The main reason for including Lake Akan as a destination in our Hokkaido trip is to visit the Akan International Crane Centre, where we will be able to see Tancho Cranes, a symbol of Japan. I visited the Akan Tourism Information website and the Akan Tourist Information Centre Facebook page when planning for our trip to Lake Akan. These sites provide great suggestions on the day tours they provide as well as what can we do in Lake Akan. Other than making a trip to Akan International Crane Centre, Akan Tourist Information Centre organises a morning walk on Lake Akan during winter, which we opted for as this is the only other tour that fits into our schedule in Lake Akan

The elegant Tancho Cranes is the reason that brought us here to Lake Akan

I thought it would be a good experience walking on a frozen lake. We met our guide at the Akan Tourist Information Centre at 6.30am. We were told that we will not see frost flower due to the temperature on Lake Akan is warmer than expected at 0℃. Our guide also told us that Lake Akan is warming up as the winter season is coming to an end. Despite not able to see frost flower, we were not disappointed as walking on a frozen lake is a first time experience for us. Before bringing us further into the 13 km sq Lake Akan, our guide brought us to an area nearer to the shore of the lake, explaining to us that beneath the 1m snow-covered lake lies a 7m think ice that occurs every winter when Lake Akan freezes. Only when achieving this thinking can the lake be sufficiently stable for activities such as walking, smelt fishing, ice skating and snowmobiling to take place. The guide also brought us to some tents explaining to us how the smelt fishing works, before heading out further into Lake Akan to the nearest island Kojima Island to shore. By the time we were at Lake Akan, the sun seems to have risen. I was a little disappointed not able to catch the sunrise over the frozen lake. Nonetheless, that did not deter me from having a great time walking on the frozen Lake Akan. As we were walking towards Kojima Island, our guide explained that there are four islands on the lake, with Churui Island being the only island that visitors can visit the Marimo Exhibition Centre. Marimo is a rare growth form of the moss where the algae grow into large velvety looking green balls. These green moss balls have become the mascot of Lake Akan.

The first step onto the frozen Lake Akan

Taking our first wefie on the frozen Lake Akan

A block of ice that was extracted from Lake Akan. Our guide explained the ice beneath the snow-covered frozen Lake Akan

Our guide showing us a block of ice extracted from the frozen lake

Ice skating ring on Lake Akan

Tents that people can use to shield themselves from the cold lake breeze while smelt fishing

Marimo balls, an icon of Lake Akan, on display in the hotel

As we were walking on Lake Akan, I was mesmerised by the beautiful landscape on surrounding Lake Akan, walking towards Kojima Island, in front of me stood Mt Oakan, which the locals call it the male mountain. Behind us is Mt Meakan, otherwise known locally as the female mountain. Our guide told us these mountains surrounding Lake Akan seemingly guarding the lake are active volcanoes, though they are less active these days. He also mentioned that the female Mt Meakan is called female as she is “hotter” and more active compared to the male Mt Oakan. Beyond the coast of Lake Akan lies the largest island on the lake. As we came near to Kojima Island a pungent smell hit me. Our guide then brought us to the source of the smell, a small puddle of unfrozen water. Our guide explained that this unfrozen water is a hot spring with the temperature reaching the region of 60℃.

We walked a long way from the onsen town to Kojima Island

The Akanko Onsen town with the female Mt Meakan

My friend on Lake Akan with the male Mt Oakan in the background

Mt Oakan saw from the frozen Lake Akan

Me with Mt Oakan

Kojima Island

Me with Kojima Island at the background

Taking a wefie with our guide on the frozen Lake Akan

Mt Oakan and the frozen Lake Akan

We are near Kojima Island, the nearest island to Akanko Onsen

Hot spring water near Kojima Island and Mt Oakan at the background

My friend and I taking a wefie with Mt Oakan on the frozen Lake Akan

A clearer view of Akanko Onsen and Mt Meakan

After taking some pictures, we took a different path back to where we came from. Walking through the forested area of the shores of Lake Akan, our guide instructed us to follow his footsteps as the snow in some parts can reach as deep as thigh level (which he demonstrated to us by stepping into one of them). Along the way, he pointed out some footprints left behind by foxes that ply through this area at nights. Our guide stopped by a tree and pointed out a mark exclaiming that this was left behind by a bear. As it is winter, bears are deep in their hibernation cycle so it is safe for us to transverse in this area. Our trip on the frozen Lake Akan ended when we reached where we came from and we bid farewell to our guide, heading back to the hotel to grab breakfast.

In other seasons, this sign would be standing in front of the Lake Akan waters

Forested area around Lake Akan

Animal footprints

Taking a wefie at the forest

Claw marks left behind by bears

View of the frozen Lake Akan from the forest trail

Frozen Lake Akan from the forest trails

Lake Akan signage

One last look at the frozen Lake Akan. We had fun walking on the lake despite the freezing climate

Smelt fishing tents with Mt Meakan

 

Snowman on Lake Akan

Ainu ice sculpture on Lake Akan

Mt Meakan

Some mandarin ducks swimming on the unfrozen Lake Akan

The frozen Lake Akan. Walking on it was a great experience, we were treated with unspoilt views of the lake and the mountains surrounding the lake

Frozen Lake Akan from outside our hotel

Ainu sculpture outside our hotel

Visiting the Symbol of Japan – Tancho Cranes

After breakfast, my friend and I made our way to Akan Bus Terminal to catch the bus that would bring us to the Akan International Crane Centre. This day trip is a self-guided tour where Akan Tourist Information Centre sells us tickets to the Crane Centre that includes bus transfer to the crane centre, entrance to the crane centre, a lunch in a restaurant nearby and entrance to an art museum. The Akan International Crane Centre is a large farm field where large flocks of Tancho Red-crowned Japanese cranes would come during winter months for mating. The Akan International Crane Centre is located in the mid-point between Akanko Onsen and Kushiro City. The main building is the first thing that greeted us at the Akan International Crane Centre. Instead of going through the exhibits inside the building, my friend and I headed straight the outdoor conservation area to see the cranes, hoping to see the crane dance, which male Tancho cranes display when mating with female cranes. As soon as we reached the outdoor aviaries, we spotted a number of the tall-slim long-legged elegant Tancho Cranes. The red spot on top of their heads seems to give a sense of royal flair to this crane. The Japanese regard Tancho Cranes as a bird of happiness and is believed to live for 1000 years. There were a lot of photographers at the outdoor aviaries, hoping to catch the cranes in action. The outdoor aviaries were designed to mimic a natural environment for the Tancho Cranes, against the backdrop of the nearby mountain ranges, the Tancho Cranes looked comfortable calling this place home. The Tancho Cranes does not seem to mind sharing their home with flocks of geese.

After a 45 mins bus ride from Akanko Onsen, we finally reached the Akan International Crane Centre

Signage in front of the Crane Centre

This poem was left behind by one of the royalties of Japan

The main entrance to Akan International Crane Centre

Akan International Crane Centre. We can’t wait to see the Tancho Cranes

Tancho Cranes sharing the same place as geese

Me with the Tancho Cranes in the background. They seem well hidden with the snowy landscape

Tancho Cranes

These cranes are looking for food

My friend with Tancho Cranes in one of the outdoor aviaries

Most of the time we were there, these cranes were seen looking for food in the snow

Tancho Cranes

The red-crowned Tancho Cranes, a symbol of Japan

The elegant Tancho Cranes. This crane is also used as a symbol of Japan Airlines

There seem not much action in this aviary with the Tancho Cranes, most of the time they were burying their heads in the snow, looking for food. My friend and I headed for the next door larger aviary located in front of the 2 storey Tancho Observation Centre. More photographers gathered here seemingly waiting for something to happen. I managed to catch the Tanchos in action, as though it is trying to display the crane dance to one of the other cranes. Occasionally a few of these birds soar into the sky as though they were irritated by their neighbours. At around 1pm, a few hawks were spotted circling the sky above the aviary, waiting for the cranes to be fed fishes and swoop in to snatch the fishes with the cranes.

Tancho Crane in flight

Tancho Cranes in flight

One of the cranes doing the crane dance

One of the cranes doing the crane dance

One of the cranes doing the crane dance

 

After seeing some Tanchos in action, my friend and I left the Crane Centre to grab some lunch. As the next bus will be some 2 hours later, we headed for the Kushiro Shitsugen Museum. This museum displays the works and personal belongings of a well-known marshland painter. Although we are not art lovers nor are we museum-goers, we still could appreciate the artworks. Going through the paintings, I can’t help be wonder how the painter was able to come up with such a creation. With simple strokes of the brush and some spots of white paint against an orange or dark blue background, I was still able to tell that the white speck of paint is the Tancho Cranes. What impressed me most is the large 2-panel paintings, where the shades of colour spread consistently across both canvases as though they are one big painting. The museum isn’t too big, it took us 20 mins to finish the museum (I guess we would have spent more time in the art museum if my friend and I are art lovers). As there are 1.5 more hours to kill, we went back into the Akan International Crane Centre.

Grabbing lunch at the nearby restaurant across the road from Akan International Crane Centre

Visiting the Kushiro Shitsugen Museum

The snow landscape outside Kushiro Shitsugen Museum

Instead of going for the outdoor aviaries, my friend and I spent the rest of our time going through the exhibits in the main building. There is an exhibition hall that relates the life cycle and the anatomy of Tancho Cranes and their structure from young to adulthood. The main building also housed a laboratory where chicks can be observed through the one-way glass. However, at the time of our visit, we did not get to see these chicks. My friend and I headed back to the bus stop for the bus back to Akanko Onsen. Alighting the bus, we were thrilled to welcome the somewhat heavy snowfall.

Exhibits inside Akan International Crane Centre where we learnt more about the life cycle of the elegant Tancho Cranes

My friend studying the exhibit inside Akan International Crane Centre

Inside the main building of Akan International Crane Centre

Waiting for our bus to arrive to send us back to Akanko Onsen

Finally, the bus arrived

It was snowing heavily when we reached Akanko Onsen

Me with the snow in Akanko Onsen

Outdoor Onsen Under the Snow

After dinner, my friend and I head straight to the sister hotel next door to try out the outdoor onsen on the 1st floor, which was designated as the female spa last night. It is scheduled for male patrons tonight. After soaking in some of the indoor onsen baths, my friend and I headed out into the outdoor onsen baths. It was still snowing outside. Only the initial walk from the indoor to the bath was cold, one I entered the 40℃ onsen pool, it was very comfortable and relaxing and seem to take away the fatigue from the walks during the day. The outdoor bath was designed with like a natural bath with artificial stones underneath a tree. It is very refreshing soaking in an onsen in the snow. What I like about soaking onsen in the outdoors under the cold weather is it does not make me feel warm easily. We stayed in the onsen longer than we expected and moved to the onsens indoor before calling it and headed back to our room to pack up. We will be leaving for our next destination, Abashiri, early in the morning tomorrow.

My friend holding a Marimo Ball in the hotel

Me with the Marimo ball tank

The indoor onsen area on 1st floor at the sister hotel Akan Yuku no Sato Tsuruga (taken from the hotel’s website (http://www.tsuruga.com/en/) as we are not allowed to bring a camera into the onsen)

The outdoor onsen area on 1st floor at the sister hotel Akan Yuku no Sato Tsuruga (taken from the hotel’s website (http://www.tsuruga.com/en/) as we are not allowed to bring a camera into the onsen)

We visited a different restaurant from yesterday. Walking along the covered walkway to and fro the restaurant, taking in the snowy scenery outside, made us don’t feel like leaving Hoshino Resorts Tomamu. Afterall the ski village has activities for everyone, skiers or non-skiers. The scenery at Unkai Terrace was absolutely stunning. We checked out of our hotel in Tomamu after breakfast, in time for the shuttle bus that will make the 1040am JR to Kushiro Station. All the shuttle buses bound for Tomamu JR Station are timed well in time for guests to board or alight from the trains that call into the station. The information on the JR Hokkaido website is very accurate and makes a great site for me when I was planning which train to take for us to catch the shuttle bus to the hotel we stayed in Lake Akan Onsen Town (Akanko Onsen) provided by the hotel.

The restaurant where we had our breakfast in Hoshino Resorts Tomamu

Walking along the covered walkway from the hotel to the restaurant

The snow scene outside the walkway just looks fabulous

Making our Way to Akanoko Onsen

The journey to Akanko Onsen took around 5 hours. We spent 3 hours on the JR from Tomamu Station to Kushiro Station. The 3-hour train ride zipped past quickly as I was looking out the window, enjoying the sights of the vast and mostly empty land covered in snow of Hokkaido, a very different scene from what I thought of Japan. These empty lands could be farms, but in winter they looked abandoned. Everything covered in the snow seems to look beautiful, no matter how wild the land looks. Soon we arrived at Kushiro Station. My friend and I begin to orientate ourselves and look for the bus station that the bus would pick us up. Some hotels in Akanoko Onsen such as the one we stayed in provides transfer from Kushiro Station directly to the hotel, we found this out when visiting the hotel website and made arrangements with them to via email after we booked the room. We also booked our transfer from the hotel to Abashiri with the hotel, which saves a considerable amount on transport as well as time as compared to using the JR. We planned to arrive more than 30 mins earlier than the scheduled pick up the timing to the hotel after all the Japanese are known for their punctuality. We rather are early than late so not to miss our bus. As we were walking outside Kushiro Station, it seems to signal the end of winter coming, there isn’t much snow in the streets and most are covered in thin ice. As we were being driven on the 2-hour bus ride across Kushiro City, the whole city seems dead as there aren’t many people anywhere else in the city. As the bus pulled further from Kushiro City, the snow scenery seem to return, reassuring us that winter will not be ending soon. Civilisation fades into farmland and subsequently to the natural landscape. The natural landscape soon turned into civilisation, we knew we have arrived at Akanko Onsen.

Waiting for JR at Tomamu Station

We had time to take a wefie before the train arrives

This is the train that will take us from Tomamu Station to Kushiro Station

Onboard the JR on our way to Kushiro Station

The vast lands of suburban Hokkaido

The snow just makes even the wilderness look charming

JR zipping past some snow landscape in Hokkaido

My friend choosing which snack to get in Kushiro Station

I chose the very tasty cream bun

Outside Kushiro Station. It seems that the snow has melted as though winter is ending soon

This is the bus that will take us to Akanko Onsen

On our way from Kushiro to Akanko Onsen

As we were being driven to Akanko Onsen, the snow thick snow assured us that winter will still be around for some time

On our way from Kushiro to Akanko Onsen

There is hardly any traffic along the way to Akanko Onsen

On our way from Kushiro to Akanko Onsen

On our way from Kushiro to Akanko Onsen

On our way from Kushiro to Akanko Onsen

My friend and I checked into the room in the hotel, the view of Lake Akan from our room was amazing. From our room, we can see the frozen Lake Akan and the mountain beyond the lake. My friend and I headed out Akanko Onsen Town to settle the payments for our day trips tomorrow. The Akan Tourist Information Centre which we booked our day trips from was about 5 mins from the hotel we put up in. Akanko Onsen is a small town. Most of the hotels are built in front of Lake Akan and the shops are built one street opposite the hotels away from the lake. The shops in town mainly sell souvenirs to tourists and a couple of 24-hour convenient stores along the street. There is also a small park in town along the side where the shops are located. As we were strolling in the town, it felt that the town is built for tourists. The town is very quiet, we saw a few tourists strolling in town. There don’t seem to have a lot of locals residing in Akanko Onsen except for a few shopkeepers operating the shops. Since it was still too early for our dinner in the hotel, my friend and I headed for the nearby Ainu Kotan.

View of the frozen Lake Akan from our hotel room

Walking in the streets of Akanko Onsen

We came across a small park covered in snow on our way to Akan Tourist Information Centre

We were delighted to see a considerable amount of snow in Akanko Onsen, assuring us that winter is still around

Ainu Kotan is a small Ainu Village in Akanko Onsen, which is a small area hidden in one corner of the town. It has shops mainly selling souvenirs lined along the sides of the village. Some Ainu wood carvings are standing around 2 storeys tall sitting in the middle of the village. There is a small Ainu museum at the end of the street, which was closed at the time of our visit. There are some Ainu ice sculptures displayed in front of the museum. There are a couple of Ainu homes on the sides of the museum. The Ainu Village feels artificial, and not worth spending a lot of time on it.

The archway marked the entrance to Ainu Kotan

My friend in Ainu Kotan

One of the shops in Ainu Kotan selling souvenirs

The ice sculpture in the middle of Ainu Kotan

Another ice sculpture in front of the Ainu Museum in Ainu Kotan

These are residences of the Ainu tribe people

Me in an Ainu hut

A typical Ainu hut in Ainu Kotan

Ainu sculpture in Ainu Kotan

Onsen Experience in Akanko Onsen

For the rest of the night, we tried out the onsen in the hotel. The hotel’s onsen has 4 pools which are all indoor. The temperature in the hot spring waters in the hotel is set between 38℃ to 40℃, depending on the baths. We were a little disappointed that there isn’t any outdoor onsen in the hotel we were staying and the onsen in the hotel we stayed in is pretty normal. My friend and I decided to check out the onsen in the sister hotel next door. The onsen here is located on the 1st and 8th floor, alternately between male and female usage. Today the 8th-floor onsen is scheduled as a male onsen, while the one on 1st floor is for female patrons. We went to the rooftop outdoor onsen, braving the 2.5℃ temperature. The climate must be lower than 2.5℃ with the cold wind blowing from the frozen Lake Akan. We like soaking in the hot spring waters in the cold, feel very comfortable. It is a shame that we can’t see into the lake from the rooftop due to the darkness of the night. We headed back to our room after spending almost 1 hour in the onsen as it was late and we had to wake up early the next day for our morning walk on Lake Akan.

Onsen in Tsuruga Wings hotel (taken from the hotel website (http://www.tsurugawings.com/en/) as we were not allowed to bring a camera into the onsen)

The indoor onsen on at the sister hotel Akan Yuku no Sato Tsuruga 8th floor (taken from the hotel website (http://www.tsuruga.com/en/) as we were not allowed to bring a camera into the onsen)

Rooftop Onsen overlooking Lake Akan in the sister hotel Akan Yuku no Sato Tsuruga (taken from the hotel website (http://www.tsuruga.com/en/) as we were not allowed to bring a camera into the onsen)

We were fortunate to see a fireworks display on Lake Akan from the comfort of our room

The fireworks lasted for 15 mins on Lake Akan

Fireworks display on Lake Akan

 

First Try at Skiing

My friend and I missed out on skiing last year when we visited Korea, partly we were apprehensive about skiing as we had zero experience in skiing but wanted to try the sport. When we planned for this trip to Hokkaido we were determined to ski, after all, we are staying in a ski resort. Instead of renting ski equipment and figure it out ourselves, we booked a beginner’s lesson with the resort. Booking the lesson can be done via Hoshino Resorts Tomamu’s website. We were pleasantly surprised when we found out that the lesson is conducted for just the both of us with one instructor. The experienced instructor, though spoke very little English, was very proficient and very patient with us being first-timers in Skiing. The very first thing that we were taught is to walk with our ski on. Our instructor then taught us to brake, which is essential when we ski down a gentle slope. We practised braking a few time down the gentle slope that was meant for beginners. An hour has passed and our instructor suggested to bring us up a slope on a chairlift. We were hesitant at the suggestion, but put our trust in the experienced instructor instead.

The snow-covered Hoshino Resorts Tomamu is especially charming

Map of the Ski Area in Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (Source: http://www.snowtomamu.jp/winter/en/)

My friend having a ski lesson with the instructor while I skive around taking pictures

Travelling up the snow escalator for our lesson on walking with ski on and braking

This is the area for beginners where we were taught the basics of skiing

Our very patient instructor teaching my friend on braking techniques

The enclosed area is designed for kids to learn to ski down a very gentle slope

We took a ride up the Nipo Chairlift up the Nipo slope, a relatively gentle slope designed for beginners. First time skiing down the beginner’s Nipo slope was thrilling, the instructor’s teachings of braking came in very handy as I was controlling the speed by braking most of the time during my first descend down the slope. Our instructor brought us up Nipo Slope a few more times to practice our skiing. I felt more confident and actually find skiing quite fun. I thought getting an instructor to teach us skiing was a great idea, this allowed us to feel the fun in skiing. If not for the instructor, we would not have tried skiing down the beginner’s slope. After a few more attempts skiing down the slope, our 2-hour ski lesson had come to an end. After bidding our instructor farewell, my friend and I decided to head up Unkai Terrace and try our luck at visiting the Cloud Walk again.

Taking a selfie on the Nipo Chairlift up to the top of Nipo Slope in Tomamu

Our instructor guiding my friend down Nipo Slope for the first time, while I slowly ski down the slope taking the opportunity to snap some pictures

My friend and our instructor on the chairlift on our way up Nipo Slope for our second attempt down the slope

Nipo Chairlift

The snow looks soft as though good to make a snow angel on from the chairlift

Me on the chairlift. This is the only way to show that I was learning to ski as well

Our instructor perfecting my friend’s braking technique while I ski behind them happily snapping pictures

View of the Nipo slope that I have skied pass

It started to snow when we skied down Nipo Slope with our instructor patiently correcting my friend’s skiing technique.

Unkai Terrace Revisited

Feeling disappointed that we did not manage to visit the Cloud Walk the yesterday, we wanted to try our luck at visiting the Cloud Walk again. As we ascended Terrace of Frost Tree on the gondola, it started to snow again. The snow was heavier than it was yesterday. The snowing weather made the winter snowscape extra charming and beautiful. It was freezing when we reached the Terrace of Frost Tree. My friend and I headed for the Cloud Walk. The snow felt softer than it was the day before when we walked on it, thanks to the fresh snow descending from the sky. We came across the sign that stopped us from continuing further to the Cloud Walk yesterday and decided to ignore it as we saw a group of visitors ignoring the sign as well. I am glad that we ignored the sign, we were soon rewarded with the stunning view that the Cloud Walk provides. The Cloud Walk is a semi-circular bridge that extends out of the edge of the mountain, giving us a spectacular view of the entire valley and the mountain ranges around it. From the bridge we were also able to see the entire Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, it felt small when we stand on the shoulders of the giant mountain. The view looked like it was lifted from a painting or the photo of a skilled photographer. Standing on the semi-circular bridge that extends into the sky, it felt extremely peaceful and tranquil. We had to make a u-turn at the end of the bridge as the path was blocked by thick snow. We traced our footsteps back from where we came from and arrived at the summit gondola station.

I just love the view of the mountains when travelling up Unkai Terrace on the gondola system

My friend in the gondola on our way up to the top of Mt Tomamu where Unkai Terrace is located

At the top of Mt Tomamu

Tenbou cafe sells beverages and snacks to visitors at the Terrace of Frost Tree up at the top of Mt Tomamu

View of the ski resort from Terrace of Frost Tree

We stopped for a wefie on our way to the Cloud Walk

There is a fireplace in front of Tenbou cafe where visitors can sit around

My friend on a snowmobile

The snow-covered trees on top of Mt Tomamu just look so beautiful

The snowing weather did not deter us from taking wefie while walking towards the Cloud Walk

Finally, we reached the Cloud Walk. This is part of the semi-circular bridge that extends out from the edge of the mountain

View of the valley below from the Cloud Walk bridge

The view from the Cloud Walk is spectacular especially when the low clouds are forming

Wefie on the Cloud Walk

Panoramic shot from the Cloud Walk

Panoramic shot from the Cloud Walk

Panoramic shot from the Cloud Walk

The view from Cloud Walk is so beautiful

It feels as though we are standing on the shoulders of the giant when we were on the Cloud Walk up the top of Mt Tomamu which is more than 1200m tall

More wefie on the Cloud Walk

One is assured to get a stunning view at the Cloud Walk

Me at the sign that marks the Cloud Walk

Attempt to Revisit Ice Village and Chapel on the Water

Descending from Mt Tomamu, we headed to the Ice Village. We wanted to see the village in the day time and play on the ice slide again as we thought it would be less crowded. As we were walking towards the ice archway of the Ice Village, we saw the entrance to the Chapel on the Water being opened. We decided to pop into the Chapel as the visit the Chapel was rather disappointing that the tranquillity in the Chapel was broken the night before. This time around, instead of heading into the Chapel, we walked on a path that along the parameter wall surrounding the Chapel. The view of the Chapel from the parameter wall was as beautiful as it is from inside the Chapel. The Cross that stood still braving the elements of the cold weather on the frozen pond outside the Chapel still looks tranquil from the elevated plane surrounding the Chapel. The view of the Chapel was indeed different and offered a different perspective of the Cross. We followed the path to exit the Chapel grounds and continued our way to the Ice Village. When we arrived at the Ice Village, the ice archway was shut, at this point we knew that the Ice Village was not open.

On our way to the Ice Village

The snow-covered forest on the path towards the Ice Village

The Cross that stood undeterred withstanding the elements of Mother Nature in the Chapel on the Water

The Chapel on the Water looks beautiful even when viewed from the outside

Chapel on the Water

We were walking along with the parameter of the Chapel on the Watermarked by the concrete walk

The snow seemed to make every picture we took beautiful

This is taken outside the walkway on our way back to our hotel

My friend building a snowman in Hoshino Resorts Tomamu

My friend posing with the snowman he built (can’t really see from this picture, but there is a small snowman there)

Riding the Snowmobile

Walking back to our hotel, we thought the day is still young and headed over to the GAO Outdoor Activity Centre to try driving a snowmobile. We opted for the 10 min option. Before driving the snowmobile, we were given simple lessons on driving the snowmobile. We were also instructed to follow the guide closely and not to overtake each other. Driving the snowmobile was easy, the left handle controls the brake, while the right handle controls the acceleration of the machine. The steering of the snowmobile was heavier than I expected. We were led by the guide to ride around an open area in front of our hotel. Riding up and down slopes as well as riding around the bends, it was fun riding the snowmobile. We were led to stop at a point where the guide took some pictures for us with the Tomamu Tower Hotel in the background. After taking some pictures, we headed to the activity centre that marked the end of our 10 min snowmobile ride.

Me at the GAO Outdoor Activity Centre

Getting ready for our maiden snowmobile ride

My friend on the snowmobile

We were driving the snowmobile

Me on the snowmobile

The guide led us to this place where he took a picture of us with  the hotel we were staying in the background

Mina-Mina Beach

The night is still young, my friend and I headed for the Mina-Mina beach. Mina-Mina beach is one of the largest indoor heated swimming pool in Japan.  There are scheduled artificial waves created every hour. The water was colder than we expected as we entered the pool, perhaps due to the sub-zero temperature outside. Around the pool, there are activities such as an indoor wall climbing facility and a jumping cord. There are also floats stowed at the side of the pool for visitors to the pool to use. We waited for the wave to occur. The wave lasted 15 mins and wasn’t much fun. As we felt bored with the pool. we headed for the adjacent outdoor bath – Kirin-no Yu. It is a pity that we were not able to bring our camera when in Mina-Mina Beach and the Kirin-no Yu. The outdoor bath is separated by gender with the men’s bath further in the swimming pool. After taking a shower, my friend and I headed for the outdoor pool. As we exited the heated area of the bath into the outdoor pool, a sudden cold chill ran through our body due to the sub-zero temperature outside. We quickly made our way into the hot pool, where we felt very comfortable almost immediately. It is very refreshing soaking in a 40℃ water in the -8℃ temperature. The cold temperature made the hot water don’t feel as it is. We were reluctant to move the moment we soaked into the water. Although the water in the bath was not spring water, it still feels very good soaking in it. As it was getting late and we were getting hungry we left Mina-Mina Beach after cleaning up. We headed back to our room after dinner to pack up as we will be leaving Tomamu for our next destination – Lake Akan Onsen the next day.

 

Arrival in Hokkaido

Our maiden Japan trip was planned to take us across from East to West of Hokkaido, taking mainly the public transport during winter. The whole journey took us around 1200km across the Northern State of Japan. We were greeted by land of white when we woke up from our overnight flight with a brief layover in Bangkok. Our plan was to visit the Doraemon Sky Park located in New Chitose Airport after we collected our luggage, however, the park only opens at 10am. My friend and I headed for the JR Station located on the domestic side of New Chitose Airport and got our tickets to our first destination in Hokkaido – Tomamu. I read that Tomamu Station does not have a ticketing counter, this was verified by the staff when we purchased our tickets to Tomamu, we took the opportunity and bought our tickets from Tomamu to Kushiro as well.

Snowy landscape of Hokkaido as we approached for landing

We were thrilled to see the snow-covered New Chitose Airport and can’t wait to get out to play with the snow

As we still have some time to spare before our scheduled train departs, my friend and I decided to get Bentos to be eaten during onboard the train. The shopping arcade in the airport looks more like a shopping mall than an airport. We whizzed through the maze of shops selling practically everything, from souvenirs to biscuits to Bentos. They even have a live seafood section here! We got our Bentos from a store manned by an elderly lady. Despite speaking very little English, that does not stop her from providing the excellent service that the Japanese are known for.

Ticketing at New Chitose JR Station

My friend and I at the New Chitose JR Station

Shops in New Chitose Airport selling all sorts of stuff

Seafood on sale in New Chitose Airport

More food in the shopping arcade in New Chitose Airport

Bentos!

JR Ride to Tomamu – Our First Stop in Hokkaido

The JR ride from New Chitose Airport to Tomamu Station takes around 2 hours with a change of train at Minami Chitose Station, just a train stop away from the Airport Station. We started to chow on the Bentos that we bought after the change in train. The Bentos are very fresh and delicious, a very good start for our journey in Hokkaido. The 2-hour train ride seems to pass quickly, most of the time I was looking out the window at the snowy landscape of the vast land in Hokkaido. There isn’t much build-up area where the train zipped through. Arriving at Tomamu Station, hordes of visitors to the resort started to crowd around an elderly gentleman, it is not hard to miss the porter whom would transport our luggage to the resort, at the same time guiding visitors to the free shuttle buses that would bring us to the resort. Shuttle buses to the resorts are timed according to the arrival and departure of JR trains that stopped by Tomamu Station, a very well planned and easy access to the resort. The bus ride took around 5 mins.

Our tickets to from New Chitose to Tomamu Station

The train that would take us to Tomamu

Inside the Green Car of the JR

On our way to Tomamu

My friend bought the pork bento. The pork was tender

I opted for the salmon bento

Nearing Tomamu Station

We arrived at Tomamu Station after 2 hours from New Chitose Airport

Tomamu Station

As we arrived at the reception ahead of the rest of the visitors who were still looking for their luggage when we have collected ours, the queue at the check-in was relatively short (which began to form up fairly quickly after the rest of the visitors collected their luggage). Checking-in was a breeze and soon we found ourselves in the room that the hotel assigned. We were glad that we have gotten a high floor unit (32nd floor out of 35 floors), the view out of the room was stunning! We could see the ski slopes and the mountains forming the backdrop to the resort. Below the resort, there seem to be some skiing lessons going on.

Reception at the time we arrive

At the ski resort in Tomamu

View from our hotel room

Unkai Terrace and the Terrace of Frost Tree

After settling into our room, my friend and I wasted no time in heading out to the Unkai Terrace, which the room rate included the gondola tickets to the peak of Mt Tomamu. Complimentary shuttle buses are running to different parts of the resort at regular intervals, which we made use quite often during our stay in the resort. Before my trip to Hokkaido, I read that at the top of Unkai Terrace is where the Cloud Walk is situated, exclusive to Tomamu Resort, boasting great views to the mountains and the valley in the entire Mt Tomamu region. The ride on the gondola up Unkai Terrace took around 10 mins, it was snowing as we alighted the shuttle bus and made our way to the gondola station. As the gondola ascended to the peak of Mt Tomamu, we were treated to stunning views of the mountains that form the ski resort. Rows and rows of triangular trees form the forested area, with the snowy condition, the view is out of this world. And this is just the beginning of our ascend to Unkai Terrace. As the gondola climbs towards the summit station, the views of the valley became clearer. It is at this point that I realise how big the entire Tomamu Ski Resort is.

Base Station of the gondola up Mt Tomamu

Gondola base station

The beautiful winter scenery as we ascend Mt Tomamu in the gondola

The winter landscape around Tomamu Ski Resort was amazing

Exiting the summit gondola station immediately is the Terrace of Frost Tree. A small shop housed in a shipping container sells food and drinks to visitors was placed at the backdrop of the Terrace, where the mountain range that surrounds the ski resort was in full view. The ski resort seems to form the heart of the mountain ranges, the view is especially tranquil when the entire area is covered with snow. One can seem to find peace looking out from the Terrace of Frost Tree up in Unkai Terrace.

Terrace of Frost Tree in Unkai Terrace

View of the ski resort from Terrace of Frost Tree

Panoramic shot from Terrace of Frost Tree

Shop selling food and drinks at Terrace of Frost Tree

After snapping some pictures, my friend and I headed out to the Cloud Walk. We were treated to stunting snowy mountains views even walking on the snowy path towards the Cloud Walk. At one point, we came across a sign that reads “Stop for a while”. When we saw the Japanese Language on the sign, it seems to suggest that the Cloud Walk is closed. As it was snowing, we thought that the Cloud Walk was closed and decided to head back to the gondola summit station for our gondola back to the base station. We stopped by the Mina-Mina Beach, an indoor heated swimming pool within the resort grounds momentarily to see what’s inside before catching the next shuttle bus back to our room to rest.

Making our way to Cloud Walk

Even the view on the way to Cloud Walk is stunning

Me on top of Mt Tomamu

View of the surroundings on our way to the Cloud Walk-in Unkai Terrace

Snow snow everywhere

Descending back to the Unkai Terrace gondola base station

Sneak peek of Mina-Mina Beach

Visiting the Ice Village at Night

Within the resort grounds lies the Ice Village, which is only open during winter months. After dinner, we headed for the Ice Village. Instead of catching the shuttle bus, we made our way to the Ice Village by foot through the covered walkway that linked the different hotels within the resort. The walk to the Ice Village from our hotel took around 10 mins. The entrance to the Ice Village was marked by an archway made entirely out of ice. From the archway, a one-way path took us to cross a small wooden bridge and up a small slope. The village is nowhere in sight as we were walking in the snowy path up the slope. At the top of the slope, there it is. The ice village bathed in colourful lights is perched at the bottom of the slope. We were excited when we saw the ice village. As we were making our way down the slope, we came across an ice slide. It was not well marked and can be easily missed under the cloak of the night. We took the option of sliding down the ice slide instead of walking down the ice steps. The slipperiness of the slide as a result of the ice zoomed us down the slide fairly quickly. It was fun!

The ice archway marking the entrance to the Ice Village

Taking a wefie at the Ice Village signage in front of the ice archway

Walking through the snow-covered pathway. The Ice Village is still nowhere to be seen

Finally saw the Ice Village on top of the slope

 

The long ice slide that we took down to the village

 

My friend sliding down the ice slide after me

The Ice Village is essentially a place where all the buildings are made of ice. Even the furniture inside these ice huts is carved out of ice. These buildings housed shops. There is an ice hut sells cocktails, where visitors can carve a glass out of ice and the bartender would pour your choice drink into the glass that one carved. There is a shop that sells flowers, frozen in ice. And another that sells desserts. At the heart of the Ice Village is the Ice Chapel. It was closed for a private wedding ceremony at the time of our visit. Besides the Ice Chapel is a single room Ice Hotel. The hotel room has a bed that is carved out of ice and a dining table as well as a couch that is made of ice. Even the chandelier in the room is made of ice. There is another door that leads to the backyard of the hotel room. Here lie 2 deck chairs made of ice and a small side table for one to relax on. I wonder if anyone would even lie on these deck chairs as the climate is simply too cold to sit on these icy chairs out in the open.

Taking a wefie in the Ice Village

 

The Ice Village is made up of ice huts such as these, the external look the same, but each hut offers different things inside

 

This hut sells pastries encased in cabinets made of ice

 

These pastries look delicious

 

The interior of the single room Ice Hotel

All furniture and even the chandelier is made of ice

The sundeck chairs in the back yard of the ice hotel

As we headed back to the Ice Chapel, a staff member informed us that there will be a fireworks display starting in around 5 mins. Since it is 5 mins away, my friend and I waited for the fireworks. Soon a display of pyrotechnics lighting up the dark winter night sky from behind the Ice Chapel. Watching the fireworks rushing up the night sky, illuminating the Ice Chapel with a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns was magical. It felt like a scene in some Disney cartoon display real life in front of me. The fireworks display lasted for 15 mins. We left the Ice Village when the fireworks died down.

The Ice Chapel looks beautiful especially bathed in white and blue lights

As we were walking back, we saw a small pathway almost covered by trees. A few visitors headed into this pathway. Curious, we followed them. This pathway leads to a compound surrounded by a grey concrete wall. It is the Chapel on the Water, designed by a famous architect in Japan. The Chapel was made out of simple materials like stones, woods and glass. We followed the crowd inside the Chapel, which look more like a dungeon than a place of religion. Down a spiral staircase, a large floor to ceiling glass panel formed part of the wall. Outside the glass panel lies a large Cross sitting solemnly in the snow. In other seasons, this Cross would be sitting on a pond, however, during winter, the snow-covered pond blended with the surroundings. The solitude Cross came across as peaceful when watching it from inside the Chapel. Inside the Chapel, a sense of zen can be felt. The tranquillity was soon broken when a group of tourists from China came into the Chapel talking loudly. We were rather irritated and left the Chapel to return to our room to the rest of the night. We wanted to get sufficient rest for our ski lesson tomorrow.

View of the Cross from inside the Chapel on the Water (or snow in winter)