Sapporo Japan

[k3nnis]

Hi All,

I plan to go to Sapporo CTS for say 2 nights in Jan 2010. Will this be a bad idea? I won't be back to japan for a long time, say at least 7 years or so. So I wanted to squeeze into my japan itenary if possible. I will be in japan for 17 days. Basically will go to Tokyo,himeji,osaka,kyoto,hiroshima,miyashima,gero. But want to drop by sapporo to check out the city! I want to see snow as well. I will fly from either osaka area or tokyo area to CTS as I think it takes too long by train... Is it safe to fly during this time to/from CTS?
Do flights to and from CTS get cancelled/delayed often in the winter?

Thanks,
Kenn.

[Kyo]

You'll most definitely be seeing loads of snow there... sliding around everywhere. Did that in Jan earlier this year (late Jan)..

That's quite an itinerary you've got there - but it is very doable. You should consider the All Nippon Airways Airpass (5 cities max)... I found it very reasonable indeed. My flight was nearly delayed into NRT due to bad weather during that time. Barely managed to land and otherwise would have missed my connecting flight to BKK.

You have to understand the period you've chosen to travel is very prone to weather problems...

[k3nnis]

Thanks Kyo for the info. I am still in a dilemma whether to go to Sapporo or not....

You mean when you were about to land in NRT it was bad weather? I might need to do the Oneworld air pass as I will be flying into NRT with CX...

Thanks,
K.

You'll most definitely be seeing loads of snow there... sliding around everywhere. Did that in Jan earlier this year (late Jan)..

That's quite an itinerary you've got there - but it is very doable. You should consider the All Nippon Airways Airpass (5 cities max)... I found it very reasonable indeed. My flight was nearly delayed into NRT due to bad weather during that time. Barely managed to land and otherwise would have missed my connecting flight to BKK.

You have to understand the period you've chosen to travel is very prone to weather problems...

[Kyo]

Correct, even halfway through CTS-NRT they couldn't determine if they were going to switch us to Haneda (HND) instead. If they did, I would have missed my connection.

Sorry but I'll have to defer to a OneWorld expert on that bit... I've only done the NH *A one..

[k3nnis]

Hi Kyo,

Is the weather in Sapporo in Jan tolerable?

Or am I just wasting my time to go there for 2 nights? Also is there anything to do in Sapporo for 2 nights?

I guess the hotels there will be warm and fuzzy?

Thanks,
K.

Correct, even halfway through CTS-NRT they couldn't determine if they were going to switch us to Haneda (HND) instead. If they did, I would have missed my connection.

Sorry but I'll have to defer to a OneWorld expert on that bit... I've only done the NH *A one..

[Kyo]

I went end-Jan, and it was very cold, but tolerable... well, I'm from just about the most consistently warm/humid place on the planet, so everywhere else below 20 deg is nice..

I recall it was around 7 degrees during the day on the 26th of Jan-ish... I stayed two nights, and it was VERY cold at night. I went to Lake Toya, and that took a whole day. If I go again, I'd go to Noboribetsu for the volcano walk. There's also the Lavender farms in Furano, but that's end-July.

If I were you, I'd recommend flying to Abashiri or Kushiro. I've heard you can do ocean-walks where you can eat live uni plucked straight from the ocean. It's what I didn't get to do, but I'm half-considering going again next year to do this. The seafood is awesome in Hokkaido - I'd do a TR but I've got two others to do first before I get to the Japan one. *groan*

The hotel will depend on where you stay. I stayed at the JAL hotel Sapporo and Ana Crowne Plaza Chitose. Both were great, but I really liked the Chitose one - got upgraded too, even though I have zero status.

[jhm]

I will be in japan for 17 days. Basically will go to Tokyo,himeji,osaka,kyoto,hiroshima,miyashima,gero. But want to drop by sapporo to check out the city!

Do you really want to visit Sapporo as well ? All of your other places are in Honshu and the best way to visit them would be to get a JR rail pass. You could save Sapporo and the rest of Hokkaido for another time.

If it helps, here's the (slightly tight) itinerary which phaleesy and I got through getting around by train a few years ago:

Days 1 and 2 - Tokyo

Day 3 - Matsumoto (visiting the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum and Matsumoto Castle) - overnight in Shinano-Omachi (nothing special - it's just the start of the route the next day)

Day 4 - Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route followed by an overnight in Takakoa

Day 5 - Ainokura, Gokayama, Shirakawa - staying in a
a gassho-style farmhouse (we had to hire a car for this part)

Day 6 - Takayama (where we dropped off the car; they were having their famous Autumn Festival that day)

Day 7 - Himeji (for the castle of course) - Hiroshima (if you like oysters, this is the place for you!)

Day 8 - Miyajima

Day 9 - Koyasan - staying in a temple (syukubou)

Day 10 - Osaka

Days 11 and 12 - Kyoto

Day 13 - Tokyo

Day 14 - leave for London

[Kyo]

Here's for comparison what I squeezed into five-six days (were I not flying on Day 6 at 7AM to Narita, I would've continued on/spread out my time a bit more):

Pre-holiday - Kobe (with family)

Self-travel bits..

Day 1 - Kobe -> bus to Itami airport (*A airpass) -> Nagasaki / toured by night
Day 2 - Nagasaki by morning (A-bomb museum) -> JR Kyushu pass - Karatsu (for food) -> Fukuoka / toured by night
Day 3 - Fukuoka by morning -> Nagoya airport (*A airpass) -> express train to Nagoya / going around with friends
Day 4 - Nagoya early morning by train back to airport (*A airpass) -> Chitose -> Sapporo by 4pm on Airport limousine / Sapporo by night
Day 5 - Sapporo through Chitose to Toya (day trip) and back to Chitose at night
Day 6 - Early AM Chitose -> Narita -> morning flight on NH to BKK

Tight. But doable.

[k3nnis]

Thanks guys. Reason being I won't be back to japan for a long time, at least 7 years I would say due to family commitments, that is why I am trying to have sapporo in the itenary as well............. The hotel I was looking at in sapporo was the Keio plaza hotel.

[k3nnis]

Hi Kyo,

I went to the TA and they also pointed out during winter in sapporo, only thing to really do is skiing and the seafood!

Is the seafood alone worth it to stay 2 nights in sapporo?

Thanks,
K.

[Kyo]

For me, yes.

And there's more than that - you can go to an Onsen, or do Lake Toya or go for a volcano walk...

I would do it again. Hokkaido is not to be missed for any reason. The seafood will blow your mind. (especially if you've never had fresh uni/sea urchin before)

[k3nnis]

Hi Kyo,

Thanks for the info. ANy other seafood besides sea urchin? How about the regular salmon,tuna etc? Better in Sapporo? Can all this be had at Sapporo? Or do I have to venture out of the city centre?

My plan was either go spend my 2 nights at sapporo or go the more diretc route and go to the japan alps (nagoya) etc.

Cheers,
K.

For me, yes.

And there's more than that - you can go to an Onsen, or do Lake Toya or go for a volcano walk...

I would do it again. Hokkaido is not to be missed for any reason. The seafood will blow your mind. (especially if you've never had fresh uni/sea urchin before)

[Kyo]

Every type of seafood imaginable... surely you don't expect me to write it all here? Yes - all your regulars, plus much, much more.. you can easily get everything without going out of the city centre, although it would be a waste. People also go there for the scenery... and the frozen landscape is spectacular to behold.

[k3nnis]

Thanks Kyo. No I don't expect you to list them all

Now you are really making me think about going to the japan alps or sapporo......

Every type of seafood imaginable... surely you don't expect me to write it all here? Yes - all your regulars, plus much, much more.. you can easily get everything without going out of the city centre, although it would be a waste. People also go there for the scenery... and the frozen landscape is spectacular to behold.

[Kyo]

The Japanese alps are also great, I can highly recommend the Hakone peninsula, and one little mountain town in particular, where the Japanese themselves go for their holidays: Hakone-Yumoto. About 2 hrs out of Tokyo going South-West.

But I would instantly choose Sapporo over Hakone-Yumoto. FOOD!!!