Carbonated Sodium Bicarbonate Spring in Utanobori !

by Kazu

I visited Utanobori Green Park in Kitami Esashi Town for the second time of my business jaunt. The design of the foyer seemed to be similar to that of Horohsin Hot Spring Spa in Numata Town. 

The sheet glasses facing the woods was so huge to make the most of the natural scenery. Different from my business jaunt to the same abolished mine in Utanobori, we had to take a snowcat with caterpillars to reach the sampling point of the wastewater.    

In total, eight persons can take the machine but the room in the snowcat was comparatively narrow and being shaken in the automobile may be tough for delicate figures.

 

Utanobori Green Park in Kitami Esashi !

by Kazu

On our way to Utanobori in Kitami Esashi, we dropped by Nayoro City to have lunch in the buckwheat noodle restaurant "Benihana" which meant "Scarlet Flower" in Japanese. We had to purchase some food for supper in the isolated hot spring spa and hotel "Green Park Utanobori".

It was my second business jaunt to the place in order to check up the waste water from the abolished mine. Once a mine was developed, even after the mine ran out of the copper, silver and gold, the waste water continues to flow out of the mine forever.

Most of the waste water tend to be acidic, so that should be neutralized with slaked lime continuously. Early in the morning, I was searching for an appropriate route for jogging. The trail to the upper side of the mountain was closed with heavy snow. I had to jog around the parking lot of the hotel to avoid brown bear attack. 

 

The Riceball Cafe in Sapporo !

by Kazu

The rice ball cafe? is near my condo. as if it is hiding behind the residence.The location of the cafe is making it difficult to find the small but cozy place filled up with green. We stepped down to the basement floor from the backside of an apartment.

The lunch plate was filled up with a variety of culinary delights, soup and a rice ball. The name of the cafe is "Onigiri Style Kai". Most of the users seemed to be females.   

The soup can be chosen from a few kinds.The amount of the foods on the plate may be appropriate for females but a few males were having lunch in the cafe on that day.

 

Aux Bacchancles in Akarenga Terrace !

by Kazu

The former prefectural government office of Hokkaido was refurbished and renewal opened last year. Some local sweet shops, food stands and souvenir shops were newly opened in the seasoned building. Many tourists visits the historical building to take memorial photos in front of it. 

We had a light dinner in the French restaurant Aux Bacchancles in Akarenga Terrace on the eastern side of "Red Bricks", the former prefectural government building.  You can see the old building lit with blue light from the window side of the restaurant.

 

The Natural Lawn should be raised even in win !

by Kazu

These are the artificial mobile sunlight stands set on the baseball ground. It must cost so much electric power and money but the natural lawn is much better than the artificial lawn on the concrete floor.

In the baseball games amid in the season, the stadium are filled up with the supporters of both baseball teams and users of the eateries such as the special hot dog restaurant run by the owner of Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and food court.    

 

The Ball Park in Kithiroshima City !

by Kazu

Many people visited Escon Ballpark in Kita Hiroshima on January 3 and some of them worshiped at the pop-up shrine set on the baseball ground. It was not the private tour in the stadium but the guests can sit in the dugout and walk on the ground.  

Some families played catch on the ground for a while and felt the players' view from the ground. Needless to say, it costed to light inside the stadium but the income seemed to be so-so, considering the number of the visitors and the users of the eateries.  

 

Escon Field Shrine 2026 !

by Kazu

At the beginning of 2026, a small Japanese shrine was set on the baseball ground in the Ball Park of Kita Hiroshima City as it had been in 2025. The guests could walk on the ground the baseball players showed their best performance in the season. 

As the lawn on the ground is natural one, they should be trimmed and lit with the artificial sun light. No baseball game was held on that day but many people visited there and savor the cuisine in the restaurant and food court.

I think it took 1,500 Japanese Yen to enter the ground and worship in front of the pop-up shrine. The guests were given a token to worship. It was very interesting arrangement and popular in Kita Hiroshima, Sapporo and other adjacent cities and towns.

 

The First Japan Traditional Tea Ceremony in 2026 !

by Kazu

In the morning of January 1, 2026, my wife hosted a Japanese traditional tea ceremony in my condo. Some Japanese traditional sweets made of sugar, sweetened root of burdock were served on tatami floor. The rituals had been established many years ago.  

We had to abide by the manner established in ancient era but a variety of schools developed their own ways and manners to enjoy Japanese green tea and light meals with sweets.  

These are the tools to have the ceremony in my condo.. We hosted so many international guests from overseas so far. I hope they really enjoyed the Japanese traditional ceremony .

 

Scallop Cuisine !

by Kazu

Almost the end of our working day in 2025, Hamatonbetsu Town located in the northern part of Hokkaido Island set a pop-up shop in Hotel Polestar Sapporo near my office and I bought a chunk of scallops for year end holidays.  

Fresh sushi-grade large scallops were served with seaweed called Wakame, sauteed with sliced Japanese taro and butter.  My sister-in-law kindly boiled bracken root and bamboo shoot to be accompanied by pints of beer. Sweet grilled egg was from the famous former Central Market of Japan Tsukiji.  　

 

December 31, 2025 !

by Kazu

It depends on the custom of each household whether the Japanese traditional and typical year-end/beginning meal package stuffed in Japanese lacquered meal boxes accumulated on the table, shuld be served at the end of year or the beginning.  

I think these are the typical contents of the meal package of the year end/ beginning. Herring roe with chopped sea kelp and squid flavored with soy sauce and fish broth, boiled salmon or herring rolled with sea kelp, chopped and pickled radish and carrot are my favorite.     

Mushed chest nuts, boiled black beans,　　sliced fishcake called "Kamaboko" and grilled egg&fish roll are not so smashing but the must-to-have in the meal package. We started to savor the meal in the boxes at the end of 2025.
 

Red Eagles Won the Game !

by Kazu

The result of the ice hockey game was Hokkaido Red Eagles' win. The local ice hockey team was sponsored by the paper manufacturing company "Oji Seishi" that rule the City of Tomakomai.

The move of hockey pack was so swift that it was a little bit tough for old foggy to catch up with the fast-moving pack hit with the sticks swung by the players. 

The city can accommodate  many tourists brought by cruise ships and tankers as well as ice hockey players. I think a little bit twists and optional tours should be arranged for the globe-trotters who drop by with cruise ship.