Sharing our 11D trip to Hokkaido/Tokyo

limweeli

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Hi,

Just sharing our itinerary and pics from our recent trip. We spent around 7D in Hokkaido (5D driving) and 3D in Tokyo. This our 2nd trip to Japan so we are considered newbies still. We got a lot of info from the bros/sis here so we are sharing what we experience too. Hope you'll find it useful :)

Anyway, here's the highlights of our trip:


Day 0 (29 Aug Thurs)
- Red-eye flight to Narita Airport

Day 1 (30 Aug Fri)
- Domestic AirAsia Japan flight to New Chitose Airport
- Lunch and explore New Chitose Airport area
- JR train to Otaruchikko station
- Check-in Grand Park Otaru
- Otaru Canal evening pics (via stroller bus)

Day 2 (31 Aug Sat)
- Kaisen don breakfast at Shinnantaru Market
- Sakaimachi Street (walked there and it ain't as far as it seems)
- JR train from Otaruchikko to Sapporo station
- Drop bags at Toyoko Inn
- Former Government Building, Clock Tower, Odori Park (walked)
- Early ramen dinner at Susukino
- Subway back to Sapporo station and check-in

Day 3 (1 Sep Sun)
- Collected car from Nippon Rent-a-car (booked via Tooco)
- Shiroi Koibito Park
- Mitsui Outlet Park and lunch
- Drove to Asahikawa (must stop by Michi no eki Mikasa and eat the yaki tori skewer)
- Check-in Dormy Inn Asahikawa
- Asahikawa ramen dinner (recommended by hotel staff)
- Onsen!

Day 4 (2 Sep Mon)
- Asahiyama Zoo (breakfast on the road as we woke up late)
- Lunch at Hotel Lavenir, Biei (and got some info for the area)
- Patchwork Road (north of Biei)
- Panorama Road (south of Biei)
- Shikisai no Ota (first glimpse of flower fields)
- Blue Lake
- Drove up to Ryounkaku ryokan (1280m above sea level with nice view and dinner. But damn ulu and a bit scary for me.)
- Onsen! (but this one a bit scary cos nobody using it at night!)

Day 5 (3 Sep Tue)
- Breakfast at Ryounkaku ryokan
- Chanced upon Bestom Supermarket to stock up on baby food and supplies (surprisingly hard to get bottled baby food!)
- Farm Tomita (our fav and must try the lunch with a nice view of the farm there)
- Drove to Potpourri no Sato but cannot find it. Visit Hokkaido list it as a farm to see Lavender till mid-Sept.
- Furano Marche
- Check-in Furano Natulux Hotel
- Went to New Furano Prince Hotel area to check out Kaze no Garden and Ningle Terrace
- Dinner at a local Shabu Shabu restaurant behind Natulux Hotel (recommended by hotel staff)
- Fake onsen :p (just warm water)

Day 6 (4 Sep Wed)
- Long drive down to Lake Toya (must stop by Usuzan stop which has a very nice view of the southern coast)
- Lake Toya cruise
- Drive to Noboribetsu
- Check-in Daiichi Takimotokan (our fav!)
- Jigokudani
- Gokuraku Shopping Street
- Buffet dinner at Daiichi Takimotokan
- Real onsen finally!!

Day 7 (5 Sep Thu)
- Morning Onsen!
- Buffet breakfast at Daiichi Takimotokan
- Oyunumkawa Natural Foot Bath (went early to avoid crowd and muddy paths)
- Drive down to Hakodate (stopped by Usuzan stop again)
- Drop luggage at Toyoko Inn
- Goryokaku Tower (didn't visit the park as it's HOT)
- Shop at Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses
- Ramen dinner at Shin-Hakodate Ramen Ryuho (a few mins walk from JR station)
- Took bus up Mount Hakodate for night scene (recommended)

Day 8 (6 Sep Fri)
- Kaisen don breakfast at Hakodate Morning Market
- Bought 2 melons to bring back to SG
- Domestic flight to Haneda Airport
- Check-in Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku
- Shinjuku

Day 9 (7 Sep Sat)
- Meiji Shrine
- Harajuku
- Shibuya
- Roppongi Mori Tower Sky Deck for night scene

Day 10 (8 Sep Sun)
- Asakusa
- Odaiba
- Ginza

Day 11 (9 Sep Mon)
- Limosine bus to Narita Airport and fly back SG

Pics are in the following posts and my Flickr album https://www.flickr.com/photos/wee_lit_lim/sets/72157635447780923/ :)
 
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limweeli

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-----
Day 1
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New Chitose Airport shopping area is BIG.

Day 1 - New Chitose Airport by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

After checking in Grand Park Otaru, we took the stroller bus to the Otaru Canal.

Day 1 - Otaru Canal in day by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

The lights came on but we were told the street lamps are not functioning.

Day 1 - Otaru Canal at dusk by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

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Day 2
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Next morning, my wife researched that the seafood in Otaru is good. Shinantaru market is one of the recommended place and since it's near our hotel, we took a short stroll down.

Day 2 - Otaru Shinnantaru Market by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

I avoid sea urchins in SG as they leave an after-taste. But, the sea urchins there are sweet and tasty. This is my wife's order and I took quite a few from her.

Day 2 - Otaru Shinnantaru Market by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

After breakfast, we missed the stroller bus and the next one is 30 mins away. So, we took a walk down to the Sakaimachi street. It is closer than we see in the map. Upon reaching, my cranky 1 year old daughter is sleeping so we went this place (erm, donno the Japanese or English name) for the cream puff and free coffee.

Day 2 - Otaru Sakaimachi Street by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

2 cream puff, 1 cheese cake and 2 free coffees.

Day 2 - Otaru Sakaimachi Street - Cream Puffs by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We also had 2 big juicy oysters along the street. On hindsight, one of us should have ordered the big scallop we see there so we can share.

Day 2 - Otaru Sakaimachi Street - Oysters by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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limweeli

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And 2 sweet juicy melons. They are goooood! We were still contemplating if we want to bring back one but the decision came easy after eating this :p

Day 2 - Otaru Sakaimachi Street - Melons! by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We took the JR train down to Sapporo, drop our luggages at Toyoko Inn (5 mins walk from station) and went to explore Sapporo. We had ramen for dinner at Ramen Yokocho.

Day 2 - Sapporo Susukino Ramen Yokocho by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

There is a notice board describing the various ramen shop. After inspecting all of them briefly, we ended up at the first shop as they had the most customer at that time.

Day 2 - Sapporo Susukino Ramen Yokocho by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Our decision seems good as the ramen is tasty. I had this kani + chashu ramen.

Day 2 - Sapporo Susukino Ramen Yokocho by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

My wife had her fav scallop + chashu ramen. We added an egg for hers to share.

Day 2 - Sapporo Susukino Ramen Yokocho by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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OddEye

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Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more photos during the trip. I am going late October to Hokkaido and your itinerary is pretty similar to mine, so might learn a thing or two from you :)
 

limweeli

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Nice photos! More please.
TQ. Can only do it peacefully when my daughter is asleep :/

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more photos during the trip. I am going late October to Hokkaido and your itinerary is pretty similar to mine, so might learn a thing or two from you :)
Ah nice. It's a nice place even for a city boy like me. You gotta try driving if you can. I like the driving experience there, relaxing and not so tiring even after 2 hours of driving.

Haha, i went to that cafe as well. Nice place to chill :D
Yep. We carried the stroller with our daughter up the stairs as there are no lifts (elevator as they call it there). But no regrets :)
 

limweeli

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-----
Day 3
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After slogging around with a big luggage + backpack + stroller for 2 days, we finally got help in a form of our rented Prius 1.8. I booked this Nippon Rent-a-car car through Tooco. This hybrid car is good and stable. Over the course of the next 5 days, I only need to top up 1/2 tank + 1/4 tank (prior to returning). It's very fuel efficient for lots of cruising and a mountain climb. The Enlglish GPS provided is very good too. I never have a problem looking for location with the phone number or mapcode. I also requested for ETC card + reader (like our IU in SG) and HEP (Hokkaido Expressway Pass) for 5 days.

Day 3 - Nippon Car Rental - Toyota Prius 1.8 by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

First stop of the day is Shrioi Koibito Park. I did my first rear camera-less reverse parking in a long time here hehe.

Day 3 - Sapporo Shiroi Koibito Park by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We shared a cake and my wife had the ice-cream. The ice-cream there taste fresh and creamy, probably because it's made from local produced fresh milk.

Day 3 - Sapporo Shiroi Koibito Park - The pasteries by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

After exploring the inside (we did not pay to visit the museum), we went outside to explore. Lots of pics opportunities otuside. After coming back to SG, we realised we missed out the "musical hour" - they will play music and bubbles every hour.

Day 3 - Sapporo Shiroi Koibito Park - Flower park by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 3 - Sapporo Shiroi Koibito Park by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We didn't take this ride too - daughter is too young to appreciate.

Day 3 - Sapporo Shiroi Koibito Park - Train ride by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

After this, we went Mitsui Outlet Park but it's kinda disappointing. We had lunch at the food court and left after exploring as there is nothing to buy. Here's a look of how driving feels like in Hokkaido .... I love it ...

Day 3 - Drive from Sapporo to Asahikawa by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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evilerniex

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nice photos... i like the shot of otaru canal at dusk

btw, how much u paid for the melons?
 

limweeli

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On the way up to Asahikawa, I recommend stopping by Michi no Eki Mikasa and try out the yaki tori skewers. You need to get off the highway but it's worth it. We only had 2 (made a mistake to eat after driving off) but it taste damn nice.

Day 3 - Drive from Sapporo to Asahikawa - Michi no eki Mikasa by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 3 - Drive from Sapporo to Asahikawa - Michi no eki Mikasa by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 3 - Drive from Sapporo to Asahikawa - Michi no eki Mikasa by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 3 - Drive from Sapporo to Asahikawa - Yaki tori @ Michi no eki Mikasa by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

The attraction here is the market where they sell local produce, a water mill and a resort nearby that you can enjoy spa/onsen. Here's the water mill from afar.

Day 3 - Drive from Sapporo to Asahikawa - Michi no eki Mikasa by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Oh and a good resource for Michi no Eki is The Best Roadside Stations. My friend recommended us to research prior but most of them are off the highway so we didn't stop by. Some of the "break stops" along the highway is surprising nice too. We experienced one at Usuzan in the south.
 

limweeli

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btw, how much u paid for the melons?

Think it's 200 yen per slice at the touristy place. We bought 2 melons in Hakodate for 2500 yen each. Gotta tell the owner you are bringing onboard so they give you the raw ones. Ours can be opened in about 5-6 days later.
 
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limweeli

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The mountain tunnels are quite narrow. It's just 1 lane for each direction. We can feel our car shook if a big vehicle passes us in the opposite direction.

Day 3 - Drive from Sapporo to Asahikawa - Tunnels by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Finally, we reached Asahikawa and checked in to Dormy Inn Hotel. Originally, we wanted to go to the Ramen Village but since we are pressed for time and need to buy some baby bottled food, we decided to go to this ramen shop nearby recommended by hotel staff.

Day 3 - Asahikawa Ramen by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Asahikawa ramen is simple and lightly salted, kinda like maggie mee soup hehe.

Day 3 - Asahikawa Ramen by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

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Day 4
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We went to Asahiyama Zoo on recommendation from our friend. It's quite good even for someone like me who ain't an animal lover.

Day 4 - Asahiyama Zoo by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 4 - Asahiyama Zoo by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We move on to the one of the highlights of our trip, the Biei-Furano area. We wanted to see flowers esp Lavenders but we couldn't make it in the peak period of Jul-Aug. I like the drive. Though it's not highway and the speed limit is 50-60km/h, it's still very enjoyable due to the scenary.

Day 4 - Drive down to Biei by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

There are parts where you can drive and briefly stop at the side of the road. I made used of this a lot to take pics hehe.

Day 4 - Drive down to Biei by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 

limweeli

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Reached Biei in about an hour plus drive from the zoo. Biei is a laid back but beautiful town I feel. We had lunch at Hotel Lavenir and got some brochure of the area.

Day 4 - Drive down to Biei by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

First stop is Patchwork Road up north. Saw this field of sunflowers but unfortunately, my focusing wasn't good so the sunflowers are blur.

Day 4 - Patchwork Road - Sunflower Hut by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Nice view from Hokusei no Oka observatory. The temperature is around 21-22 degrees even though summer just passed.

Day 4 - Patchwork Road - Hokusei no Oka by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Some of the tourists here like to cycle but we are lazy hehe.

Day 4 - Patchwork Road - Tourists cycling by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Glimpse of how "patchwork" nice it will be if we come during earlier. Seems the flowers have faded due to season change.
Day 4 - Patchwork Road by LWL27, on Flickr

One of the many famous trees - the parent-child trees

Day 4 - Patchwork Road - Parent and Child Trees by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

And a tour bus heading into the stormy horizon. We are not blessed with sun shine this trip ... haiz ...

Day 4 - Patchwork Road - Into the horizon by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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limweeli

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We moved south to Panorama Road area. 2 notable spots we stopped at are Shinei no Oka and Sanai no Oka. According to the brochure, Sanai is good for mountains and rolling hills.

Day 4 - Panorama Road - Sanai no Oka by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

And Shinei is good for sunset against the hills and mountains (which we are not staying for).

Day 4 - Panorama Road - Shinei no Oka by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We reached Shikisai no Oka, first of our 2 farms. Flowers still bloom here but there are some barren patches. We caught the lavenders here - the purple strip in the pic.

Day 4 - Shikisai no Oka by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 4 - Shikisai no Oka - Sunflowers by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Next stop is the Blue Pond. It's ulu and not near any touristy spot. The air here is still and cold too. We only found out back in SG that you can get a nice scenary of a dam against snowy mountains (probably depending on season) at the end of the trail.

Day 4 - Shirogane Blue Lake by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

It's approaching evening so we start our mountain climb to the Ryounkaku ryokan. It's 1280m above sea level and we can virtually see ourselves riding into the clouds.

Day 4 - Drive up to Ryounkaku Roykan by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Destination reached.

Day 4 - Ryounkaku Roykan Sunset by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

And sun is already setting.

Day 4 - Drive up to Ryounkaku Roykan by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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leogeo

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very detailed report, and excellent photos. looking forward to reading more!
 

limweeli

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We didn't really like this roykan because it not very clean (caught quite a few crawlers) and we don't feel very secure. We see quite a few shoes in the shoe rack (can't wear shoes in this ryokan) but we don't see people during meal times. The onsen is old but the water is good. I didn't try the outdoor as it's dark - had to walk a distance to the onsen from what my wife told me. The good thing is the view, experience (staying high up in the mountains with nothing around you) and food.

Day 4 - Ryounkaku Roykan - Dinner by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

BBQ pork Japanese style.

Day 4 - Ryounkaku Roykan - Dinner by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

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Day 5
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There is no aircon nor Internet. We asked for one of the windows to be opened for ventilation. It's quite cold up here so we only kept a small opening. Next morning, we had to close it and use heater to warm ourselves up a bit. It's cold and foggy outside which reminds us of winter hehe.

Day 5 - Ryounkaku Roykan - Foggy morning by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 5 - Ryounkaku Roykan by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We chanced upon this big supermarket to stock up on baby supplies. In Japan, their baby food and consumables like diapers are in the baby section so only major departmental stores have it. We tried many supermarkets and could not find any bottled food. We thought it would be easy to look for our daughter's fav Kewpie brand (which is made in Japan) but it's not so easy.

Day 5 - Bestom Supermarket - Very very big! by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 5 - Bestom Supermarket - Finally found baby food by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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limweeli

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Farm Tomita reached. We like this place.
Day 5 - Farm Tomita - View from the opposite side by LWL27, on Flickr

Wife had this lavender favoured ice cream.

Day 5 - Farm Tomita - Lavender ice-cream by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Lunch with a view.

Day 5 - Farm Tomita - A meal to a view by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Some of the flowers close-up

Day 5 - Farm Tomita - Cosmos by Wee-Lit, on Flickr


Day 5 - Farm Tomita - Lavender by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We skipped Lavender East and went to Potpourri no Sato next. According to Potpourri-no-Sato | Plan Your Trip ? Visit Hokkaido! Visit Japan!, there is lavender till mid-Sept but we couldn't find the place despite GPS showing we are there.

Then, we went to the Cheese factory but it's kinda disappointing too. They have dairy product and a restaurant but we didn't buy anything as we planned to have lunch at Furano Marche.

Day 5 - Furano Marche - 21.6 degrees today by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We checked in at Furano Natulux Hotel and proceed to New Furano Prince Hotel area. Kaze no Garden has an English garden feel. The ground is covered with wooden chips so it's not muddy despite the rain. There's a house in the middle of the garden.

Day 5 - Kaze no Garden @ New Furano Prince by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Ningle Terrace sells handicraft things in wooden cabins. Most of them are handmade and unique. We didn't go into the cabins for fear that our daughter will damage the things.

Day 5 - Ningle Terrace @ New Prince Furano by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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limweeli

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We wanted to try this sushi place, Fukuzushi, in one of the brochure. As it seems pricey, we asked the hotel for other recommendation and they told us of this shabu shabu place frequent by locals that is behind the hotel. We decide to try it.

Day 5 - Local Shabu Shabu shop near hotel by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

It looks like a family run restaurant. First floor is the restaurant with around 4 tables. Upstairs seems to be where they stay. The people serving us should be the mom and 2 daughters. I can see the dad in the kitchen shaving meat. And luckily, they got an English menu.

Day 5 - Local Shabu Shabu shop near hotel by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Niku!! The meat is ok only though. Kinda regret we never try the sushi place hehe.

Day 5 - Local Shabu Shabu shop near hotel by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
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Day 6
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First petrol after 3 days of driving including a mountain climb. I only need to pump 1/2 tank. Hybrid cars are efficient! Interesting thing for me is the pump is at the top.

Day 6 - Petrol Kiosk by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Today is a wet day and we are having a long drive from Furano to Noboribetsu/Lake Toya area. We decide to go via the Doto expressway instead of heading back to Hokkaido expressway. Note that it's highly recommended to get the HEP pass as the toll charges are very expensive!

Day 6 - Driving from Furano to Toyako by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

The tunnels along Doto expressway are long, around 2-3km of narrow mountain pass. I feel a bit pressured because I am a little tired after an hour plus of driving, the oncoming traffic is quite close and there is a trail of around 10 cars behind me waiting to overtake when we are out of the tunnel. The speed limit (when there is one lane) is 70km/h but the locals run at 90-100km/h like in the normal multi-lane highway. I get some weird stares when they overtook me hehe.

Day 6 - Driving from Furano to Toyako by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We decide to hit Lake Toya first and then back to Norboribetsu where we are staying for the day. After close to 3 hours drive, we stopped by this break stop with a nice view - Usuzan. Recommended to take a meal or ice-cream here to enjoy the view.

Day 6 - Usuzan Stop by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

The southern coast and sea ...

Day 6 - Usuzan Stop by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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limweeli

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We took the cruise at Lake Toya. There is a paddle boat shop but it seems closed. We also saw posters of fireworks at night. Next time, we will try to stay a night at one of the onsen hotels here and enjoy the activities by the lake.

Day 6 - Lake Toya - Lake Cruise by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Another highlight of our trip - Daiichi Takimotokan.

Day 6 - Noboribetsu - Daiichi Takimotokan main entrance by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

First time experiencing mechanical car lift. Luckily, the uncle was nice enough to guide me patiently.

Day 6 - Noboribetsu Daiichi Takimotokan - Mechanical Car Park by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We booked a room in the "new wing" (main building). It's nice and big but ain't as "new" as we expected. Nevertheless, it's clean, i.e. no crawling insects like in Ryounkaku. The futons is double layered and very very comfy. Our daughter likes the room to run around, especially falling onto the soft futons.

Day 6 - Noboribetsu Daiichi Takimotokan room in main building by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Immediately, we wasted no time to explore the nearby areas. Daiichi Takimotokan is situated nicely near Jigokudani (Hell Valley). It's where they get the source of their onsen water for their 20 plus pools - think I counted 14 for the guys side and similar number for the gals side. There is a path to walk into the valley but we didn't do that as we are with a baby. The sulphur smell is quite strong here.
Day 6 - Jigokudani (Hell Valley) by LWL27, on Flickr

There is a Sengen Park nearby that showcase a bubbling hot spring.

Day 6 - Noboribetsu - Sengen Park by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

The Gokuraku shopping street is just in front of the hotel. It reminds me of the Higashiyama area outside of Kyoto's Kiyomizudera. This one is quieter (probably because it's not peak season now) and offers lesser variety.

Day 6 - Noboribetsu - Gokuraku Shopping Street by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Finally, the buffet dinner at Daiichi Takimotokan. Good spread.

Day 6 - Daiichi Takimotokan - Buffet Dinner by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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limweeli

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The scallops are nice and big.

Day 6 - Daiichi Takimotokan - Buffet Dinner by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Snow crab is ok only, maybe it's not the season. It's not salted like in SG and Japanese eat it with vinegar.

Day 6 - Daiichi Takimotokan - Buffet Dinner by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

We love the onsen experience here so much that we deliberately woke up early next morning to go again. Some people we spoke to said the surphur smell is too strong in the outdoor pool but we found it alright. A must try if you are visiting the area.

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Day 7
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We checked out, had breakfast and set off early the next morning to the foot bath. We read that it'll get crowded and muddy later in the day so we decide to do it early. We drove up the small mountain road and parked at Oyunuma. There are 2 notable car parks here and you pay at either one to enjoy a full day of parking.

Day 7 - Noboribetsu - Driving up mountain trail by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Oyunuma Lake which supplies the hot water for foot bath down stream.

Day 7 - Noboribetsu Oyunuma Lake by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

A colour changing geyser. It's grey now but the board says it can change to other colours at different seasons. There is also a warning of sprouting water so we didn't venture too close with a baby.

Day 7 - Noboribetsu Oyunumagawa - Natural colour changing geyser by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

Ahhh, the foot bath. The water comes from Oyunuma Lake and it's around 40 degrees at this point. We brought plastic bags to sit on as it's a bit wet. When leaving, we passed our bags to this couple who is just starting to enjoy the warm foot bath.

Day 7 - Noboribetsu Oyunumagawa Natural Foot Bath by Wee-Lit, on Flickr

3 of us having a foot bath ....

Day 7 - Noboribetsu Oyunumagawa Natural Foot Bath by Wee-Lit, on Flickr
 
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