We made Muroran right on time and the Captain was quite pleased. Congratulated his staff and asked us to help thank them for a successful crossing. Weather is beautiful – sunny and probably 50’s. The forecast is for the mid 60’s which will be lovely. Did our morning routine, then headed to the Princess theatre for our “on your own” to Sapporo bus tour. As usual, we were hating life. Once in the theatre we had to sit through every other tour leaving before we did. Tour was to meet at 9:25 and leave at 9:45. We were still on the ship at 10:15 and getting really cranky. Finally headed out – we were on bus #1. The way everyone was called, all 9 buses ended up going out together so it was bedlam getting on the bus. We definitely weren’t the first bus to leave, that’s for sure.
After we are all on comfortably loaded, the tour guide asks if someone still ahs their white tour ticket. Aw come on! Is this your first cruise? First Tour? Give us a break – give the woman your ticket and let’s get out of here.
So, finally at 10:30 we are on the road for our 2.5 hour drive into Sapporo. It’s beautiful drive, the island of Hokkaido is very rural with lovely farmland. Rolling hills and lots of cows. Stopped at a rest stop about an hour and a half out for bathrooms and food if we wanted. First experience with a Japanese style toilet. Similar to the typical men’s urinal holes, only much better – there were bars to hold on to so you could just lean right back. I was ecstatic! Just hang on and do your thing. Not so bad!
The convenience store attached to the rest stop had a great variety of food – like a fast food stand with dumplings and ice cream and tons of stuff. We didn’t have any Yen yet, so we passed on the food but enjoyed looking at the chocolates and pretty candy displays. All of which seemed pretty reasonably priced.
Back on the road and the rain started. Just a sprinkle or two, the guide said that the weather could change very quickly in Hokkaido. And so it did – right back to sunshine moments later. We arrived in the city at 12:30 and the bus did a quick little tour – past the clock tower and the governmental buildings. We were let out at the TV tower (a miniature Eiffel tower type structure) and told to meet back there at 4:00. We were still on ship’s time, so we had to make sure to ignore all the clocks on land since they were and hour earlier than us. That would have been a nightmare!
Sapporo is a nice city, but very Western looking. No temples or anything else that would make you think you were really in Japan. That is until you start looking at the signage and the different posters around. The typical Japanese style marketing – long vertical signs affixed to just about everything. (Of course, everything is IN Japanese – so that gives you a clue…duh – but when you just look around – the building style is very Western due to the influence of one of the main settlers of Japan – Clark somebody or another who was a Westerner who educated the citizens and had a big impact on the city). Everywhere you look though, those ubiquitous signs and the cartoon characters. They are big into the cartoon characters!!!
Off the bus – we were on our own as quickly as we could. Started off wandering down the Odori gardens, then veered off to Citibank for our Yen. Once we had money in our pocket, we retraced our steps and found an internet café to catch up on work. What a find too – one of the attendants there spoke a smattering of English and was so helpful. Without him, we would have been doomed! Not too many folks speak English so it was all point and pay! After an hour online – including printing our ballots for the November election – we waved goodbye to our new friend (I pestered him relentlessly with the keyboard that kept changing to Japanese, how to print, can you change this 1000 Yen bill, you name it, so we became buddies!) and headed out to explore the city.
We walked back across Odori Gardens, which is a huge wide park area that runs for blocks East and West and divides the city. Sapporo is really easy to navigate. Everything is laid out in a grid with addresses counted in directional blocks from Odori and the Soseigawa river. If it’s 1N 2W, that means it is in the first block North of the Odori Gardens and the 2nd block West of the river. We wandered up a few blocks to the fish market, which was fun. They had the most amazing crab there – really red and a couple odd varieties we’d not seen before. Lots of different fish and a couple of shops. It was small – and since it was afternoon, it was a little deserted. But we had fun wandering around.
Headed back into the center of town and stumbled on the Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade – a huge 7 block affair that runs East to West on 6S. The whole arcade is covered with a domed glass structure (because there is so much snow in Sapporo – and inclement weather – it rains in a heartbeat there) and filled with shops and restaurants and people. There were karaoke places, drug store type places, arcades, shoe stores, clothing stores – you name it – or try to – couldn’t read a thing – no English hardly at all. There was one hotel there we couldn’t resist snapping a shot of: The Richmond hotel! Worlds away, yet always close to home.
We window shopped and people watched – the girls are all dressed really nicely – and here again, as in Europe, all in heels. Headed back to Odori and I snuck into a hotel to use the restroom. Got in there expecting to do the whole squat thing. Oh no – not this time. Here – the toilet seat was heated…and…are you ready? It sang to me and then had a recording of water running to help me go! Luxury on the can….just amazingly funny! So – after that pleasant experience, we hoofed our way back to Odori to walk through the Gardens and look at the Autumn Festival underway.
This was the first year for the Festival (it was the only English on the sign….”since 2008”!) and it was in full swing. There was a section of local craft vendors – some jewelry, but mostly pottery and odd felt bags or something – a bandstand with a band playing, a couple of food areas and beer/wine/alcohol areas. It was fun walking around looking at everything and everyone. We had been told by Hazel, our Lobby Bar Bartender that the corn in Japan was great – and that was what she was going to get when she got off the ship in Muroran. So, taking her opinion, we opted for 2 ears of corn (300Yen each) and sat on the ground in the Gardens munching and people watching. Hazel was right, the corn was fantastic – and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the sun, watching everyone enjoy the music and the festival.
We went looking for some place to buy beer – but could only find a 7-11 (yep – they are called 7 and 11 institute or something, but they are 7-11’s all right). The prices weren’t very reasonable – almost as much as on the ship – so we passed. But on the way – we started looking for trash cans. We still had our corn cobs and wanted to dispose of them. This brings me to the observation that Sapporo was one of the cleanest cities we have ever seen. Not a shred of rubbish anywhere – and we were having problems finding a trash can. Fortunately there were a group of them at the store – for paper, plastic and bottles. They obviously recycle here – and from the looks of it quite successfully. There is also an ordinance about smoking – making it illegal to smoke in public. If you are caught smoking on the street you are fined – we heard it was about 1000 yen or $10 US. They have smoking “spots” that are really giant Plexiglas type cubes you can go into to smoke. But not outside of it. There are even signs painted on the ground telling you not to smoke. Pretty amazing!
Headed back to the meeting point for the bus – under the TV tower and had a beer in a cute little bar/pub underneath the tower. Made a quick foray into the underground mall looking for chocolate – no luck! So we hoofed it back upstairs in time to meet our tour bus group and hop on the bus. Back to the ship in 2 hours – including another rest stop.
Back on the ship we hopped in the shower quickly and made it to dinner at our appointed time (well, appointed for us – since we’re doing anytime dining!!!). Good dinner, Liars club with Murray and Ro for entertainment – almost won! That should be our team name, - the runner’s up, or so close! Then off to bed we went after a very fun but very long day.
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