Travel Plans/Winter 2023 Asia

Hokkaido sub-trip

Things to buy/organize/book

rail tickets (mika please do):

1. [TODO] [2024-01-05 Fri]: Tokyo→Morioka: Hayabusa No.31 15:20 → 17:32
2. [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
3. [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):

1. [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
2. [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:

1. [DONE] booked plane ticket: 11:40am JST CTS to HND JL 508 (JAL)

book hotel (mako will do):

1. [DONE] [2024-01-05 Fri]: a hotel to stay in in morioka. FYI: there's a dormy inn w/ an onsen... (done in tripit)
2. [TODO] [2024-01-06 Sat]: a hotel to stay in hakodate
3. [TODO] [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)
4. [DONE] [2024-01-08 through 2024-01-11] Rusutsu Lodges Pension Lilla Huset
5. [TODO] [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

moiroka ideas:

• go see jazz show 7-9pm in morioka at cafe bar west38: https://akiyoshi-jazz.com/events/event/20231202/
• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/travel/52-places-travel-2023.html#morioka
• https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Morioka

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.

sapporo ideas:

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

hakodate ideas:

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

Ideas

Things to do in Tokyo:

• Tokyo Christmas Market at Meiji Jingu Gaien (¥1000)
• Roppongi Christmas Market

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

• Ramen Expo in Osaka
• Osaka Christmas Market until 12/25
• Heian Shrine in Kyoto has a cool art installation by a group called NAKED (it was great)

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

• Illumi Eeru Iwaki in Iwaki

Later stuff includes:

• 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:

• Maebashi Hatsuichi Daruma Festival which involves burning many daruma