I remember in March last year, when I first came to Hokkaido. At that time, there were two travel-savvy friends from Taiwan and one new friend from Hong Kong in the tour group. My impression of Hokkaido wasn’t very deep—I just felt somewhat aesthetically fatigued. I didn’t feel much about the snow scenery before me or the food at that moment. I remember describing myself as “a chef who had lost his sense of taste.”
A year and a half has passed, and now it’s the end of 2017. I have another chance to set foot in Hokkaido again. This trip is quite similar to last year’s, as I was also promoting tourism for eastern Hokkaido. However, the feeling is quite different. Last year, I didn’t understand why the Taiwanese writer beside me could marvel at a single onsen tamago (hot spring egg) and write hundreds of words about it—I wasn’t even sure why I was there. This year, before the trip, I actually struggled quite a bit. After all, preparations for TEDxChaterRoad were in full swing. Originally, a friend from the tourism board mentioned splitting us into two groups, with one departing in January. But due to limited promotional time, everyone ended up going together in December, which led to this trip to Hokkaido.
This year, Japan experienced a major snowstorm. In the days before departure, I saw a lot of related news, but fortunately, we transferred in Tokyo and then flew to Monbetsu Airport in Abashiri, so we weren’t affected by any flight delays. Speaking of transferring in Tokyo to Japan, both ANA and JAL have recently launched special offers for Hokkaido.
The fare for direct flights from Tokyo to all cities in Hokkaido starts at JPY7,560 including tax. You can fly directly from Tokyo to eastern Hokkaido for a unique exploration of Japan and also avoid the congestion issues in Sapporo.
When mentioning Hokkaido, people probably know more about famous areas like Sapporo and Furano. But in fact, eastern Hokkaido also has many places worth exploring. Japan has a total of 32 national parks, six of which are in Hokkaido. Eastern Hokkaido alone has four. Beyond the national parks, the beautiful natural landscapes, exceptional mountain and sea ingredients, and rejuvenating hot springs here are all incredibly captivating.
Coming to eastern Hokkaido again, if you ask me what must-visit spots there are, I might not be able to give you a great answer. But the biggest highlight here is its simplicity and unpretentiousness—there are no skyscrapers, no must-see major attractions. Eastern Hokkaido itself is a whole.
Being in a foreign place, I spend less time online and more time reflecting on my own matters. Looking back, these past few weeks have been too busy. Every day, I’m either caught up in daily work or busy with TEDx-related things—or sometimes just other things. What’s really important, and what can be let go? I seemed to have reflected on this around this time last year, but not long after, I piled new things on again.
Actually, whether it’s our daily work or life, sometimes, simplicity is the greatest happiness.
Text and photos: Dan @ The Story of a Half Travel Journalist