It’s now just a comfortable train journey from Tokyo to Hokkaido, but Japan’s northernmost main island rather wonderfully feels like a whole other world compared to the congestion of the capital.
Photographs from a small group of islands
It’s now just a comfortable train journey from Tokyo to Hokkaido, but Japan’s northernmost main island rather wonderfully feels like a whole other world compared to the congestion of the capital.
John says
Cool! I would have guessed Okinawa. Pleased to see you got some great weather!
Lee says
We did. This was the day after a big typhoon. A simply stunning day. The heat and the beautiful blues made it very hard to imagine how bleak it must be in winter…
expat says
Hokkaido has always been unique. But I wonder/fear how this will fare as its is indeed easier to get there from Honshu.
Lee says
That’s a good point. The shinkansen up and down were packed. The combination of cheap flights and now the convenient train will certainly increase the number of visitors. It has to. That said, from the moment we left Hakodate and visited the non-tourist areas we had planned, we didn’t see any other tourists at all. So quite possibly the popular areas will simply get ever more popular, leaving the vast majority of the island pretty much as it is. Only time will tell if that’s true or not.
Matt Talbot says
I’d love to see Hokkaido some day. Is the train from Tokyo expensive?
Lee says
Can’t recommend the place enough. This was my third time, but still so much more to enjoy. Can’t wait to get back.
It ain’t cheap. We planned to fly up, but the typhoon scuppered that and we got the shinkansen both ways. It was all bit rushed in the end, but I think it’s about Â¥22,000 one way, and 10% or so less if you book a return.
MrSatyre says
“My goodness! Burying bodies in this heat is murder! Murder, I say! Get it? Bodies…? Murder…?”
“Ugh, I get it, ojiisan. Do you have to say that every time I visit?”
Lee says
Haha, not quite our conversation, but her back breaking weeding did look murder!
Elisa says
Really nice photo! The blue sky makes me think of holiday…
Lee says
Thanks! Yeah, the lovely blue skies were absolutely wonderful. A real tonic.
cdilla says
That is such a striking sky. It is the sort of sky you see in anime films, like this one from Summer Wars ( http://tinyurl.com/jkp43v5). And like John said, I was thinking it was from the south rather than the north.
She was weeding! Wow. I thought she was preparing the area to dry seaweed or something similar. You would think weedkiller would be a lot easier. It certainly doesn’t look like anything is supposed to grow there.
Lee says
See what you mean. Very similar. We had 3 absolutely beautiful days, but the post-typhoon skies on this particular day probably made it the most stunning. Did make it feel like a beach area.
I know, seems thoroughly unnecessary, doesn’t it, but definitely what she seemed to be doing. Bent over double and putting them in the plastic blue basket. Coming over and speaking to me was a bit of a break from it I think.
john says
Obviously an eco-warrior.
Lee says
Yes, she was certainly doing things the old, eco way. A warrior too in that she was bent over double doing it. 5 minutes like that and I’d barely be able to move for days…
Willy says
Hokkaido once or twice beckoned after visits there… but saw too many weather reports on the telly while in Tohoku during plenty of winters…. well that was a taste. .. close to the flame.. he he..
Lee says
Yeah, as much as I like it there, I’ve only ever been during summer and spring. And I saw enough even in the spring to make me realise the I’m not cut out for such extreme winters…