Hokkaido Happiness...

Last week went to Hokkaido and was very suprised. Why? Because it is not at all like Honshu. Hardly anyone lives there and there are virtually no rice paddies!

We took the 16 hour Niigata - Otaru ferry and arrived in Hokkaido early in the morning. Having taken a very long detour we drove to Asahikawa - Hokkaido's second biggest city. But don't be fooled, this is nothing like Tokyo or Osaka - more like a Northern Toyama but without the Russians on bicycles!

Asahikawa is really close to the Daisetsusan nature reserve which has some stunning mountains, gorges and waterfalls. It is beautiful, but not a patch on the two lakes - Shikotsuko and Toyako, which are situated surprising close to Chitose, Hokkaido's no1 airport. When you think of the number of Japanese people who have visited Hokkaido on holiday, it`s amazing that this place has not been developed more!

We stayed two nights at Lake Shikotsuko camping/sleeping in the back of my car. It was virtually empty. Everything closed at 6pm including the gate to the campsite. We then spent the next couples of days visiting the many onsens and volcanos and taking in the sulphuric/eggy smells of the Jigokudani (which remind me of the geesers and hot water pools at Yellowstone park).

Our final stop - Sapporo was a blast. It`s a great city with a great nightlife and lots to do. It reminds me a lot of an American city, wide streets and fairly easy to navigate. Suskino is also one of the liveliest places I`ve seen in Japan.

Overall, I would thoroughly recommend going to Hokkaido. Even during the peak holiday season there aren`t the crowds you would expect. However, without a car I think you`re wasting your time. There`s too much to see which wouldn`t be accessible by train and who wants to go on a tour bus?