Despite being in the city for three days, I hadn’t really explored Sapporo proper and decided to remedy that. First on the list was the Sapporo Clock Tower, a 150 year old schoolhouse built in dedication to agricultural studies and the development of Hokkaido at large. Importing professors from various agricultural colleges in the United States, the building served as a military drill hall, model farm, prep school and other functions required to educate future pioneers in botany, farming, and area development. The clock itself was apparently too large for the original design, but the bell tower was modified to match.
Not yet having my fill of towers, I moseyed over to the Sapporo TV Tower which overlooks the thirteen blocks of Odori Park. Built two years prior to Tokyo’s famous one, the first three floors are free to roam but the real view at the top costs 800 yen to see. I headed through the park below to see a famous sculpture/playground equipment called the Black Slide Mantra but unfortunately the season’s heavy snow made it appear like a utility fixture rather than an architectural marvel.
My long-awaited onsen visit was about an hour away, so I took a brief stop at my Airbnb to change and print the prepaid bus/entry ticket. In a panic, I noticed the start of the schedule was at Sapporo’s bus terminal and not the subway station; I ended up re-spraining my ankle running to catch the Kappa Liner only to see it rolling away just as I arrived. To add insult to injury, hindsight reminded me my first destination was correct (the third stop on that schedule is much closer to my Airbnb, which is why I scheduled pickup there). Luckily, a slower bus route still goes to Hoheikyo Onsen and back, but the defeat (and my tendon) still stings.
A long soak in the natural hot springs elevated both my body temperature and my spirits, so I decided to head to the Jersey Cafe (I met its owner at the beer cellar last night). This place was fantastic in its retro feel with awesome tour posters plastered on every surface along with knick-knacks of international pop culture ranging from Hanna Barbera to Hello Kitty. I sampled a wide range of local brews, whiskies, and local pub food favorites supplied by an izakaya downstairs.
Next up was the Electric Sheep Bar, a Blade Runner themed joint that mainly just featured cocktails based on terms from the series. I’ll admit I might’ve over-hyped myself on this one but they can’t all be knockouts I suppose. My final stop was meant to be a cool find: a bar based on the popular all-girl metal band BLACKPINK but to my disappointment it turned out to be both a hostess club AND exclusive to Japanese. So overall, I definitely had some misses but it’s a long race – speaking of which, my friends are getting nearer to their own with the Tokyo Marathon in five days!
Ice's Travels 