February 10, 2017
I saw this pastry a couple of times all over Sapporo, and bought a couple in two different stores – Sapporo Station and in Otaru. The verdict? The one in Sapporo made me go stop walking, close my eyes, and think “WOW. This IS GOOD”. After that, the one in Otaru was just meh.
It is right in between the subway and JR station in Sapporo, in a tiny stall! Oh, and these are really cheap. Just around JPY60 a piece.
Sapporo is small. You can practically walk everywhere, and walking is actually part of the fun particularly if you are not used to snow. But still, you have to go places and based on my research, here are the options one has:
Subway Pass. Unlimited for JPY830 a day (less for weekends and holidays)
It only applies to the non-JR subway trains. Each ride is around JPY200, so you need to ride it at least three times to break even. Is it worth it? Not so much. Unless you wanna go all over the city, I don’t think you’ll ride more than thrice. For example, I went to Sapporo Dome (first ride), went to Susukino Street (second ride), then went to Sapporo station (third ride) to go to Otaru.
JR Welcome pass. Unlimited for JPY1,700ish a day.
If you are coming from the airport in the morning and exploring, or going for a day trip to Otaru, this is the way to go.
The catch? Your visa should be temporary visitor.
Chitose Airport to Sapporo.
You can take the train (JPY1,500ish) or the limousine (JPY1,030). If you are qualified for the JR Welcome pass, take the train. Otherwise, take the limousine (which is really a bus).
February 8, 2017
Getting accommodations was difficult given that it was festival season, and boy was I glad there’s a last minute cancellation for Wagayado, and managed to book!
How much?
I paid JPY3,500 per night. A towel is not included, so I paid an additional JPY200 for it.
Getting there
Take the bus or train and stop at Sapporo station (Sapporoeki). Wagayado is around 10 minutes away. My marker is the Hakodate line – it’s one block away from the line, so just open google maps, look for Hakodate line, then follow it.
Overall feedback
This place is warm. Which is perfect for Sapporo. The people are also warm and nice – they are so welcoming! More than the normal ones I’ve encountered in Tokyo, which is saying a LOT.
February 9, 2017
My first time in Narita Airport! Going to Narita from Tokyo is pretty pricey – it is a minimum of around JPY1,000 for the Narita Limousine, and goes up to JPY4,000 for the express ones.
Narita Limousine
The Narita Limo has limited routes and time periods in the morning, and more or less hourly after 1pm. The bus stops at Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
For example, the Narita Limo near TIEC (in the onsen) is only at 3am, 6am and then the next one is 1pm (based on what I remember).
To leave Narita, you can take the Limo if you are at the right time – when I was there they were leaving in 10 minutes, and the next one in an hour. As mentioned, the trips are more frequent at night.
June 3, 2017 update: a more convenient option is the one in Tokyo Station that runs 24 hours daily. Sometimes every 10 minutes. Just look for Yaesu South Exit, bus stop 7. Fare is also at JPY1,000, and takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. Oh, there’s a charger inside too. Here’s the link for other details:
http://accessnarita.jp/en/busstop/
Asakusa Line
I take the one in Shimbashi, the express to Narita (orange one), at Platform 2. They usually come twice every hour, and costs around JPY1,300. (so in my case, add the JPY380 from TIEC to Shimbashi).
The last station is in Terminal 2, and the train, as far as I know, does not go to terminal 3.
Different Terminals
I’ve been to Terminal 3 – Domestic, and Terminal 2 – International Airports. The picture above is the path between the two. There’s a clear direction on where to go when you get off so don’t worry. Just allot around 15 minutes to walk from Terminal 2 to 3.
February 9, 2017
Walking in the uber slippery ice is made possible by the sand (?) from these pouches located all over Sapporo! Thank you!
February 3, 2017
Let’s start with – Trust me, I’m an accountant.
I’ve been wondering how to send money to the Philippines, and this is the best one yet. Why?
I didn’t want to bore you with the details, but I can break this down for you in a couple of ways. Some deciding factors for me though are:
Address and contact details in the picture below
December 31, 2016
One of the top falls in Japan, Kegon Falls is one of the main stops in Nikko, and I can understand why.
It’s walking distance from bus stop 24 (if I remember the bus stop correctly), and it costs JPY500 to take the elevator. Take note, the elevator is remotely operated, so someone will open/close the doors as necessary.
February 4, 2017
It’s like LED Lights fairy puked all over the place. There’s a lot of lights and there’s far, FAR too much lights. Ashikaga Flower Park is on the way too much spectrum.
I had so much hope! The place was so pretty during the day. Quick suggestions to management:
February 4, 2016
Ever heard of Nikumaki Onigiri? That’s meat, with rice inside.
Honestly it’s not exceptional, more on Ok. It’s just the novelty of
Had this at Ashikaga Flower Park (that place has a lot of semi-streetfood!)
February 4, 2017
Winter is the time for hibernating trees (I used to call them dead trees). So I didn’t expect there would be seasonal flowers blooming during winter! Ashikaga houses a couple, and these are actually winter plants as they are not in a greenhouse or conservatory, and I can imagine how crowded the place can be during spring.
A Perfectly Ordinary Life 