ANA to Hokkaido - Autumn Snow, Seafood and the Art of Onsen Appreciation

[yflyer]

There was no restaurant in the hotel, but there were many dining choices in the neighbourhood. The hotel offered a breakfast inclusive package, where breakfast was at a nearby cafe.

The nearby cafe was run by a husband and wife team who took great pride in their delicious breakfast sets.



Both Western and Japanese breakfast sets were available.



The cafe also served a delicious coffee jelly...



...which Mrs yflyer was a big fan of.

[yflyer]

Overall, we found tha La Jolie Motomachi to be a great place to stay for family holiday in Hakodate. While not a luxury property, the room rate was very reasonable, and our room was very pleasant (We would recommend one of the larger/premium rooms on a high floor). The hotel was also located in a fairly convenient area for sightseeing.

[yflyer]

After checking into our hotel in Hakodate, we headed out in search of lunch.



One of the restaurants near the hotel was "India Curry Koike", which turned out to be an excellent restaurant that served a very fine Japanese-style curry rice.



Dishes such as a classic pork cutlet with rice were simply delicious...



My dish came with their signature curry sauce and a fried egg for good measure. Superb!

[yflyer]

One of the top attractions in Hakodate was Mount Hakodate, a dormant volcano whose peak had panoramic views of the city.



There was a ropeway and cable car which brought visitors to the peak.



We went in the late afternoon, and waited till the sun set to take in the night time view...



...before riding the cable car down again.



We then went in search of Hokkaido Ramen for dinner...



...ending up at Ajisai Hokkaido Ramen...



You ordered via touchscreen at a kiosk. The kiosk then spat out coupons for your order, which you handed to the kitchen staff.



Hokkaido-style ramen was similar, yet different from, the ramen we had in other parts of Japan...

We ordered several different bowls to try...



The soup was lighter and clearer.



Butter was a popular add-on topping, as was corn. You could have crab or clams with your noodles.




What incredible flavours. A satisfying meal to end our first day in Hakodate.

[yflyer]

The next day we explored Hakodate on foot...



Our first stop was Hakodate's morning fish market.



Crabs were everywhere...



Hairy crabs...



King Crabs...



You could buy the seafood to take home...



... or eat on the spot...



We couldn't resist sampling the uni on a half shell...



...and the hairy crab...



You could also catch your own squid...



...which was then sliced for you to eat sashimi-style...

[yflyer]

While we did a lot of walking in Hakodate, it was also very easy to get around via tram.



The trams accepted cash, but also accepted the same Pasmo or Suica cards that were used in Tokyo and other cities in Japan.



You simply tapped on at the start and tapped again when you got off the tram. Simple!

[yflyer]

Uni, or sea urchin, was very popular here. We dined at a restaurant which specialised in uni...



A placard with a map indicated where the day's uni came from...



There were so many ways the uni was prepared...



As a gratin...



Delicious uni tempura...



In a rice bowl...



...or as uni porridge...



Apart from uni, we also sampled their squid.



Uni is one of those foods which you either love or hate...for us, we were all big fans of uni, so this was a supremely satisfying lunch.

[yflyer]

Across from the fish market there was a shop selling whale meat...



I stepped in for a look.



While whale fishing is still banned in many parts of the world, Japan currently allows limited whale fishing in areas where whale stocks are judged to be sustainable.



A look in the freezer...



We asked if there were any restaurants who served it in the area...



Not at the market, was the reply, but there might be restaurants or Izayaka in the city who served whale, mainly as a dish to accompany drinks.

[yflyer]

On one of the afternoons, I headed out for a run around Hakodate...



From the hotel I first headed towards Hachiman-Zaka Slope, passing several Churches in the area...



The Hachiman-Zaka Slope was a popular spot for photos...



At this time of year, the trees were bare, but it still made for a nice photo, with the waterfront and mountains in the distance.

I continued along the waterfront...



The sign by the water indicated that after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Hakodate became the main port and gateway to Hokkaido...



I continued past the Old Public Hall of Hakodate, a stately building with painted yellow highlights, with Mt Hakodate in the background.



I did a 1km circuit of Midorinoshima Island...



...which was a small, pentagon-shaped artificial island...



...before doubling back towards the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses...



The Kanemori red brick warehouses were very popular with tourists and visitors. These old warehouses were now shops and eateries.



I jogged past Hakodate Meijikan, a converted warehouse filled with souvenir shops, and covered with beautiful red vines...



I continued towards the JR station, passing this tsunami hazard map...



...which showed vulnerable zones, as well as areas to head for safe refuge in case of a tsunami warning.

[yflyer]

I continued my run past the JR train station, which I reached at the 5km mark of the run...



...then made a turn towards the south-east, cutting across the "neck" of the land mass, where it was the most narrow, to get to the eastern coastline...



...passing Izakayas along the way...



...as well as a few trees which still had some Autumn foliage.



I finally reached Omori beach, on the Eastern coast...



From there, I ran along the coastline, towards the south west...



...taking in the breathtaking ocean views as I ran...



...before cutting back inland to return to the hotel.

This was a very pleasant running route that covered the base of Mount Hakodate, the western waterfront and port area, as well as the eastern coastline, along Omori beach, for a distance of 9.5km.

[yflyer]

That evening, we headed back to the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses for dinner...



We ate at Lucky Pierrot, a popular local fast food restaurant that only had outlets in Hakodate.



There were burgers on the menu, but this was a uniquely local concept, with the quality of the food far better than your typical fast food chain.



The restaurant was super busy during the day time (Pic from earlier in the day), but it was a little quieter when we were there in the evening.



We ordered the Guarana soda...



...and a couple of burgers, along with their unique take on fries (served in a mug, smothered in sauce)...



The burgers were delicious...



...especially Mrs yflyer's pork cutlet burger...



There was a huge selection of merch on sale too.



This was definitely a cut above your typical fast food outlet, with genuinely delicious dishes prepared with a lot of care -- a must try for anyone visiting Hakodate.

[yflyer]

There were so many interesting places to eat in Hakodate that we simply did not have enough meal slots to try everything place that we wanted to.

One place that looked interesting was this small tempura restaurant.



We did not manage to eat there, but the sign in the window did highlight some of the challenges that local restaurants had when accommodating visitors and tourists who did not speak Japanese. On the whole, I found restaurants and shops very friendly and accommodating to tourists, and the experiences that we had on our trip were all absolutely positive, but I could understand why some local businesses were frustrated when dealing with non-Japanese speaking visitors.

At least this restaurant spelled it all out in black and white, almost like an FAQ.



Thumbs up to them for making it all crystal clear!

[yflyer]

The next day, we rented a Toyota Prius Hybrid from Toyota Rent a Car, which we would use to get around Hokkaido for the next week.

This looked to be a very new model of Prius, and it was a wonderful car.



It drove beautifully, and everything about the car, from the dashboard to the gears and entertainment center was state of the art. We had snow tires fitted, which turned out to be essential, considering the snow we encountered later on.

The only thing to note about renting a Prius is that the trunk space wasn't especially generous: we had barely enough space to fit all our luggage, That said, the 3 of us weren't exactly light travellers. Also note that an international driver's license is needed to rent a car in Japan (It was a fairly simple process to apply for one at the AA in Singapore).

I used the Apple Carplay function to connect my iPhone to the Prius in car screen, and used Apple Maps and Google Maps to navigate from place to place with no issues.

[yflyer]

From Hakodata, our first stop was Lake Toya, a 2 and a half hour drive away.



Lake Toya was a volcanic caldera lake. In the middle of Lake Toya was a small island, Nakajima Island.



This was an absolutely beautiful resort town, with hotels lining the southern stretch of the lake.

[yflyer]

Our hotel was the Lake View Toya Nonokaze Resort...



The lobby of this property was very impressive. Guests entered through a long wood-floored passageway...



...before emerging into a large open lobby...



...with stunning views of the lake.



Apart from the lake, on a clear day, you could also take in gorgeous views of Mount Yotei in the distance...



A welcome drink of fruit tea and a snack for each guest...



While Mrs yflyer handled check-in formalities, I walked around the lobby...



There was very fine glassware on display...



Lots of space to sit and relax...



There was even a high-end stereo in the lobby for guests to enjoy...



These were audiophile-grade components...



it almost felt like your own living room...



There was a beautiful hotel library and reading room in the basement level of the hotel.



Titles were mainly Japanese, with a few books in English and other languages.