We came back to Kutchan and Niseko !

by Kazu

I got up earlier than usual on that day. I could see so fabulous sunrise and the landscape of Mt. Yotei. I got out of the hotel and started regular jogging. The hotel Maple Niseko seemed to have wrap up its service period and started its maintenance.  

Some new hotel buildings were in the process of construction at the foot of Mt. Niseko Annupri. The prices of the real estates in Niseko and Kutchan got higher and continued to do.

Mt. Yotei started wearing white drapes and turned its color from red to shining white. We changed the accommodation on that day but the scenery that could be seen from the window was superior in Hotel Ki Niseko.

 

The start of the green season in Kutchan and Niseko !

by Kazu

Mt. Yotei showed us a variety of countenances on that day. Some back-country skiers passed away during their exploring on its hillside in winter, unfortunately.

Dog-tooth violet flowers were blooming on the ground in the park of Niseko. The winter ski season ended up but near the peak of Mt. Niseko Annupri, many skiers and snowboarders were enjoying spring skiing even though the quality of the snow was not powdery. 

 

The Dim Sum in Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono satisfied us so much !

by Kazu

My wife loves wonton noodle soup. As the portion of the wonton noodle soup was comparatively small, I ordered that for my wife and spicy tan tan mien noodle soup for myself.  

Steamed sweet bun with spicy minced pork inside showed that we were getting closer to the end of the lunch.    

Mango pudding and almond curd were the closer of our lunch on that day. As we had small breakfast on that day, it was easy to pig out the dim sum lunch. 

 

Dim Sum in China Kitchen, Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono !

by Kazu

The Chinese boiled dumpling Chaozu served in "China Kitchen" of Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono had fat coating dough and tasted so good. The fried spring rolls were so crisp and tasteful but please be careful because the inside was so hot.

The Chinese Sichuan spicy and hot soy beans curd with chili and Japanese pepper mapo tofu was also so tasteful and hot that fried rice should accompany with the cuisine. 

The sweet and sour fried pork, onion, bell pepper and pineapple made me recognize that the Chinese restaurant had some kind of cutting edge and competitive twist on its flavoring.

 

China Kitchen in Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazo in 2024!

by Kazu

It has been almost half a year since we had the dim sum lunch in "China Kitchen " of Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono last year. The quality of each dish is promised.

We started the dim sum lunch with pork soup. Soy bean curd with duck egg pitan and spicy sauce. Chinese pork ham followed.

Chinese steamed spare rib with black beans sauce and fried chicken breast flavored with peanuts and chile were served after them. The crisp fried chile should be left on the dish. Before I heard of the manner, I ate as much chile as I could.  

 

The Volcano and Pacific Ocean !

by Kazu

Only small plants and moss covered some parts of the ground on the peak of the active volcano Mt. Esan, near Hakodate City. The winds from the ocean was so refreshing but the reflection of the sunshine from the ground made us hot and thirsty.

We could see some ants on the ground. Even in winter, the ground of the volcano keeps a certain level of temperature without snow and ice. It may be easy to get over cold winters for the ants but it must be so tough in hot summer.

"The Eruption Gulf " and the overview of Oshima Peninsula could be seen from the peak of Mt. Esan. The hot spring spa area "Yunokawa" in Hakodate City is closer than the downtown of the port city Hakodate. Mt. Esan has so easy and comfy trekking course with some parking lot surrounded by azalea flowers.

 

What the deities in Hokkaido made !

by Kazu

The peak of the active volcano Mt. Esan was like the surface of the Planet Mars. Ragged huge rocks made of lava seemed to have sharp edges on them but the winds and rainfalls seemed to have carved them up and made the surface milder than before.  

The round shape and the blue color of  the earth made a fascinating contrast of "Barren" and "Fertile". From here and there, the active volcano was erupting the steam of sulfur.   

Much more steam could be seen erupting from the crack in the valley but it was not prohibited to trek around the volcano. The steam looked so hot and no plants could not grow near the steam. 

 

White and pink in the darkness!

by Kazu

Those flowers of Japanese Magnlia Kobus were as if flying to us and challenging to us. I felt kind of dynamism from the flowers even though they were only blooming still on the branches.   

The cherry blossoms were entertaining the visitors with their variety of patterns to bloom in the air. Some were like flower balls and some were like art works crafted by seasoned and skilled artists. Soon they were swallowed by the darkness of the night.

 

Cherry blossoms and kitakobushi blooming in the night !

by Kazu

In the main island of Japan, Japanese apricot trees tend to decorate their branches before cherry trees but in Hokkaido, white Magnolia Kobus and cherry blossoms tend to bloom before apricot.  

The flowers of Magnolia Kobus were blooming as if they were about to fly away from the trees like butterflies. The flowers do not move but watching theses photos, I felt their eagerness to fly into the sky and flourish.

 

Worship in the darkness!

by Kazu

Basically, we should have done the worship until around two o'clock in the afternoon. Most of Japanese people do that.But during the season of cherry blossoms, the visitors to the shrine tend to worship in front of the closed gate of the shrine as if they ask for the permission to enter the premises to see the cherry blossoms.  

The cherry blossoms started to turn its color with the blue color of the sky and darkness. But the visitors were still savoring the aroma and beautiful colors of the cherry blossoms as well as the backdrop of  dark green and brown of spruces.

Near the west gate of the shrine, we found a corridor of Magnolia Kobus and cherry blossoms. The pale colors were like what we see in the dream. The weak sunshine from the backside of the mountains gave so nice effect to the scenery. 

 

Hokkaido Shrine with cherry blossoms blooming in the night !

by Kazu

In front of the gate of Hokkaido Shrine, an aged cherry tree was in full flourish with its pale pink blossoms blooming against the backdrop of the dark wooden fence surrounding the main sacred building of the shrine. The cherry blossoms were as if emitting the lights from the inside. The gate of the shrine was closed but the visitors could worship outside of the closed gate. The donation box was set in front of the gate.