Mt. Moiwa in autumn 2025 !

by Kazu

Mt. Maruyama could be seen from the cargo of the rope way to the peak of Mt. Moiwa. Nowadays, brown bears appeared in the West District of Sapporo City and even near Mt. Maruyama, so trekking around the mountain became dangerous before their hibernation.     

Many people were killed by brown bears in Hokkaido this year and even in the main island of Japan, black bears that were smaller than browns also attacked and killed some people this year. So unusual number of bear attacks occurred this year. 

I saw some fat brown bears that appeared in the residential area of Hokkaido on TV but each of them seemed fat enough to sleep in the hole in the ground during winter. It was said that Acorns were not enough in the mountains this year but why were they so fat ? The windmill built on the hillside of the mountains to generate electric power drove them crazy? The low-frequency sound wave might affect them badly? 

 

Mt. Moiwa Ropeway in Sapporo !

by Kazu

We took our friend from Tokyo to Mt. Moiwa to let her get the perspectives of Sapporo City at the peak of the mountain. We parked our car and went up to the station to take the rope way tram.  

The white dome that had been presented by India and is said that the bones of Buddha is inside could be seen from the cargo of the rope way. The autumnal foliage on the hillside of the mountain was not so bright under the gray clouds. 

The horizon was vague and the border of the sky and the ground was not clear. It was getting colder even in the cargo of the rope way. I thought I had take our friend and her husband to the peak of the mountain decades ago but that was incorrect. It was her first visit to the peak. 

 

Buckweat Noodle Bar Namiki in Sapporo !

by Kazu

No baseball game was held on that day but many people visited the home ground of the professional baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters "Escon Field" and enjoyed the food provided by the eateries in the facility.

On our way back to my condo., we dropped by the grocery to pick up the ingredients of our dinner on that day. Fortunately, haired crabs could be purchased at reasonable price and I got some and bought other kinds of foods there. 

For the lunch of the next day, we took our friend from Tokyo to the buckwheat noodle bar in the North District of Sapporo "Namiki" featured with fried chicken "Tori-Tempura" and buckwheat noodle on the board.

 

Escon Field out of season !

by Kazu

The professional baseball season was over in 2025 but the home ground of the professional baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters Escon Field was open for the fans and visitors. 

As it was cloudy on that day, the artificial lights were used to raise the natural lawn on the ground. The roof was closed but some eateries were open. 

The most popular and famous hot dog bar provided its flagship dishes of plain hot dog and melted cheese hot dog that contained the Nippon Ham's special long Vienna sausage "Schau Essen "just for the hot dog bar. 

 

Salmon Park in Chitose City !

by Kazu

We visited Salmon Park in Chitose City to show our friend from Tokyo so-called "Indian-Water Wheel" that catch salmon beside the river. The roadside station was beside the park and many local products were sold there. 

We did not enter the Salmon Science Center in the park but enjoyed amply happy time with our friend. For the stress relief of us and our friend, it was nice destination to drop by on our way to Kitahiroshima and Sapporo.,

After visiting Salmon Park in Chitose, we took our friend to Escon Field in Kitahiroshima which was the home ball park of the professional Baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. The natural living lawn was cared so carefully by the staff of the ballpark. 

 

Lake Shikotsu in autumn 2025 !

by Kazu

We picked up our friend living in Tokyo and take her to Lake Shikotsu on our way back to Sapporo. It was not so fine on that day but we enter the camping site to see the landscape. Fortunately, our friend could see the peak of Mt. Tarumae that had lava dome on the top the day before.

No camper could be seen in the morning of the Friday. The beautiful autumnal foliage was not so bright under the gray clouds and th peak of Mt. Tarumae could not be seen on that day. 

I had enjoyed snorkeling with my wife decades ago because it was so hot in that summer. During my university age, I had enjoyed camping on this beach. You can see the cliff in the water near the end of the beach.  

 

Bird-Flu Extermination !

by Kazu

Some poultry died of bird flu in Shiraoi Town last October,2025. We were dispatched to the town and had to kill the chickens in the cages in the farm around the clock.  Before entering the farm, we had to wear Tyvek suit, rubber grab and goggle in the citizens gymnasium.   

We had some meal package and drink and went to restroom before wearing suit. After wearing suit, pissing was tough because it was required to go out of the infectious zone. 

After filling up our stomach with cold meal, we prepared for the cruel work to avoid epidemic of bird flu to other poultry farms.  We had to organize some teams to pick up the chickens, put them in the buckets, kill them with carbon dioxide gas, carry them to outside of the cage house, and compile them in flexible containers. My sweat went down to my rubber boots and filled them up.