Editing Travel Plans/Winter 2023 Asia

== Hokkaido sub-trip ==

=== 2024-01-05 Friday: Tokyo → Morioka ===

;Train: [2024-01-05 Fri]: Tokyo→Morioka: Hayabusa No.31 15:20 → 17:32
;Stay: Dormy Inn Morioka (see Tripit/Agoda)

Evening Plans:

* go see jazz show 7-9pm in morioka at cafe bar west38: https://akiyoshi-jazz.com/events/event/20231202/
* wanko soba at Azumaya or somewhere else?

=== 2024-01-06 Saturday: Morioka → Hakodate ===

Idea of things to do it in Morioka in the morning/day:

* walk through Morioka Castle
* coffee at Nagasawa Coffee
* Bookstore at Booknrd

Other Moiroka ideas:

* https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Morioka

From [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/travel/52-places-travel-2023.html#morioka NYTimes]:

: The city of Morioka, in Iwate Prefecture, however, is often passed over or outright ignored. Circumscribed by mountains, it lies a few hours north of Tokyo by Shinkansen, the Japanese high-speed rail lines. Morioka’s downtown is eminently walkable. The city is filled with Taisho-era buildings that mix Western and Eastern architectural aesthetics as well as modern hotels, a few old ryokan (traditional inns) and winding rivers. One draw is an ancient castle site turned into a park.

: There’s also fantastic coffee, including one of Japan’s third-wave originators: Nagasawa Coffee, whose owner, Kazuhiro Nagasawa, is so committed to his beans that he uses a vintage German-made Probat roaster, which he personally imported and restored. Azumaya serves up all-you-can-eat wanko soba, which comes served in dozens of tiny bowls; Booknerd offers classic Japanese art books; and Johnny’s, a jazz cafe, has been open for over 40 years. An hour west by car: Lake Tazawa and dozens of world-class hot springs.

;Train: Morioka→Hakodate: anything that gets into into hakodate not too late, e.g., Hayabusa No.27  (w/ change to train to hakodate) 16:37 → 18:54
;Stay: Hotel booked in Tripit/Agoda

=== 2024-01-07 Hakodate → Sapporo ===

Hakodate links:

* https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hakodate
* http://www.excusemewaiter.com/2017/01/17/24-hour-travel-guide-hakodate-japan/

Hakodate ideas:

* morning market (6am-noon), mount hakodate, red brick warehouses, beer hall
* hot spring idea: "Yachigashira Hot Springs (谷地頭温泉), 20-7 Yachigashira-cho (谷地 頭町20-7) (5 minute walk from the Yachigashira (谷地頭) tram stop. This is stop is only on route 2.). 06:00-22:00, last entry at 21:00; closed every second Tuesday of the month and occasionally on the fourth too. A hot spring near Mount Hakodate. This is muddy hot spring as opposed to the clear hot spring at the Yunokawa Hot Springs on the other end of the tram line. Most users are local residents of Hakodate. A cafeteria is on site. Soap and towels are available for an extra fee. Free parking available. ¥420 for an adult, additional charge for other services. (updated Jan 2019 | edit)"

;Train: Hakodate→Sapporo: lets just plan to get in kinda late, e.g., Hokuto No.17 (For Sapporo) 16:40 → 20:35
;Stay: Hotel Gracery Sapporo (booked in Tripit/Agoda)
;Do:

* Soup Curry of some sort

=== 2024-01-08 Sapporo → Rusutsu ===

;Bus: leaves at 8am at Kita4, Nishi4-1, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; "The meeting point is located 2 minutes’ walk from the South Exit of JR Sapporo Station. You’ll find a Lawson convenience store on the first floor of the building, which is located on southeast of Asty 45, south of Hotel Gracery Sapporo. Before you get aboard, please speak to the staff waiting at the reception on 1F (first floor) of Kamori Building or in front of the building." (details are in Tripit)
;Stay: Rusutsu Lodges Pension Lilla Huset
;Do: Ski!

=== 2024-01-11 Rusutsu Sapporo ===

;Bus: take bus from rusutsu (resort stop) to new chitose airport, last of the day: 5:30pm from rusutsu resport to the CTS terminal: https://rusutsu.com/en/shuttle-bus-winter/ (details are in Tripit)
;Stay: Hotel Terrace Chitose (see tripit)
;Note: We can likely get a shuttle from the airport to the hotel /or/ we can get reimbursed for a taxi from the station to the hotel if wee keep a receipt
;Eat: We should eat at ''Soup Curry GARAKU Chitose Branch''
 
=== Things to buy/organize/book ===

rail tickets (mika please do):

# {{todo}} [2024-01-05 Fri]: Tokyo→Morioka: Hayabusa No.31 15:20 → 17:32
# {{todo}} [2024-01-06 Sat]: Morioka→Hakodate: anything that gets into into hakodate not too late, e.g., Hayabusa No.27  (w/ change to train to hakodate) 16:37 → 18:54
# {{todo}} [2024-01-07 Sun]: Hakodate→Sapporo: lets just plan to get in kinda late, e.g., Hokuto No.17 (For Sapporo) 16:40 → 20:35


bus tickets (mika put the info in Tripit):

# {{done}} [2024-01-08 Mon]: book the bus from sapporo city to rusutsu (resort stop) @8am, arriving at 10am: https://bigruns-rusutsu-jp.revn.jp/reservations/add?event_id=144&usage_timestamp_from=2024%2F01%2F08+00%3A00
# {{done}} [2024-01-11 Thu]: book the bus from rusutsu (resort stop) to new chitose airport, last of the day: 5:30pm from rusutsu resport to the CTS terminal: https://rusutsu.com/en/shuttle-bus-winter/


air tickets:

# {{done}} booked plane ticket: 11:40am JST CTS to HND JL 508 (JAL)


book hotel (mako will do):

# {{done}} [2024-01-05 Fri]: a hotel to stay in in morioka. FYI: there's a dormy inn w/ an onsen... (done in tripit)
# {{done}} [2024-01-06 Sat]: a hotel to stay in hakodate
# {{done}} [2024-01-07 Sun]: hotel in sapporo, cheap and as close to the station as possible, for night of 2023-01-07 only (bus station is right at the station)
# {{done}} [2024-01-08 through 2024-01-11]  Rusutsu Lodges Pension Lilla Huset
# {{done}} [2024-01-11 Thu]: any hotel in chitose, again, probaly as close to the airport as possible and w/ an onsen would be great

=== Things to do ===

sapporo ideas:

* https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/09/travel/what-to-do-36-hours-in-sapporo-japan.html

== Ideas ==

Things to do in Tokyo:

* [https://en.japantravel.com/tokyo/tokyo-christmas-market/33520 Tokyo Christmas Market] at Meiji Jingu Gaien (¥1000)
* [https://en.japantravel.com/tokyo/roppongi-christmas-market/68038 Roppongi Christmas Market]

If the plan is to do Kytot on the 23rd and 24th some ideas might include:

* [https://japancheapo.com/events/ramen-expo/ Ramen Expo] in Osaka
* [https://japancheapo.com/events/osaka-christmas-market/ Osaka Christmas Market] until 12/25
* <strike>[https://japancheapo.com/events/naked-yoru-mode-at-heian-shrine/ Heian Shrine] in Kyoto has a cool art installation by a group called NAKED</strike> (it was great)

If it the goal is take the train north during January 5-8, we might want to consider:

* [https://japancheapo.com/events/iwaki-illumi/ Illumi Eeru Iwaki] in Iwaki

Later stuff includes:

* [https://japancheapo.com/events/nozawa-fire-festival/ Fire festival] in Nozawa Onsen in Niigata which looks amazing but might be a bit hard to be at. Monday January 1/15
* [https://japancheapo.com/events/shittenoji-doyadoya-festival/ Naked Doya Doya festival in Osaka on Sunday 1/14

We'll miss but it seems cool:

* [https://www.maebashi-cc.or.jp/suishinka/1158.html Maebashi Hatsuichi Daruma Festival] which involves burning many daruma