Cries of “Yaaaaaaaaaa…Yaren Soooran Soooran…Hoi hoi!!” continued to echo in my ears as my train left the platform at Sapporo Station bound for Tomakomai. I had gone into town over the weekend to catch the annual dance extravaganza in Sapporo that is the Yosakoi Soran Festival.
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SNEAK PEEK: SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL 2017A friend was pretty amused when I exploded in exuberant joy that I have just snagged a hotel room in Sapporo this weekend!
What’s the occasion this weekend, she asked. What do you like about Sapporo?
Well, firstly, there’s nothing to dislike about Sapporo. If I could pinpoint something, it is that there’s just too many people in this tiny city.
Secondly, what’s the occasion? It’s the eagerly anticipated Sapporo Snow Festival!!! It’s probably the biggest winter event on the Japanese calendar this side of the archipelago.
I’m not sure how many winter festivals there are in the world, but the Sapporo Snow Festival probably ranks amongst one of the most well-known.
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Fall is in the air. After two weeks of consecutive pummeling by typhoons, the dipping temperatures and clear blue skies are a much welcome respite.
Fall also happens to be my favourite season. It’s the season when leaves turn into brilliant hues of red, orange and yellow – a phenomenon the Japanese term 紅葉 (literally, “red leaves”) or もみじ. And one of the most popular places in Hokkaido to catch the fall colours is the Jozankei Onsen (定山渓温泉) district.
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One of the first things I penned down on my bucket list when doing my research on Sapporo was the Sapporo Beer Museum (札幌ビール博物館) and the Sapporo Factory (サッポロファクトリー). I’ve always enjoyed Japanese beer, and in particular, Sapporo (I prefer this over Asahi or Kirin). So how could I not make a pilgrimage to the Holy Grail when I am in Sapporo?
Let’s cut to the brew. To be honest, if time is of the essence for you in Sapporo, I suggest you can safely give both destinations a miss. I hear a gasp…
Yes I mean it! As much as I fancy a tipple from the sacred shrine, I would have to admit that besides the beer tasting (which you can actually experience without a tour of the museum), both destinations do not offer a truly interactive experience.
Take the Sapporo Factory for example. This former brewery is now a shopping centre, restaurant complex and tourist trinkets trap. The only reason I spent a good hour there – there’s a small tasting room at the corner of a miniscule “exhibition room” where you can taste 6 different kinds of Sapporo Beer for 250 yen each for half a pint.
Next, the Sapporo Beer Museum (札幌ビール博物館). It’s a shuttle bus ride from the Factory. The architecture is strangely European and the distinctive Sapporo red star that adorns every steeple and roof kind of reminds you of the former communist Soviet Union (or is it just me?)
Inside the Museum, there’s two floors of exhibits – both of which took me less than 5 minutes each. The exhibits cover the history of Sapporo Brewery and a special tribute to their bestselling Black Label. I would have preferred a more interactive experience, but sadly, the exhibits are mainly posters and Sapporo beer bottles from the different eras.
Now if you have time, the beer tasting is the real deal. And the best part, you get to sample 3 half-pints of different Sapporo beers at a grand total of 500 yen. This almost makes the earlier price tag of 250 yen per half pint offered at the Factory seem exorbitant. In addition to the beer tasting, there’s an interesting souvenir shop where you can purchase beer flavoured chocolates, beer flavoured cookies, beer flavoured anything… Cheers to that! LS
I present to you the night view of Sapporo 札幌 – I’m facing the same view as I write this at the cafe on the 38th level of the Sapporo JR Tower (札幌 JR タワー). With a cuppa, of course. I could vegetate here the whole night with this view before me.
Like any first-time visitors to a Japanese city, this is almost like an initiation ritual to the city – a money sucker definitely but it’s not like you do this everyday. Which reminds me, this must be my 5th tower-rite. Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukuoka…and now this! And if you count the views from the castles…well, who’s counting?
Oh by the way, did I mention this is the second ¥720 I spent in a single day. The first went to the Sapporo TV Tower. Hmm…consider the former ¥720 as a donation. Compared to the TV Tower, the vista (and ambience) here is so much better! And the kicker – you get to pee “over the city”!!
Sometimes I wonder if there’s more to the view that attracts people to part with their moolah. What do you think? LS
lonesojourns 