Itanki Beach in Muroran !

by Kazu

The beach for the citizens of Muroran City was very calm early in the morning on that day.The collaboration of the ocean, white and gray clouds and blue sky was spectacular and breathtaking. 

It was like a oil painting or other kind of art work created by a great artist. Every time we visited Muroran City, it never betrayed our expectations. We really enjoyed our stay in the city and the local cuisine. The city of steel changed its outlook gradually. 
 

Muroran Yakitori Ippei!

by Kazu

The dinner in Muroran City on that day was skewered grilled chicken and pork as well as Japanese chittering in the flagship bistro of "Ippei" Japanese bistro chain. The characteristics of Muroran Yakitori is the sauce of the skewered grilled chicken, not salt and pepper.

The taste of the original Muroran Yakitori satisfied us so much. We experienced the separated room in the bistro for the first time. The fried chicken skin was so crisp and tasteful. My wife loved the texture and taste. 

 

Lake Toya: on the beach!

by Kazu

It was o fine on that day at the beginning of autumn. It has been a while since I drove my car for hours to go to the sightseeing area in Hokkaido without my wife. I felt kind of loneliness and something new feelings.  

Scarcely I saw people enjoying swimming in the lake but the beach was like the popular beaches facing the ocean where people swamped and enjoyed sun-tunning.

It was very calm and only the sound of winds blowing on the surface of the lake could be heard on that day. I was eager to show my wife this scenery but on our way back to Sapporo from Muroran where we would rendez vous, we would not drop bey the place. 

 

The Roadside Station of Water Toya !

by Kazu

The big poplar tree near the pier had played the role like a lighthouse for the operator of the ships for regular sightseeing cruise.  It is about 120 years old and the oldest among the existing poplar trees in Hokkaido. 

For the residents in this area, the tree is the symbol of the life with the circumference of 6.6 meters. Before the age of automobiles,the regular cruise ships were used by the local residents so frequently.  

In Meiji Era, steam boats using the wood logs to burn were the main driving force but in Taisho Era, it turned to the engine boats. After the roads around the lake were paved, the main carrier of the local residents became the automobiles and the regular boat carriers disappeared. But after the area including Lake Toya had been designated  as a National Park, the area attracted the attention of the people as a popular place to visit for sightseeing and the cruise boat for sightseeing took the place.

 

Lake Toya 2024/09/28！

 

by Kazu

On my way to Toyoura Rrailway Station where my wife would get off the train from Hakodate City, I dropped by the Roadside Station of Lake Toya. It was so fine and the surface of the lake reflected the blue sky and white cloud. 

The pier for the sightseeing boat seemed to lead to the central island of the lake like a bridge. The boat seemed to be going backside of the island. The lonely drive made me feel the beauty of the landscape more clearly.  

The fine view of the landscape and the blue sky absolutely made the visitors refreshed so much. The area is one of the most popular place to avoid harsh coldness in Hokkaido in winter.  Some visitors from the main island of Japan settled in this area.

Manhattan Cafe !

by Kazu

After enjoyed trekking on the trail of Mt. Maruyama, we had "Afternoon Tea Set" in Cafe Manhattan, Akarenga Terrace. We could order the crisp fried potato three times.  My wife confessed about her tough situation in her business in the cafe ans we shared the toughness and potato. My wife could not have dinner on that day. We ate so much fried potato in the cafe.    

 

Citizens of Sapporo Love Mt. Maruyama!!

by Kazu 

The altitude of the peak of Mt. Maruyama is much lower than Mt. Moiwa but it is much easier to reach the peak and grab the perspective of Sapporo City. The beautiful city continues to allure many tourists and residents even now.

The natural forest is also fascinating to enjoy the art works of the nature near the residential area. The aged and huge trees and the trunks of them have so interesting features.

The height of Mt. Maruyama is 225 meters high. The skyline on the opposite side of Ishikari Plain could be seen on that day. The skyline were made of Mt. Asahidake, the highest in Hokkaido and adjacent mountain ridges.  

 

Buena Vista from the peak of Mt.Maruyama!

by Kazu

It takes approximately thirty minutes to reach the peak of Mt. Maruyama that is loved by the citizens of Sapporo City to enjoy trekking. So many Buddhism statues were placed here and there for worship . they were mainly for the safe trekking in the woods.

Some brown bears appeared in the adjacent mountain called Sankakuyama and one of them was hunt by the voluntary hunter in the hunting association.

After conserving brown bears in Shiretoko Area that was designated as one of the World Heritage by UNESCO, the number of the brown bears increased and some of them went to the west to secure their territory and some bears appeared even in Sapporo City.  

 

Mt. Maruyama Trekking!

by Kazu

It has been a while since I enjoyed trekking on Mt. Maruyama in Sapporo with my wife. It was so fine on that day and not so hot. We parked our car in the parking lot of Hokkaido Shrine and walked to the entrance of the trekking trail.

Before the pandemic of covid-19, there were many sticks for trekkers on the backside of the sign at the entrance but I could find nothing this time. Everything has changed after pandemic.  

The aged big trees welcomed us like before and any citizens including little kids were enjoying trekking the trail in the woods. The stone statue of Buddhism were also waiting for us.

 

Fort by the Beach!

by Kazu

There is a farm that raise chickens to pick up their eggs and run a restaurant in their premises. Special pizza, curry rice, spaghetti, oily noodle were their big draws. It seemed that the owner and employees love surfing wave off shore of Mukawa Town. Some wet suits were hung in front of the entrance.  

A dog-run space and camping site were near the building of the restaurant made of steel frames. I did not expect so delicious dishes but I have to apologize to the owner of the restaurant.  

Each dish has the top quality and the sense of the chef seemed to be superb. Needless to say, the quality of the eggs brought by the chickens running around on the ground was amazing. Please try the pizza and noodles in the restaurant. The name is "Fort by the Beach".

 

What They Lost!

by Kazu

The son of the famous Ainu artist Mr. Bikki Sunazawa said there was no precise definition of Ainu tribe, so everybody can say that they are the descendants of Ainu who were distinguished by the Japanese people and can get funding to become international students and to build their house with low or no interest. 

He also said that Ainu people did not have the custom of bathing. I am not sure to what extent his explanation describes the real life and roots of the indigenous people of Hokkaido Ainu but he is the real descendant of them.

Those shoes were made of the skin of salmon and deer. I know that the Aleutian people called Unangan use the gut of seals to make their raincoat for fishing from the kayaks but I've never seen the same in Ainu culture.