Memories of Otaru (Originally posted on 2024-Mar-03)

As my friends often tease me, my life is full of routine. In fact, I try to live my daily life with a few limited restaurants and bars, rarely try new places. Part of this is because I wish to avoid to make erroneous choices selecting where I eat or drink, but I would rather have places where I feel comfortable. I do not want to bother the restaurant chefs, but I hope them to make slight adjustments to the dishes because I have many dislikes in terms of food ingredients. I also wish to leave them to decide brand of whisky or sake to because it is too much trouble for me.

As for the bars, I visit three bars every week, one each by day (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). One of the bartenders, who I visit on Saturdays (tentative name: Saturday bartender), was going to visit Nikka Yoichi Distillery, so he would close the bar on Saturday only once in last November.

Visit days in a week are fixed only in my mind, there are no legal or physical restrictions except all three are closed on Sundays. Therefore, it is possible, for example, to swap the bar I go on Friday and on Saturday for one particular week.

However, human beings get caught up in habits. Just because we can theoretically do something about a problem, it does not mean that we actually do it. One usual case is, even though you know that eating breakfast is good for your health, you do not (or cannot) get up even a few minutes early. You may not take the underlying problem seriously, so you may get carried away by the habit.

Similarly, it is difficult for me to visit my Saturday bar on Friday. It could be because the trains are more crowded on Friday than on Saturday, or because there is a chance that more regular customers I know visiting the bar on Saturday, but no concrete reasons. Even though it would be easy to take an action, I am bound by my habit and hard to make even a minor change.

Still, the bar will be closed on a Saturday in November. I can physically go in front of the bar, but its door will be closed, so I have to do something about it although I am now a slave of my habit.

Then, on one of Saturdays, the Saturday bartender asked me if I knew any restaurants in Otaru, nearby city of the distillery. I had visited Yoichi Distillery a few years ago and liked one sushi restaurant in Otaru.

The rest was just a usual story in a bar. As we talked about airline tickets and hotel arrangements, we ended up getting drunk and I said I was going to Otaru and joining him from his 2nd day.

In general, such travel plans are unmaterialized. It is a typical case that just because you can do something theoretically, it does not mean you actually do it.

Yet, I try to take travel seriously. It happened that there were seats available on frequent flyer award ticket from Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo Shin-Chitose and back. If out-of-pocket expense is one-night hotel stay only, I can take it seriously without being so serious.

We have heard that there are several good bars in Otaru, and we planned to visit three if possible. We would surely have sake at the sushi restaurant, so we would have four drinking places in total. As a middle-aged man whose ability to get alcohol out from my system is weaken as getting older, this is theoretically possible, but it is extremely ambitious.

The plan was that we would meet at the first bar in the evening for an aperitif, before going to the sushi restaurant. I was free until then, so I would arrive Otaru by noon on Saturday, and have a piece of cheesecake at LeTAO where is famous for it. If the weather is nice, I would love to see the Otaru Canal and Otaru Port.

I headed for Otaru without much to think, but it was already winter in Hokkaido. With the first strong chill came for the season, the first snow was falling it Sapporo/Otaru area on that day. The temperature was 2 degrees Celsius at the time of arrival and the wind speed was 6 meters per second, effective temperature must have been below zero. Contrary, a few days back, Kanto area had first November “summer day (daytime temperature above 25 degrees Celsius)” in last 44 years.

The unexpected weather did not discourage me. I had a lunch and cake at LeTAO, strolled along the Otaru Canal and Otaru Port despite the freezing cold weather, and enjoyed Otaru night by drinking at one sushi restaurant and three bars all as initially planned.

Putting all other things aside, I can take a travel seriously. When food or drinking plans are added, it is further intense. After all, just because something can be done theoretically, whether or not an action is actually taken depends on one’s perception to the fundamental issues. I am a type of person who try something only what/when I like to do.

Looking back to it, I was told something similar when I was in elementary school. I have not changed in 40 years owing my perception to my own underlying problem.

New Year (Originally posted on 2024-Jan-01)

Shakespeare wrote “the night is long that never finds the day.” In Japanese, it is translated as “there is no night that never finds a day.” In either way, I guess he was the type of person who could think “a glass of half full of water.”

I am not so pessimistic to think that “there is no day that never finds a night,” but I am still a type of person who thinks as “a glass of half empty of water.” I guess “the sun rises and the sun sets; then it presses on to the place where it rises” in Old Testament fits into me although I am not fully sure how it is understood in biblical interpretation. I take it as similar to a Japanese phrase “life is full of uphill and downhill.”

Last year, I went to San Francisco on Thanksgiving holidays to see family and cats of my friend, Shinkoro. There were beautiful sunny days of Northern California in late autumn, and I was able to enjoy the spectacular view of Golden Gate and other sights. I also enjoyed shopping on Black Friday as well as an outlet mall.

On the 1st day of the trip, I worked at the office until the evening, then took a late-night flight out from Tokyo Haneda to San Francisco. On the day of my return, I had a full day of fun, then took another red-eye flight, arriving at Tokyo Haneda in the early morning. I returned home and immediately work a full-day there. I can say that I enjoyed these few days extremely well, leaving me with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

Life is full of uphill and downhill. Or, the sun rises and the sun sets – we must have a night before the sun rises again.

As the type of person who thinks “a glass of half empty of water.” I was afraid of the downhill after having an extremely enjoyable time.

In fact, December was an extremely poor month to me.

On December 1, a few days after returning home, I already had a chill. On the next day, I had a sore throat, then, I started to have a light fever at night. I might be got cold from enjoying too much considering any aftermath, a pattern that would make a kid got angry. The next day was Sunday, so I thought I would take Chinese traditional medicine, Kakkonto, and sleep the whole day to avoid I get angry by mature people around me on Monday.

Well, my life was rolling down very fast.

I spent the next day in bed, but my fever gradually began to rise, and when it reached 39.5 degrees Celsius, I decided to take an antipyretic. I had COVID-19 test kits at home, which I even tested twice, but they were negative. No influenza-like symptoms such as muscle aches were felt, but made doctor appointment on Monday.

As I thought, the influenza test conducted by my doctor was negative. In other words, it was just a common cold. I went home after receiving only antipyretic, thinking that I could have been better off with influenza that had a special medicine like Tamiflu.

I was rolling down deeper than I expected.

As a middle aged man, I thought I would not have enough energy to keep high fever for several days by a common cold, but it seems that my immune system was very active for three days. My fever rose to 39 degrees Celsius day after day, and I had to take medication to bring it down to 38 degrees Celsius. In my case, I physically feel the most severe at around 39 degrees Celsius, but it is around 38 degrees Celsius that I keep having nightmares. No matter taking antipyretic or not, I was not good.

I would have to wait until the sun would arise again.

On the fourth day, the fever was finally gone. I was rolling down to the bottom to the hill, and I supposed that there is no night that never finds a day.

However, it would be a long time after that.

Coughing continued for days. Coughing drains my stamina, interferes with sleep, and depresses my feelings. The days were like stagnation accumulating at the bottom of a hill.

After a few weeks, it improved somewhat. Is the dawn finally approaching?

Then my new iPhone was broken, and I had to kill a half day on Christmas Day visiting to Apple Store to have it repaired. Furthermore, there was no replacement staff to the person who left the office in mid-December. I had to take care jobs I had not been doing for 5 years which I then messed them up. I was still in an early morning twilight even at its best.

How could I have fallen into bottom the hill just by only enjoying San Francisco for a few days? It is life’s fate downhill can be easy while uphill is tough, but I thought all happened in December was too much. Perhaps it was the time for me to change my motto to “there is no day that never finds a night.”

Looking back entire last year, I realized that I got married in the spring and went to Greece in early October as honeymoon. Early October could be the peak of the hill. In other words, San Francisco could be a part of long downhill, just a relief period with gentle slope. This means that the bottom of the hill can be extremely deep. I may still have to roll down the hill.

It is new year, but I am still in a dark and the sun still takes presses on to the place where it rises. I will have to wait until the night finds a day.

Memories of Oirase (Originally posted on 2024-May-12)

I went to Hakodate almost on a whim and encountered a blizzard, so I ended my trip without taking many pictures. The weather at Goshougake Onsen, where I had visited just before that trip, was also not good from a photographic point of view. As a person who loves northern winters, I was frustrated.

Both schedule-driven trips and spur-of-the-moment trip have resulted in frustration. I had no choice but to make a trip based on the weather. My extremely busy days was over in January. I could decide new itinerary.

From the day after I returned from Hakodate, I looked the calendar and the weekly weather forecast every day. Finally, there was a forecast for clear skies from Sunday to Monday in mid-February. Again, there were seats available on the frequent flyer award ticket to Misawa, so I decided to go to Oirase Keiryu (mountain stream), which I had failed to visit last time.

I had already planned the route, but I wanted to get to Oirase earlier than the hotel shuttle bus because I was going on a local tour on the day of arrival. After looking at the local bus schedule, I found that I could get to Oirase on my own by connecting three local bus routes from Misawa Airport. The routes were Misawa Airport / Misawa Station / Towada City Central / Yakeyama. Although all routes were operated by the same company, the schedule and operations did not seem to take into account the needs for connecting, but I managed to reach Oirase.

The weather was as good as forecasted, but there were other problems to consider. It had been an unusually warm winter this year, with mid-March like temperatures already in mid-February, the icicles on the rock were finished, and there was little accumulated snow. I was able to take some beautiful pictures, but the less of the snow made them less impressive.

In the end, it may have been like “mickle fails that fools think”. This winter was a mild one, and no matter I tried, I could not help but feel unsatisfied.

Photography is one of the main purposes of a trip, but it may not be the only one. Going to an unfamiliar place, eating unfamiliar food, and drinking unfamiliar sake. In my case, I am not good at talking to strangers to socialize but I can still experience something out of the ordinary.

Ultimately, I think travel is an opportunity to think about what it means to life. Not something on the surface like frustration with the bus company’s schedule, but something a more inside in mind. I wish to think through unknown experiences, and through traveling, I can get essence of myself that lies deep within my emotions.

Perhaps it is my own immaturity that causes me to be frustrated during a trip to Hakodate in snow and rain storms that ended with only one photo shoot. I should have overcome my frustration, thought about something and reach to something. As Blaise Pascal said “man is a thinking reed”.

Although, in my case, it may be indeed “mickle fails that fools think”.

COLO’s Traveler Guide: Oirase Keiryu

The time and other information in this page are the timetable at the time of the visit.

Day 1

Haneda 0735 (Japan Airlines JAL153) >> Misawa 0855
Misawa Airport 0910 (bus) >> Misawa Station 0926
Misawa Station 1045 (bus) >> Towada Chuo 1114
Towada-Chuo 1124 (bus) >> Yakiyama 1215

– Oirase Keiryuu Tour

Overnight stay: Oirase Keiryu Hotel

Tips for Day 1
– The bus from Misawa Airport to Misawa Station was slightly delayed. The bus to Towada departed right in front of me at 0927 on the schedule.
– The “Towada City Machinaka Kotsu Hiroba” should work as a hub of local buses, but the bus going to Towada from Misawa does not stop there but stops at a nearby bus stop with a different name.
– The bus from Misawa to Towada was 7 minutes late, and I was a bit nervous because it was not difficult to imagine that my 3rd bus would wait to connect. In the end, it was a three-minute connection, so if the 2nd bus had been delayed by one more traffic signal, I would have missed the connection. As is in such cases, the bus to which I was transferring made a stop on the other side of the street.

Day 2

– Oirase Keiryu Tour

Oirase Keiryu Hotel 1030 (shuttle bus) >> Aomori Station 1230
Aomori station 1325 (bus) >> Aomori airport 1400
Aomori 1500 (Japan Airlines JAL146) >> Haneda 1625

Tips for the 2nd day
– When I arrived in front of Aomori station, I felt something unusual. Thinking about it for a while, I realized that it was the first time I came to Aomori without snow. I could kill time outdoors. I ate an apple pie (Aomori is famous for its apples) while looking at the clear Aomori Port.
– I do not like the bleak feeling when I arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport on Sunday night, but weekday afternoon arrivals are rather peaceful.

Memories of Hakodate (Originally posted on 2024-Apr-28)

On the three-day weekend after New Year holidays, I went snow trekking in Goshougake Onsen. I had originally planned to visit Goshogake at the end of January using my compensatory holiday for my duty day during New Year holidays, but since the hotel was closed for renovation work, I had to advance my schedule. I was supposed to be satisfied with the three-day weekend, but the weather was not good and the photos were not good enough either.

In other words, I was not fully satisfied, and I still had day off from the New Year holiday. Without much thought, there was only one conclusion.

Even so, January was extremely busy, time passed without anything materialized. As the end of the month approached, I remembered my company rule that compensatory holiday must be taken within four weeks. I quickly decided to take one day off and made out a three-day weekend. However, my schedule was already packed on Saturday, and I looked for a two-day trip from Sunday to Monday.

This winter weather was said to be mild in Japan, but I still wanted to go somewhere with snow. Since I did not have time to make a plan from scratch, I decided to revisit Oirase Keiryu (mountain stream), where I visited several years ago, as a place where I could enjoy photography.

As expected in the off peak season, there were seats available on frequent flyer award ticket even at the last minute.

On the 1st day, fly from Tokyo to Misawa, then take local bus to Hachinohe and connect to a hotel shuttle bus to Oirase. Taking advantage of the hotel’s local activities provided, I can photograph the Oirase Keiryu day and night without renting a car.

On the way back, I can took a shuttle bus to Aomori Station and then take the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Hakodate where I can visit at a high-end sushi restaurant, finally go direct from the restaurant to Hakodate Airport return to Tokyo on the last flight.

When I came up with this plan, it was a few days prior to the departure. I had to make arrangements as early as possible. Without thinking much about, I got the airline tickets. Finally, I realized the hotel cancellation fee was already 100% as it was a last minute.

Once the hotel reservation was made, there was no turning back. I made sure things work out, but while there were rooms available, both shuttle bus and local activities were full. The only way was to rent a car, but I do not like driving. I have only driven in summer, and snow-covered roads were new to me. I heard that the rental car was equipped with studless snow tires, but I guess such tires are not omniscient god.

I did not have much time to worry about it, but I decided to give up the idea of going to Oirase. However, I had already taken a day-off and booked a plane tickets. It was the last weekend when I could take a compensatory day off, and I didn’t think it would be a good idea to pay a cancellation fee for free tickets. I decided to stay in the Hakodate area and look for an onsen, considering the high-class sushi restaurant to be the main part of the trip.

Hakodate is known for its Yunokawa Onsen, but since it is within the city area, I decided to pass on that. After carefully looking at a map of southern Hokkaido, I found a hot spring resort called “Hotel Keibu” on the outskirts of Hakodate. It is located near the entrance to the Tsugaru Straits, heading east from Hakodate City. I checked out the hotel and found that it was possible to request a pick-up service, so I made a reservation in the afternoon of the day before departure.

I had to catch a plane from Tokyo Haneda Airport at 7:35 a.m. to Misawa Airport in order to catch the Shinkansen train to Hakodate, which departed from Tokyo Station at 8:20 a.m. This made no sense, but I connected all the way Misawa / Hachinohe / Shin-Aomori / Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto by trains, and headed for Hakodate.

When the Shinkansen exited the Seikan Tunnel onto Hokkaido Island, there was a blizzard. From Hakodate Station, we boarded a hotel shuttle and proceeded along the Tsugaru Strait. All it was a very sadly monotone world.

However, it was not only a monotone world. By the time I arrived at the inn, it was blizzarding so hard we couldn’t even see around.

The next day, the temperature rose and it rained heavily. There was a lighthouse in front of the hotel and a fishing port within walk away, so I brought my camera in hopes of taking some pictures, but it was useless.

Before departing from the hotel, there was a moment when the rain stopped slightly, and I was able to go out and take a picture of the lighthouse. I braved walk into the accumulated snow to take a photo, but it was cold with strong winds so I gave up early. In the rest of the trip, I had not taken the camera out of my bag. In the end, I finished the trip with far fewer shots than at Goshougake, which I had left dissatisfied.

As a photographer, I know weather condition is a matter of luck. Still, I was able to find a satisfactory lodging, including its rugged outermost location and nice stuffs. Since it is likely to be crowded in summer, I thought to revisit the hotel in late fall or early winter.

I should be satisfied with having found a good lodging, but I was not fully convinced by myself.

COLO’s Traveler Guide: Hakodate

The times listed are the timetables at the time of the visit. I do not recommend my onward journey at all, just to show how irrational it was.

Day 1

Tokyo Haneda 0735 (Japan Airlines JAL153) >> Misawa 0855
Misawa Airport 0910 (Airport Bus) >> Misawa Station 0926
Misawa 0944 (Aoimori Railway) >> Hachinohe 1004
Hachinohe 1025 (Shinkansen Hayabusa 5) >> Shin-Aomori 1052 – 1120 (Shinkansen Hayabusa 7) >> Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 1217
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 1235 (JR Line) >> Hakodate 1250

Hakodate Station 1400 (shuttle bus) >> Hotel 1520

Overnight stay: Hotel Keibu

Tips for Day 1
– The hotel was chosen without any plan at all, but it was wonderful. There were only 3 groups of 6 people staying on Sunday night, and I was able to spend a relaxing time.

Day 2

Hotel 1000 (shuttle bus) >> Hakodate Station 1120

Lunch: Lucky Pierrot

– Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples

Dinner: Sushi Restaurant Kihara

Hakodate 1920 (All Nippon Airways ANA558) >> Tokyo Haneda 2050

Tips for Day 2
– If you eat Lucky Pierrot (a famous local fast-food place) for lunch, it will affect the sushi from 5:00 p.m.
– If you start Sushi Kitahara at 5:00 p.m., you will be served before it gets crowded, so you can eat well and drink enough sake then to catch the last flight.

Memories of Goshougake Onsen (Originally posted on 2024-Apr-17)

I love Goshougeke Onsen in Akira Prefecture. It has been about 15 years since the first time I visited, and it is especially nice in winter because there are fewer people.

January in 2023, I participated in a snowshoe trekking organized by Hachimantai Visitor Center for the first time. I enjoyed the spectacular snow-covered scenery, but the weather was not so good. For my 2nd trial seeking nice weather, I made a guided tour and lodging reservations for January of this year. Since I made the reservations two months in advance, with a national holiday in mind, I had no choice of days I stayed.

In reality, it was more of a gamble. When selecting travel destinations, I often check the weather trends on Weather Spark, and according to this site, the chance of clear skies is as low as 15% in Akita Prefecture in winter.

On the other hand, the probability of precipitation is also low, around 30%. However, the site does not seem to count precipitation of less than one millimeter, so the probability may be much higher if you include days with light snow. Even if I cannot aim for clear skies, I would like to avoid snowfall in my photos.

By the way, nothing good has happened since last December. I thought that things could suddenly get better after new year came. On the day of the tour, the same guide as last year made the same comment when we started the tour. “If you want to take pictures, you have to come when it’s sunny”. Well, the weather was such that in this year too.

After a while, the weather turned into a blizzard. It was definitely worse than last year. I knew I cannot statistically expect clear skies, but it does not have to be a blizzard.

The worst blizzard was occured when we climbed the hill overlooking the steam-spewing swamp. The view was spectacular, but snow was flying up from bottom of the hill, making low visibilities. If this is a result of my daily life, I must be a terrible person.

As is often the case, it was turned sunny when we returned to the onsen hotel. The guide asked me with a smile, “Will you come back for the third time?”

Some of the hotel staff knew that I participated in the snowshoe trekking, and after I returned, they told me that they were glad the weather was clear. The kindness of the Akita people touched my heart, but the Akita sky accused me that I was not a good person.

Next year, I will try for the third time. It is difficult to improve my human nature, but as long as I keep doing it many times, one day I will be able to win the gamble.

COLO’s Traveler Guide: Northen Akita

The time and other information are the timetable at the time of my visit.

Day 1

Tokyo Haneda 0855 (All Nippon Airways ANA719) >> Odate-Noshiro 1005
Odate-Noshiro Airport 1020 (airport bus) >> Odate Station 1113

Lunch: Hanazen

Odate 1336 (Hanawa Line) >> Kazuno Hanawa 1428
Kazuno Hanawa 1435 (shuttle bus) >> Goshougeke Onsen 1520

Overnight stay: Goshougeke Onsen

Tips for Day 1
– I originally wanted to visit “Akita Hinaiya” on this day, but my flight from Tokyo Haneda was delayed for about an hour, and it was past noon when the bus actually arrived Odate Station, so I had to give up. I decided to go to “Hanazen” in front of Odate Station, which was originally planned for the third day. Freshly made chicken rice was delicious.
– The bus at Odate-Noshiro Airport was new and larger than last year, which was a welcomed change since it used to be crowded on its way to Takanosu Station.

Day 3

Goshougeke Onsen 0930 (shuttle bus) >> Kazuno Hanawa 1020
Kazuno Hanawa 1053 (Hanawa Line) >> Higashi-Odate 1141

Lunch: Akita Hinaiya

Odate 1357 (Limited Express Tsugaru 4) >> Takanosu 1414
Takanosu 1440 (Akita Nairiku Line Express) >> Kakunodate 1641
Kakunodate 1702 (Shinkansen Komachi 38) >> Omiya 1939
Omiya >> Yokohama

Tips for the 3rd day
– Got off the train at Higashi-Odate Station and walked to “Akita Hinaiya”. The restaurant served excellent “Hinai Chicken” oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl) and treated us wonderfully.
– Sake was sold on the express train of Akita Nairiku Line. We headed for Kakunodate in a warm train, enjoyed winter scenery as we sipped sake. It was a nice time.