GO: Yuki Matsuri

I am cold. I am FREEZING. I am sitting on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, typing and shivering. The space heater is about as close as it can be without my hair catching fire and I still can’t seem to warm up. And, while most of me is just plain cold, my right hand is an actual block of ice. Oh, and I am at home in Ota, central Japan. I am here and I am dreaming of the warmth of northern Sapporo.

Sapporo was wonderful! Last weekend, I met up with my friend Sonia and another ALT from her town for the famous, annual Yuki Matsuri (snow festival) in the prefecture of Hokkaido.

I am going to pause my story here for a moment to apologize. I would like to say sorry to all of the ALTs I said were crazy for requesting a northern placement. After seeing this part of the country for myself, I now totally understand why you would want to live here. In fact, I think you are so very lucky to be able to experience such a beautiful part of Japan.

Hokkaido is romanticized by the Japanese. My students write fairytale stories about falling in love, marrying and moving to this nature rich part of the country. As for me, I only had a few days to enjoy this winter wonderland.

My plane touched down just outside of Sapporo at about 10 am on Friday morning. It was a bit of a crazy trip that began with a 4 am cycle to the station, followed by a sweltering bus ride through snarled Tokyo traffic, and included a mad dash to make the flight. By 11:15, I was at the tourist office collecting maps and other goodies. And at 12:30, my friend Sonia and Heidi arrived at out downtown hotel.

Immediately, we began touring, and tasting. Our first stop was for a big bowl of delicious and fresh ramen noodles from a famous alleyway lined with closet-sized shops.

Next, we walked to Odori Park to check out the snow and ice sculptures. Some walking, then straight up the TV Tower for a view of the city as large flakes of fluffy snow drifted down. A little more Odori Park. Next, we made our way to the Tokei-dai, a famous clock tower in the heart of Sapporo with a small civic museum.

Back to the hotel for a short rest and to add some clothing layers, and we were off again. Our evening destination was the Sapporo Beer Factory. We were looking for THE Beer Garden restaurant, but we settled for A Beer Garden after discovering a multitude of choices. We downed some premium beer and grilled slices of fresh lamb and vegetables at our table. Each diner was served a bib to keep clean and a large plastic bag to cover our coats and bags with in an attempt to keep everything we own from absorbing the juicy smell of the meat.

A little more Odori Park, a few ice sculptures, and a hot drink and we were ready to call it a night.

The next day was our chance to explore a little further out. In the morning, we took a bus to another part of the festival fun. It was mostly for kids, but we gladly got in on the fun by plunging down an icy inner tube hill and getting lost in a giant snow maze.

Our next destination was the city of Otaru. It was stunning. Otaru is a beautiful, old city with a romantic canal and intriguing brick warehouses, many now occupied by glass artists. After dark, the city put on a breathtaking display of glass and snow lanterns. I had never seen a snow lantern before. It’s just a cylinder of packed snow with a candle stuck in the centre. The orange glow is subtle and warm.

On Sunday morning, we climbed aboard a downtown streetcar and up a mountain via ropeway. Then into a bus that had triangles where round wheels should have been. It gripped and packed the snow as it transported us to the observatory. The view from Mt. Moiwa was spectacular. Blue, blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The snowy mountains to our left, the city reaching out to the distant shore on our right.

A few last sights before it was time to go. We explored the red brick government building with its free museum inside. And, I enjoyed a hot bowl of curry soup before the long journey south to my frosty home in Ota.