hakodate

Asaichi Morning Market 9-19 Wakamatsuchō, Hakodate Phone 0138-22-7981 Website

Unlike the tiny Otaru Triangle Market, Hakodate’s Asaichi Market is a modern proper full-fledged market with some 250 stores. Besides the outdoor street market there are also 3 indoor sections.

Ekini Ichiba is the market selling fresh seafood. A popular tourist activity here is fishing for squids kept in tanks.

Asaichi Hiroba is a vegetables and dried goods market that also contains a food court selling fast-food.

Donburi Yokocho Ichiba is a restaurant arcade featuring 15 sushi shops.

Read This Article to decide what you want to eat

Kaneni Fujita Suisan One item one absolutely must try from Asaichi Market is the Kaniman, which is a Chinese style steamed crab bun. The shop selling it is located on the street outside the market (see the mini map) and its Japanese name is カネニ藤田水産. You can choose crab buns with or without crab roe.

Uni Murakami 22-1 Otemachi Hakodate Phone 0138-26-8821 Website Red this Review

Uni Murakami, located at the end of the main street of Asaichi Market, is one of the most famous Sea Urchin restaurants in all Japan. The restaurant is praised by the Michelin Guide for the high quality of its preservative-free Sea Urchin; it is the chance of a lifetime for foreigners to experience authentic, top quality Sea Urchin. Connoisseurs should go for the 80g Sea Urchin Donburi (¥4,320). The Sea Urchin Gratin and Grilled Atka Mackerel are other favourites. Fish is served fresh straight from their fish tank. The restaurant only accepts dinner reservations so get there early to avoid the lunch queue.

closed : 1st and 3rd Tuesday evenings and every Wednesday

Hakodate

Lucky Pierrot Bay Area Store 23-18 Suehirocho, Hakodate Phone 0138-26-2099 Website

Despite its success, Lucky Pierrot insists on opening no outlets beyond the city limits. Therefore Hakodate is the only place in the world that you can eat at a Lucky Pierrot (it means clown in French) family restaurant. None of the 17 stores look alike as each has its own zany theme outside and its own unique gaudy and over-the-top decorations inside. First time customers must try the famous Chinese Chicken Burger. It was named the best local burger in Japan by the newspaper Nikkei. Other top-sellers are the Genghis Khan Burger and the Lucky Egg Burger.

Bari.bari Saran 10-7, Hon-cho, Hakodate Phone 0138-53-5117 Website Google Translated

Bari.bari Saran is the finest beef restaurant in all Hakodate. Everything from the restaurant is top notch, from the service down to the special smokeless charcoal used. This restaurant serves only top quality A5 (M10-11) wagyu, which is carefully selected and never frozen. Notwithstanding, they only charge ¥7,900 for their yakiniku Omakase Full Course (top left photo, for 2 persons). Sukiyaki at ¥7,000 and the specially selected sirloin steak (¥8,500) grilled in the kitchen are other menu items that are recommended.

closed : no off day but dinner only

Hakodate

Gotoken Sekkatei 4-5 Suehirochō, Hakodate Phone 0138-23-1106 Website Google Translated

Sekkatei (雪河亭) is a very traditional fine dining restaurant in the Motomachi area serving Japanized Western cuisine. The Gotoken main store (五島軒本店) was established back in 1879 specializing in Russian and French cuisine. In the 1920s ‘English’ curry was introduced to the menu and has since become the mainstay of its lunch service. For more formal dining there is a choice of five sets (priced from ¥6,000 to ¥16,000). The sets are: French, Russian, Chef’s Recommendation, Seafood and Steak. All sets have to be ordered five days in advance. this place closes early and last order is 8:30pm, so make reservation for 7pm.

closed : every Monday in Jan and Feb

Lake Toya is a picturesque caldera lake with a diameter of about 10km. There are islands in the lake which can be visited, collectively called Nakajima. Besides its magnificent views, the area is known for its hot springs and nature trails. Lake Toya was chosen as the location of the G8 summit of 2008. The Silo Observatory on the West shore is a perfect elevated point to view and take photos of the lake.

Hakodate -> Sapporo

Lake Toya (Shikotsu Toya National Park Silo Observatory) 3-5 Naruka, Toyako, Abuta-gun Phone 0142-87-2221 Website

Boyotei Restaurant 36-12 Toyakoonsen, Toyako, Abuta-gun Phone 0142-75-2311 Website

Starting out as a small coffee shop on the Southern shore of Lake Toya in 1946, Boyotei has grown into a cozy tavern that serves up delicious but affordable Western fare. Catering to overseas visitors, the menu comes in a range of languages. You have a selection of hamburg steaks to choose from as well as pasta and deep fried dishes, and one of the best rice omelette dishes in the area.

closed : open 7 days a week

Boyotei

Observatory

Yama Cafe Yama Café 0136-33-2727

optional:

Hotel

Katsukani no Hanasaki

Parco

Mitsukoshi

Erimotei

Chibo

Esta

Stellar Place

Sapporo

Tokyu

Ebiten Bunten

UCC Cafe

Ishiya Cafe

Ishizaki

Keio Plaza Hotel 2-1 North5 West 7, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Phone 011-271-0111 Website

Keio Plaza Hotel Sapporo is a 4-star 500 room hotel in the heart of Sapporo. It was built in 1982 and boasts 7 restaurants and an indoor swimming pool. Reviews of the hotel generally report a good standard of service and rooms which are spacious, albeit a bit old. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from JR Sapporo Station and a 12 minute walk to Odori Park. It is flanked by Hokkaido University to the north and the Hokkaido Botanical Gardens to the south. New Chitose Airport is an 80-minute bus ride away, and an airport bus stops at the hotel (but only in the mornings up to 11:10am).

Sapporo

Odori Park started out as a long open space designed to forestall the spread of fire. Odori actually means big road. Eventually it became a 65 m wide park flanked by 2 smaller roads on either side, continuing for 13 blocks across the middle of Sapporo dividing the city into North and South. Odori Park is the staging ground for many festivals, such as the Yosakoi Soran Festival with its dancing parades, the White Illumination with its German Christmas Market and the famous Hokkaido Snow Festival, Octoberfest to mention a few.

The park is organized into zones, like the International Exchange Zone where the 150m Sapporo TV Tower is located. From its observation deck, the entire park can be seen in all its glory. The other zones are the Oasis Zone which is home to fountains of light and water, the Event Zone with its outdoor stage, the History Zone and the Garden Zone.

Odori Park Website

Katsukani no Hanasaki 2 Minami 5 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo Phone 011-532-3393 Website

closed : no off day, but only serves dinner

Katsukani no Hanasaki (活カニの花咲) offers the ultimate in Japanese crab cuisine. What is distinctive about this Michelin starred restaurant is the performance where the chef cuts up a live giant red king crab, prepares and cooks it in front of customers. With the seasonal course (¥32,000) you can enjoy an entire giant crab per person with each part of the crab prepared in a different styles. There are also more Expensive courses that include sea urchin and/or abalone.

Erimotei 5-11-2, Kita 7-jonishi, Kita-ku, Sapporo Phone 011-708-5544 Website

Erimotei is a unique Japanese-Western fusion restaurant. The restaurant is designed like a British style bungalow with its own courtyard even though it is inside a building. Erimotei differentiates itself by using the freshest seasonal ingredients selected at the peak of their freshness and taste. Dishes are designed to let customers taste the natural flavors of Erimo, the South-eastern tip of Hokkaido, also known as the treasure chest of the sea. The sumptuous Salmon and Scallop Layered Sushi (¥1,250 ) is one such item. It is a cake made of layers of sushi rice and raw scallops, topped with salmon flakes and roe. The 10 items on 8 plates pictured below and the Ricotta Salad with Kasane Sushi are other popular dishes.

Sapporo

closed : Sundays and during Golden Week

youtube of chef in action

2nd choice crab restaurant Hyousetsu no Mono

Ebiten Bunten 4 Chome Minami 2 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo Phone 011-271-2867 Website Google Translated

A well-known authentic old style restaurant that has been serving its affordable tempura cuisine for generations. Ebiten opened in 1954 and this particular outlet is now run by the daughter of the founder Toishio Yagi. Ebiten Honten was relaunched as a high-end restaurant called Tempura Yagi after the founder died, so the spirit of the original Ebiten lives on as Ebiten Bunten (蛯天分店), even though its name describes it as a branch shop. The King Crab Tempura Bowl and Jumbo Prawn Tempura bowl are both ¥3,000, but most other items are between ¥700 to ¥900.

Sapporo

Hanabatake Bokujo Raclette Domestic Terminal Building 3F, New Chitose Airport Phone 012-345-6087 Website Google Translated

closed : no day off

Hanabatake (花畑牧場) Ranch is a farm in Hokkaido known for producing an award winning Raclette Cheese. Raclette is one of Hokkaido’s most famous produce and this restaurant is one of the best places to sample it; besides, it’s at the airport, the one place you must go. The Triple Cheese Pasta is hugely popular and consists of a more than generous portion of melting Raclette cheese sloughed off a cheese wheel at the table directly onto your plate. They also offer the more traditional version on potatoes.

closed : no day off

UCC Café Plaza Aurora Town, 2, Odori nishi, Chuo-ku Sapporo Phone 011-271-5555 Website

UCC Café Plaza is in Aurora Town, which is conveniently located under Odori Park, a perfect place to kick off the shopping day. As all know, UCC cafes are known for their sumiyaki coffee and waffles. It is only one of several shops open for breakfast in Aurora Plaza, so there are other options. One of these would be Café de Crie, a Pokka outlet.

Sapporo

Ishiya Cafe B2F Sapporo Odori Nishi 4 Bldg., Chuo, Sapporo Phone 011-231-1487 Website Google Translated

closed : on Jan 1

Ishiya (石屋) Café is famous for its one and a half inch thick fluffy pancakes. They supposedly taste more like sponge cakes than pancakes, perfect for afternoon tea. The cafe is operated by Ishiya Confectionery, famous for its Shiroi Koibito (白い恋人) biscuits. The other thing a lot of people order is the ice cream parfait. The restaurant is located in the Ekimaedori underpass mall between Odori station and Sapporo station, closer to the Odori side. English menus can be requested.

closed : no day off

Sapporo

Website

Odori Shopping Area This refers to the area around Odori Station and is not a direct reference to Odori Park itself. The district is the traditional center of commercial and retail activity in Sapporo with many department stores like PARCO and MITSUKOSHI and the underground malls POLE TOWN and AURORA TOWN. The kilometer long TANUKIKOJI ARCADE is also part of the Odori Area.

Parco Mitsukoshi Pole Town

This is the area around the Sapporo JR railway station extending south to the Sapporo subway station. STELLAR PLACE and PASEO, some of largest shopping malls in Japan, are within the JR station complex while APIA is below it. Outside one can find department stores like TOKYU and DAIMARU. ESTA, a popular shopping centre with many large electrical appliance shops is also in the vicinity.

Sapporo Station Shopping Area

Stellar Place Daimaru Sapporo ESTA The two areas are connected

underground via the Ekimaedori Underpass

Furano Back up Dining

Country Kitchen Shitto Coco 18 Go Higashi 7 Senkita, Kamifurano, Sorachi Phone 0167-45-6627 Website

This is a country kitchen restaurant situated in a small park in the middle of the lavender fields of Kamifurano. Although not a vegetarian restaurant, at Shitto Coco the vegetables come first. That is why it is acknowledged as the ‘go to’ restaurant for those wishing to enjoy Furano grown vegetables. Each dish is nicely arranged with a colorful assortment of the freshest vegetables so diners can enjoy both their flavor and visual appeal. That being said, restaurant also uses the best available local meat i.e. Kamifurano pork and Furano Wagyu beef.

closed : on Tuesdays Yuiga Doxon 11-8, Hinode-machi, Furano-shi Phone 0167-23-4784 Website

This is another curry omelette rice restaurant, one that is more popular than Shourakutei but requires queueing. Yuiga Doxon’s curry is reputedly made with more than 30 kinds of spices. It is well patronised and it’s best to go at slightly off hours. The restaurant is housed in a simple wooden building and the open ground around it, which is part of it’s charm. Their bestseller is the omelette and sausage curry (¥1,490) featuring their homemade sausage smoked over mountain cherry wood.

closed : on Mondays Other Furano Restaurant Options

Hitsuji no Oka doesn’t accept reservations and this is the nearby backup

Steak & Hamburg Hige 31-19 Honchō, Hakodate Phone 0138-86-5211 Website Google Translated

This is a stylish, modern, casual restaurant, serving mainly western style beef at very reasonable prices. It is a one minute walk from Goryokaku-Koen-Mae station. Inside, there is an open kitchen where you can admire the chef skilfully grilling your meat. Their signature dish is the Tasting Combo of Coarse Ground Hamburger + Lamb Burger.

Hakodate Back up Dining

closed : no off days

List of some other Hakodate restaurants

Sushidokoro Hakodate Donburi Yokocho, 9-15 Wakamatsu-cho, Hakodate Phone 0138-22-5333 Website google translated

Sushi Dokoro Hakodate (鮨処はこだて) is one of several sushi donburi/sushi restaurants lining the Donburi Yokocho Ichiba Avenue in Asaichi market. The thing that sets them apart is their use of red vinegar in their sushi rice, which is said to bring out the full depth and umami flavor of Hakodate’s fresh seafood. Though it’s store front would indicate otherwise, the restaurant is not large and sports only has 10 counter seats and 4 tables. Some recommended dishes are Akami Maguro sashimi (¥1,200) and the Hakodate sushi set (¥3,460).

closed : thursdays

Sapporo Back up Dining

Sukiyaki Shabu-shabu Gyu-no Ishizaki G Dining Sapporo Building 3F, Minami 3 Jo Nishi 3, Chuo-ku

Phone 011-251-8721 Website

The Ishizaki chain oversees the rearing of its own select Tajima black cattle from Ezo in 3rd party ranches. They then buy the animals whole to obtain the freshest and best marbled beef for their restaurants, which each specialize in different cooking styles. One serves teppanyaki, another yakiniku, but Gyu-no Ishizaki (牛のいしざき) specializes in sukiyaki and shabu-shabu. Sets here run from ¥10,500 to ¥20,000 and include beef that is served seared or sashimi style.

closed : on Sundays, serves dinner only

List of other restaurants near Sapporo Station

Otaru Denuki Koji 1-1, Ironai, Otaru-shi Phone 0134-24-1483 Website

Otaru Denuki Koji is not a restaurant per se, but a old style building that houses 20 restaurants and eateries. The building is not huge, so each of the restaurants is tiny, typically seating a dozen, but consequently there is a great variety of cuisines to choose from, including tempura, wagyu sukiyaki, sushi, yakitori, ramen etc. And there are many snack type outlets too, selling things like croquettes, steamed buns, gelato and fried chicken (the famous Naruto). A free observation deck offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area, including Otaru Canal. Denuki Koji is very near to Nord Hotel.

Other Otaru Restaurant Options Otaru

closed : depends on restaurant

Otaru -> Hakodate

Shakotan Peninsula Website

Shakotan is a peninsula jutting out into the Sea of Japan, to the west of Otaru. The area has a history of herring fishing from the Meiji era onwards, and seafood is still the main industry of the area though nowadays Shakotan is more famous for sea urchin. The long coastline of Shakotan features imposing cliffs and oddly-shaped rocks. The 300 degree view from Cape Kamui at the tip of the peninsula is superb, but you will need to walk 770 m along a hiking trail from the car park to reach the lookout area.

Oshokujidokoro Nakamuraya Hizuka-cho 34-1, Shakotan Phone 0135-45-6500 Website

This is a remote restaurant (漁師の店 中村屋) at the mouth of the Hizuka river that is famous for serving freshly harvested (as in hours ago) seafood. The Uni Season is from June to August, so sea urchin may not be available in other months, and the restaurant only sells five bowls of its uni rice bowl per day, so it may be sold out early. Not to worry, there are another 4 or 5 similar or bigger restaurants clustered around it, so there are a few other options.

closed : on tuesday

Back up for Yamamoto Orchard

in case it rains and no fruit picking

There are many marine themed attractions in the area, such as glass bottom boat cruises in a marine sanctuary, cave snorkeling and a Cherry Salmon Sanctuary Center.