Hokkaido Stories


How to travel 4,000km in four days

What a fantastic trip. And to think that people thought we were crazy for not flying, as if 40 hours and 4,000km of train over 4 days was a lot or something. I’ve included a map that shows where we went to help your orientation. We started catching a Shinensen over the Alps and through a number of annoying ear popping tunnels until we reached Niigata. F...


Diamond Dust

Am leaving Sunday and will be back on the move once more. Will really miss Kushiro, the people (some of them) and the beautiful afternoon sun. It is not the prettiest of places, but it grows on you. The rest of Hokkaido is pretty nice as well. Get up here if you have the chance. There has been over 100 snow related deaths already this winter, which...


Jumpstart Irony

Went up to Sounkyo on the weekend, a sleepy spa town about 4 hours away. We went up to see a frozen waterfall and do some skiing, and accidentally arrived for opening night of the local Ice festival. Have uploaded a few pics but it is something you really have to experience for yourself, I have never seen anything like it. Literally a city made of ice. ...


Just Another Day With Colonel Sanders

Tis fair fresh now and that will remain the case until I leave. Bit a snow but much less than the west as there is a big mountain range running down the middle of Hokkaido to slow down the Siberian winds and make it a bit ‘warmer’ over here in the east(single figure minuses instead of double), but i think being on the coast and have a sizeable windchill...