Hokkaido / Niseko / Tokyo 2015 Part 1: Riding the Powder!

 

 It's was a trip of 2014 with our venture with Follow Me Japan last winter to Hokkaido / Rusutsu. We have just 2 full days of snowboarding then and Wifey was sufficiently addicted to plan for a 7 nights ski trip this year. Yes 7 nights! I'm happy not to rush around the slopes and have more time to 'smell the flowers', and off the JAL tickets were booked for december. This time no pictures till when we reached our first resort, Green Leaf by Hilton at Niseko. We had an old plane with crappy 6" screens but were have the 'emergency seats' (uncomfortable ones), + 10pm flight time, meaning we were zombies by the time we landed in Haneda ~6pm for a ~730pm transit to Chitose. The Chitose leg was a dream as I slept the moment I got onto the seats (and never work up during the roar of take off!).  It was a pleasant sight to visit the Chitose airport with vast shopping areas, I picked up the portable WIFI modem at the Post Office there and we were able to sooth our connetivity cravings. A quick tempura and we're onto one of the Hokkaido liners for a 3 hour trip to Niseko!

 The bus arrived at Green Leaf and it was a pretty boutique-ish hotel. Instead of rushing for the mountains, we rush to catch our sleep and woke up to join an ex-student of Wenhui who's mom has graciously invited us for dinner at Hilton. A feast ensured with toro sashimi, amazing scallops, A4 Waygu, lovely rise, soup, sushi and japanese fruits, paired with nice Sake and Sochu (with soda)

 The bus stop where we get down . Everything is caked with a layer of snow. Hokkaido gets meters and meters of snow every season!

Day 1 of snowboarding: Ratana had a few hours of basics with Wenhui and I grew quickly very board and went on the nearest lift. The snowboard legs came back very fast and I was making turns very soon. The weather was decent and I should have appreciated more and snow storms were to plague the next few days!


Day 2 of boarding. After a quick morning session, we were off to check out and lug all our gear to the Hirafu village. It was snowing pretty heavily and it's no fun luggage all our luggage including all our snow gear!

 We stayed at a place called Pension Berg (location 1 on map), an ultra basic, fudon, common showers, shared toilets type of facility. It was off looking for a nearby slow and we took ~15mins to get to the nearest lift by walking (location 4 on map) . Wenhui had little issues getting of this lift (with very heavy falls back at Green Leaf Banzai lift and a latter lift). It was a gentle slope with a ton of kids and the change of practically no one on slope in Niseko village to Hirafu was quite an experience. After 3-4 rounds of the same lift, it was pretty tiring and a seemingly very long hike back to Pension Berg. An Onsen after a 'long day', is always very rewarding!

 Day 3 was a total white out at several portions of the slopes. As the wifey was afraid of chair lifts, the only way to get up was a Gondola. I liked it a lot as it shields one from the biting winds and one has 6 minutes to eat/warm up/ catch some shut-eye.

 The helmet is very understated and important part kit. This time we were clothed in Phenix attire and they're as fabulous as the Salomon gear which we had last year. The board and bindings are Burton which are very good too. I'm keen to try smaller boots or go to some boot fitting shop in the next trip. Here the wife had a very bad backward fall while clipping the heel side. Whiplash / neck / backaches ensure but she soldiered on bravely to continue after this short break.

A huge vibrant view of Hirafu village. The Niseko village side is managed by TCL corporation wholly while the Hirafu side is still owned by Japanese but with huge Australian influence.
Red Dot: Pension Berg
1: Senso 2
3. Izakaya place near by
4. Nearest lift by walking
5.Some cheap "Seng Siong" supermart, filled with Australians and Asians wiping the shelves clean on a daily basis!
6. Welcome Center - the place where most long distance buses will drop you
7. Gondola -The second major stop in Hirafu, we were here daily!

 Day 4 of snowboarding, a perfect blue skies day we've been waiting for week for! The Japanese weather forecasts were really on the dot. Armed with Accu and Weather apps, Accu was able to predict even hourly forecast to pretty accurate standards. Here's our humble abode for 5 nights, Pension Berg.

 The view from Pension Berg onto the main road, with a quaint Yama-something convenience store. Had good sake, apple, small bites from it!

 A perfect day for wefie on the Gondola, with Michael Chin ( a fellow powder addict-pro skiier from Singapore).

 Wifey looking pro

 The tourist shot. Clothed in Phenix gear which are superbly excellent in repelling water and a very pro-looking helmet too. I opted for shades instead of goggles as the rental goggles are not as 'wide' as my regular shades. The only issue is that during extreme wind/snow, water /fog does get into the eyes/internal parts of the shade.

 Another spectacular view from the Gondola. Good views are really important, to see where the humps and dips of the slopes. In extreme white outs, we're literally riding blind, going all out via feeling.

 Wifey on the BLACK slopes, pretty steep.

 Another awesome view. This was the ONLY photo taking day and I took no chances.

 It's also the only day which we want to the 'top' of the Hirafu slopes and got down via the Yamazono side, which is even more empty than the Niseko side. Wifey had a big all off the chair lift and managed to ride smoothly down the awesomely smooth and gentle green slopes of Yamazono. It was off for a nice lunch and an early shuttle bus ride back to Pension Berg for Onsen and rest.

After a few nights of food in Hirafu, we were of to Kutchan, a nearby village where prices were 'for regular Japanese', easily marked down 40% from Hirafu. 15mins by shuttle bus, our 'All mountain pass' got us free rides on the Niseko United Buses too (else it'll cost 390 yen per direction per pax). The rain came suddenly and it was the most hazardous walk in the dark, ultra windy, pretty heavy rain (by tropics standards), and fortunately, the dinner was awesome. This was Hamakko, Kutchan North 2 West 1. Costing just ~2800 yen per pax, we had sake, beer, huge plate of Sashimi, classics was the Potatoe, and a belly warming Rice in Tea. I never near potatoes can taste this way, ultra-flavorful, soft and chewy at the same time. The Rice in Tea was simple as it is, for the clearest of broth having all the essence of dried scallops, seaweed and the Hokkaido winter magic. A great meal for 3 (including Michael).  And it was off again in the dreaded rain back to Pension Berg.

 Day X of the snowboarding. It was the final day of riding, and the horrid rain the night before promised lots of crappy ice kacang, marbles and golf balls all over the mountain. Frozen sidewalks made for a treacherous trek to the Gondola with wifey made the 2nd of 3 falls of the day (not counting ON the slopes). The day promised to be very windy and snowing too. A bleah day indeed. Heavy winds have ripped the steep parts of the submit of the snowcover, with 'bare solid earth' showing a several portions of the upper slope, making for very treacherous riding. Big ice golf balls littered the parts, making turns difficult and a very bumpy ride with vibrations through the body. We made just ONE run that day and decided mid-way it's going to be our only run. Near the bottom of the slopes at the welcome center,  a portion of the SOLID ICE was so slippery that I slipped and slid ~20 mins downslope (with flashes of Cliff Hanger going thru my mind, :how to stop??). Once down at the center, the weather set in and horizontal blizzard ensured. A long trek to Pension Perg--> Green Leaf to return the gear. Back to familiar grounds, the icy conditions were as bad.

 We went to Kutchan directly from Green Leaf, a 45 mins rides with several stops in between. This was to make full use of our All-Mountain Pass, with the trip itself worth ~600 yen per pax. We had wanted to try the Torimatsu (Of  Anthony Bourdain show), and this was FULL. We went around in the cold but non-raining (very important!) weather and found this 'hole in the wall'. Koiso, in Kutchan , North 3, West 1.  2 tables and a small bar counter, with just a page of pictures and english, with the rest of the menu in english. We ordered most of it and boy, it was the find of the trip! Especially the Sake, we wanted to BUY the sake the moment we sipped it. The Tofu-delicious dish was great (I'm ain't a tofu fan), chicken skewers were perfect, Saba was a little salty and overcooked, while the potatoe salad ensure we were filled to the brim, and we have the Rice with Tea again! (not in picture). We were off to a nearby huge book store and equally huge supermarket for browsing before the next bus brought us back to Pension Berg for our final night there.

Happy birthday to me: Mid-life Crisis?

 Prelude: Realised I haven't touched my blog for the entire year. Every 14th August, I take time off to properly inhale-exhale, to properly 'take stock of life's givings and misgivings, attempting to answer all the open ended questions. The wife asked: Any reflections? Looking at the past 7 years of Blogposts, I've aged visibly, put on a few pounds perhaps, gone mellow and wiser I hope.

Inter-mezzo: It's a thursday, and off to work as usual, to Chiro, office, then to a studio installation. Afterwards it was to Cat Cafe @ Boat Quay. Wifey was more excited than me (I had to remind her it's not her birthday more than once). Having been to the no.1 cat cafe in Tokyo in 2012, the Cat Cafe trend has taken Singapore by storm with 3 cafes within a span of 9 months? This cafe is visibly Japanese-influenced. It's nice to meet all the felines, and with all staff and ALL cat cuddlers were ladies, I wouldn't complain in the realm of felines and pussies.

Our favourite cat Demi. Even though they're perfectly manicured, it's a one-hour fleeting association with little feelings left behind. Thoughts go to our own cat Tommy as well as the strays around our neighbourhood.

 Cadenza: It was off to nearby Raphael Gabriel for a shirt fitting followed by dinner at L'Operatta. Operated by Japanese, it is Italian-Japanese fusion fine dining. We opted for a 1-star Omakase with wifey challenging Shotaro for a vegetarian dinner. This cold fine-spaghetti  laced with peaches was refreshing, pure. I'd have like to try a hot version of this!

 One of their star dishes, aglio olio topped with mouth-watering Hokkaido-Uni!

 Dish of the night: Risotto topped with generous shavings of truffles. Creaminess, earth, mushrooms, harmoniously blended. Pardon the crappy lighting/treatment of the image.

 We hardly pose for images. Even the most un-vain doesn't like to have their images taken. This is for posterity. period. Wonderful meal at L'Operatta.

"How many KM shall I run tomorrow to burn off the calories from these two cakes?"
Coda: It's back to home, with the traditional birthday cutting celebration with my family. It'd have been easy to brush off to say 'cake not needed', ' no need to celebrate'. In truth, it's a privilege, blessing, luxury, to have one's family in good health, in harmony, to sing a song long overheard, to share that 10mins of reminder that family is important.

Encore: What's next?  It's been a year since a change in diet, gain of 6kg (another report on this). It'll probably be more Yoga, Gymming, Fitness, Diet, Chopin, Wine, fine dining. See ya in a year's time!

2013 Hokkaido Part 4 (final part!)

Day 07 (27th Dec, Fri)

Rusutsu - Sapporo
(B/L/D)
Hotel: Keio Plaza Sapporo or similar

After days spent outdoors in Hokkaido’s winter cold, perhaps one of the best ways to chase the chill away is to visit the Nikka Whiskey Distillery in Yoichi. Out of the numerous companies producing whiskey in Japan, Suntory and Nikka are probably the two most well-known, and in Hokkaido, whiskey is synonymous with Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt – the winner of numerous World Whiskies Awards and International Spirit Competitions. Come here to learn about traditional methods of whiskey production and the history behind Nikka Whiskey, and definitely a taste of this liquid gold.

Other places: Otaru

It was finally time to leave the slopes and highlight of the trip to heave to Otaru and finally Sappporo for one last night in Japan. The agenda in the morning was to visit Nikka Whiskey distillery. Not as famous as Yamazaki nor Hibiki etc, Nikka does hold it's place especially in history for being the first in Japan. The founder went to Scotland to 偷师， married a Scottish chick, and went back to Japan and there you have the beginnings of Japanese Whiskey. Having great water source, and similar latitude as Scotland, Japanese Whiskey had the right Terrior to begin with. BUT, alas, Nikka was CLOSED and we were teased on having 25 year old single cask whiskey and imagine how close the tour guide got to be accidentally tripped under a bus when the news broke? In it's place, some 2nd grade Sake distillery right in Otaru. Bah!!!

Lunch! Turned out to be Sakae Sushi which we've been in 2009 and I've completely and utterly forgotten about it. The first dish was a bloody huge bowl of Chanwanmushi with the tiniest spoon you can fathom. Deliberate Irony?

s

One of the lessons drilled in my head was to eat 'blind' (that is without knowing where the source/chef/ingredient nor know the price), but sometimes it can be BAH! and hence, Quality-price-ratio (QPR) comes into play. Knowing the lunch set cost around SGD$50, one can't expect top grade auction fish and sommelier rice on the table. Overall the Sushi was prepared a little too early and was drying out but a decent platter which I wolfed down promptly.

 Knowing there'll be eats at Otaru, we didnt' order much extras, and with a fellow traveller Jimmy the foodie (who ordered extras almost at every meal stop), we had Otoro Sashimi! (@ a 'reasonably priced' SGD$12.50!). A little too fat and chewy, I'll be looking forward to more Chu-toros, Shimofuri and especially high grades Akami from now on!

O-ta-ru.... and complimentary shot at the canal photographed to the death.

Having been here in 2009, it's pretty deja vu remembering a few buildings from the archives of memory. The 'musical' shop is fascinating with it's pretty boxes and nice tunes but it is this building which got wifey all oohing and aahing.

Wifey all ready to get into the house....to meet my neighbor...

 TOTORO! An oversized chinchilla which doesn't speak, supposedly only appears in front of good children, inspired legions of fans, soft toys for a one hit wonder movie by Joe Hisaishi. I like the music much more than the quirky, dark (I'd say some not suitable for children) movies. Wifey however, adorse all things Hisaishi, and of course, Totoro!

Wifey with the family of Totoros!

Chibi waves hi, with a little green leaf. Or, is he (or she, or it?) trying to shield from the elements/rain with a tiny piece of magic?

 The clock tower in front of the musical box shop. The video here captures the final seconds when the clock hits 1.45pm and I caught only the final bits of DO-FA-TI-DO, using steam/pipes!

 And it was off the streets looking at souvenir shops selling glassware (yawn), and lotsa food. Here an amazing cream puff, and plenty of other stores selling cheesecakes, 7-coloured tiered Ice-cream (gimmick!), and Caramel stuff. None of the cheese cakes (especially the big conglomerate Le Tao!!), can compare with the ethereal, fluffy, lighter than air, SNAFFLES! Another word on Le Tao: They had like 4-5 stores along the tiny stretch of Otaru 'main street', and had enthusiastic sales representatives giving out free samples of their cheesecakes and chocolates and hence in virtually every corner, you bump into a Le Tao!

Following our guide's recommendation (I trust her taste more and more, and wifey's comment that an auntie guide is a good guide as they usually know where to sess out good food), we also went to this Caramel shop. Not a fan of caramel (usually too sweet, no acids, balance), I went ahead and sampled them anyway. It's Y-U-M and Hokkaido's blessing with good water (hence good dairy), and now great sugar and hence Caramel is pretty awe-inspiring for me. Still not a sweet tooth person nor snack loving, I only bought a few packages back.

 Finally, it was to our final hotel of the trip and the best was saved for last! We stayed at the JR Tower Nikkor hotel, very much 5 stars in every way!

Just look at the bath room! An ONSEN in a bathroom!

 We were off to the streets pretty quickly as Wifey wanted to visit this Cat Cafe around '15 blocks' away'.

 Most cats were aloof and were either sleeping or were grouchy and not friendly!

One of my favourite, big eyed and dark striped!

 Wifey disturbing sleeping felines. It's been reported that this cafe's cats weren't the most friendly around Japan but it's wifey's first visit (I've been to one in Tokyo and it was a great experience), and perhaps one should visit during the day or during feeding when they're more active?

 It was a dash to have a 'must-have' in Sapporo, RAMEN, an hour before DINNER! :P

 A Crab-only dinner, eat until you drop, challenge itself. Despite downing the Ramen just an hour earlier, I was pretty confident to tackle this meal.

 Crab appetiser, crab chawanmushi, crab cakes, crab hot pot, deep-fried crab, crab sashimi, crab crab.

 Oh, did I mention Crab Sashimi? It's a first for me, it's pretty mushy and unlike any other fish sashimi. Add a little wasabi and I like it!

 A break from the Crab marathon, a nice bottle of Sake!

 It was more crab and crab sashimi and crab and finally ended with rice cooked in the crab broth + eggs into a gooey mess of a porridge, really yummy though super full then already!

A blizzard was expected the next morning with lowest temperature at -9 degrees C. The Sun rose at 7.05am and peeked through the dense clouds and showered Sapporo with a few moments of a calm wintry morning bathed in Sunlight, before the mother of all blizzards came in and whitened the area and we couldn't see passed the 5th building from our hotel!

The storm quieten a little but my tummy started growling and it was time for a 5* breakfast and I wasn't disappointed. 

 Even after so many days of fresh breads, milk, this cheese with Hascup flavour simply blew all butters and cheeses and spreads out of the sea of Japan! First instinct was: Do they sell this? Unfortunately, they don't!

 Wifey enjoying the sweet potatoes, yam, and other usually forbidden carbs!

 The very last stop was the Sapporo wet market. Extremely touristy, shoppers were encouraged to buy FRESH seafood and were given free styrofoam boxes to pack onto the bus and directly onto the plane back to Singapore!

 Look at the TOROs! Priced at easily 40% off Singapore's price, I wasn't very tempted to buy any fresh ones back for the 8 hour flight + another 12 hours sitting in the fridge before sunday's dinner. Of which I was a little overdosed with Japanese food already (Yes, it can happen!)

 We had more fun shopping at vegetables and other groceries stores, scoring good cheeses, persimmons, oranges and seaweed!

 I eat a carefully measured breakfast which left my taste buds sufficiently sharp for a final dash of Japanese goodness, and here wifey looks on.

 All I need is a RICE for any meal - So I said, to myself. And I WAS RIGHT! Just add the best Uni, Salmon Roe, and Akami!

 Another checklist was to have Abalone Sashimi, and my, it was twanky/weird. Most of the other seafood sashimi were great though!

 And it was off to Chitose and they have the BEST shopping thus far, with Doraemon, Royce, Steif type of theme shops outside the check-in area, and super huge isetan food areas for any last minute shopping of all your favourite Royce, Shiroi Kobito, Snaffles, Le Tao, Tokyo Banana (wait..it's HOkkaido but you can get the Banana if you like too), and dozens of other fresh seafood, cheese cakes, chocolates....

 really liked this 'evel' Doraemon!

 Pink Doraemon enjoying a Honey Melon!

My last shot of the trip, of the hunt for the 'milk in the glass bottle' again, but this was not to be...till the next trip, I'll discover more of me, myself and I!

Ending notes:
points: Self-discovery, of my likes and dislikes
Highlights: Crab sashimi, live squid fishing, fresh powder, good light (crawford inn), ice cream a lake fram hill, sulphur onsen at Maharoba, Uni at Hakodate, Snaffles at Hakodate City. Yes, it's more food than sights!

Hokkaido 2013 Part 1

Hokkaido 2013 Part 2

Hokkaido 2013 Part 3