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Hokkaido (Page 14)

Eat up, take off – The 20 best airport restaurants in Japan, as chosen by travelers

Casey Baseel
Dec 1, 2015
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20 mouth-watering reasons to check in early for your flight.

Japan
(airports • food • Hokkaido • Okinawa • Osaka • ramen • restaurants • sushi • Tokyo • travel)

Love Japanese hot springs? At Nakadake Onsen in Hokkaido, you can dig your own!

Casey Baseel
Nov 3, 2015

Two of the best ways to experience the pleasures of rural Japan are a long hike and a leisurely dip in a hot spring, or onsen, as they’re called in Japanese. With the country’s chains of volcanic mountains, there are plenty of spots where you where you can do both in the same day, with onsen resorts often not too far from where mountain trails start or end.

But instead of booking a room in an inn with a hot spring, you can do something even better in this part of Hokkaido by digging your own onsen!

Japan
(hiking • Hokkaido • hot springs • nature • onsen • travel)

Michelin-listed ramen restaurant will turn you into a tiger with a single bite

Casey Baseel
Oct 15, 2015

It wasn’t so long ago that you’d hear expats and travelers in Japan express shock over the concept of sitting down in a restaurant and paying good money for a bowl of ramen. Seriously, aren’t those the cheap, instant noodles that college students, bachelors, and other people too lazy to cook survive off of?

Things are very different today, though. Ramen is currently the hottest segment of Japanese cuisine in the international dining community, with restaurants dedicated to it opening up in cities across the U.S. The humble noodles’ stock has risen so high that this ramen restaurant in Hokkaido is listed in the esteemed Michelin guide, so we decided to see if it was deserving of the honor.

Japan
(food • Hokkaido • Michelin • ramen • restaurants)

Newlyweds on honeymoon in Japan beat up convenience store clerk, get arrested

Casey Baseel
Sep 29, 2015

Although my wife and I have taken several trips together since getting married, we still haven’t gone on an official honeymoon. My old job required me to work weekends and I couldn’t take any time off around the date of our wedding ceremony, so I was back in the office two days after saying “I do.”

As such, my wife and I didn’t get to do the typical newlywed travel activities. You know, things like toasting each other with champagne every night for a week, lounging on the beach and giggling as we call each other Mr. and Mrs. Baseel, or beating the hell out of a convenience store clerk, like the Chinese newlyweds who are not only just married, but were also just arrested in Japan.

China, Japan
(convenience store • crazy • crime • Hokkaido • ice cream • newlyweds • Sapporo)

That moment when Google Maps tells you there’s a crab claw somewhere…and there actually is!

Preston Phro
Sep 25, 2015

Japan is full of places with unusual names, like Kinugawa (“Angry Demon River”), which caused all the flooding earlier this month. So, it’s understandable that when someone sees a place marked Crab Claw (“カニの爪” pronounced “kani no tsume”) on Google Maps, they might think it’s the name of a hill or some quirky little fishing village.

But one Japanese Twitter user decided to investigate and went to get a look at what this “Crab Claw” actually was. It turns out Google Maps wasn’t being coy or silly — it was being 100 percent literal!

Japan
(crazy • funny • Hokkaido • travel • weird)

Domestic culture shock – 30 things people from Hokkaido experience when they move to Tokyo

Casey Baseel
Sep 23, 2015

When foreigners first move to Tokyo, they’re often amazed and overwhelmed by Japan’s biggest bustling metropolis. But sometimes culture shock can be more localized, and just because you haven’t left the country doesn’t mean there aren’t any surprises in store when you move to a new town.

Hokkaido has more than five times the area of any other Japanese prefecture, and the lowest population density in the country to boot. So when someone born and raised on the northern island moves down south to Tokyo, which is more than 90 times as crowded as Hokkaido, he’s sure to be surprised by a lot of things, and here are 30 of them.

Japan
(culture • culture shock • Hokkaido • society • Tokyo)

Fisherman catches unreal-looking fish off the coast of Japan, turns out to be quite harmless

Krista Rogers
Sep 16, 2015

Yikes! What must have been going through the minds of a group of Japanese fishermen when they caught the shocking fish pictured above off the coast of Hokkaido? It’s a face that could keep anyone up at night with that gargantuan, gaping mouth.

Actually, on second thought, the big guy’s kind of growing on us…

Japan
(animals • fish • fishing • Hokkaido • weird)

Our 7 best conveyor-belt sushi restaurants in Sapporo

Mike
Jun 24, 2015

When you think of the Hokkaido city of Sapporo, you probably think of winter. After all, this is the city that hosts the annual Yuki Matsuri snow festival where massive ice sculptures line its bustling streets, and millions of people stop by the city every year while en route to Niseko for some ski or snowboarding fun.

But when Japanese people think of Sapporo, they tend to think summer, when the far-north metropolis boasts cool, mild weather and abundant nature in a season where much of Honshu is blanketed in oppressive heat and humidity; the kind that makes you physically angry every time you step out the door.

Anticipating an influx of Japanese tourists to the area, our Japanese sister site recently put together its top picks for the best conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Sapporo, and we thought we’d share, since, honestly, Sapporo is a really, really nice place to visit this time of year and their seafood is to die for.

Japan
(food • Hokkaido • Sapporo • sushi • travel)

Looking for great sushi near Sapporo? Try this hidden restaurant in an airport souvenir shop

Casey Baseel
Jun 4, 2015

Even in a country of unabashedly passionate foodies, Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s major islands, holds a special place in diners’ hearts and appetites. No trip to Hokkaido is complete without sampling some of its famous seafood, but most travelers arrive by plane. That means having to get to the airport ahead of time for your flight home, and between that and taking care of any last-minute souvenir shopping, sometimes you have to make the heart-wrenching decision to give up on one last Hokkaido sushi meal.

Unless, of course, you hit this amazing sushi restaurant that’s not only inside Hokkaido’s principal airport, but also inside a souvenir shop!

Japan
(food • Hokkaido • New Chitose Airport • restaurants • sushi • travel)

Japan Bucket List II: 8 places you need to visit to really understand Japan

Amy Chavez
Apr 22, 2015

We at RocketNews24 believe that to truly understand a country’s people you need to know something about their history and where they came from. So following last week’s popular Japan Bucket List: Things you need to do to really understand Japan, this week we offer you eight places that contributed greatly to the development of Japan, its culture, and people.

Get ready to take your understanding of the Japanese people a step further with eight historical places that have helped shaped them into the people they are today. Let’s go!

Japan
(Ainu • buraku • Edo • Hokkaido • Nagasaki • Nara • Osaka • world heritage sites)

We sample blue Drift Ice Curry from the India of the Okhotsk Sea

Master Blaster
Mar 30, 2015

Earlier this month our reporter Mr. Sato paid a visit to the northern land of Hokkaido and their Adashiri Prison Museum. There he sampled of their pickles and prison beer but also found a bevy of other souvenirs for the region.

One item in particular stood out among those various trinkets and snacks. Its name is Drift Ice Curry and it was inspired by the tranquil beauty of ice that flows through the Okhotsk Sea from mid-February to early March. It’s a phenomenon that’s you’d probably least expect be depicted in a curry, which is exactly why Mr. Sato had to try it.

Japan
(curry • food • Hokkaido • instant curry • weird)

Woman loses an eye from foul ball at Sapporo Dome, sues team for millions of yen

Scott Wilson
Mar 27, 2015

Imagine you’re sitting in the Sapporo Dome, cheering for the Nippon Ham Fighters home team, when suddenly you hear the unmistakable crack of a bat. You look up to see where the ball is, only to have it come crashing down right in your eye. Quite the painful end to your evening, sure, but that’s barely the tip of the iceberg; you’re now blind in that eye.

That’s exactly what happened to one woman back in 2010 when a foul ball hit her full in the face, blinding her in one eye. And after years of deliberation, the Sapporo courts have finally reached a decision on her case against the stadium and team.

Japan
(baseball • Hokkaido • injury • Nippon Ham Fighters • Sapporo • Sapporo Dome)

Butter-flavored Kit Kats come to Japan as new specialty store opens in Hokkaido

Casey Baseel
Feb 25, 2015

In the year since it opened in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro, we’ve become big fans of the Kit Kat Chocolatory, the specialty store for the chocolate-covered wafers that’re especially popular in Japan. As a matter of fact, somewhere in the course of our multiple visits to procure the latest and greatest Kit Kat flavors, we’ve forgotten what life was like before the shop opened.

But while we’re living in the land of plenty with two different Chocolatory locations in Tokyo (the second is near Tokyo Station), not all of Japan is so fortunate. Until now, only residents of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nagoya could claim their town had its own Kit Kat paradise.

That’s about to change, though, as a new Kit Kat Chocolatory is opening soon in Hokkaido, and bringing a new flavor with it: butter.

Japan
(food • Hokkaido • Kit Kat • sweets)

Mr. Sato channels his inner Elsa, books a night at a Hokkaido ice hotel 【Photos】

Scott R Dixon
Feb 24, 2015

February: the time when most of us in the northern hemisphere look at the calendar in despair as spring takes its sweet time to arrive. It’s also the perfect month to get away to a warmer locale, soak up some sun and recharge yourself to be able to get through the last (hopefully) weeks of winter.

But instead of packing a swimsuit and sunscreen for that trip to the beach, our beloved reporter Mr. Sato instead decided to fully embrace winter and booked a stay at an ice hotel in Hokkaido for a vacation he’ll never forget or let (it) go.

Japan
(Hokkaido • ice hotel • Mr. Sato • Royce Ice Hills Hotel • Sapporo • snow • Tobetsu • travel)

Mr. Sato visits the Retro Space Saka Hall, full of syringes, Mediocrity, and bittersweet memories

Master Blaster
Feb 22, 2015

While visiting the city of Sapporo, our adventurous reporter Mr. Sato stumbled upon this bizarre looking complex called the Retro Space Saka Hall. The whole place looked incredibly sketchy, but that was right up his alley.

Little did he know, however, that this dingy-looking industrial complex nestled in snow would almost move him to tears.

Japan
(history • Hokkaido • Mr. Sato • photos • Retro Space • Sapporo • travel)

Say “I love you” with seaweed: Message kombu is the tastiest way to tell her you care

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Feb 10, 2015

As you may have noticed, Japan has pretty much mastered the art of sprucing up food. We’ve already seen a plethora of tools to create bear-shaped rice or smiley face sausages, but we’re particularly excited about a certain product we just discovered up north in Hokkaido. They’re called “message kombu” and the heartfelt messages made out of seaweed are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Japan
(art • food • Hokkaido • seaweed • souvenir)

The 2015 Sapporo Snow Festival! 【Pics & Video】

KK Miller
Feb 8, 2015

Every February brings another amazing display of artful snow and ice carvings, and RocketNews24 loves to bring you the details for those who aren’t able to make the trip up to Hokkaido. While we weren’t able be there ourselves last year, we are pleased to bring you the firsthand account of the 66th annual Sapporo Snow Festival. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and join us for a photo tour!

Japan
(frozen • Hokkaido • ice sculptures • Sapporo Snow Festival 2015 • snow sculptures • Star Wars • video • Yokai Watch)

To hike or hibernate for the winter? The woes of a Hokkaido University student

KK Miller
Jan 23, 2015

Heavy winds, low visibility and snow drifts the size of houses. What do you do? Go to that lecture at 8:30 or grab as many blankets as you can and binge watch Dragon Ball? Although the answer might be pretty simple for some university students in Japan, the ones in Hokkaido know there is no such thing as a snow day. Freshman students at Hokkaido University are sometimes amazed to encounter the incredibly snowy weather conditions that face them on their way to class. There is not much else they can do but bundle up, snap a few pictures and share them with the Internet.

We’ve collected some of the best pics taken by Hokkaido’s students this winter. Would you go to class in this weather?

Japan
(Hokkaido • Hokkaido University • snow • weather • winter)

Low crime in Japan means police officers create ridiculous snow sculptures instead

Scott Wilson
Jan 14, 2015

It snows a lot in Hokkaido. Like, a lot. No seriously, they have a hotel made out of ice and snow and just take a look at this poor Lawson convenience store that was devoured by snowfall.

So with all that snow around you can either grumble as you shovel your driveway for the third time that day, or you can make the best of it. One police officer in Hokkaido did just that, creating an amazing snow-sculpture of a Japanese police car right outside the station.

Japan
(Hokkaido • Japanese Police • police • snow • snow sculptures)

Cold never bothered you anyway? Then spend a night at this Hokkaido ice hotel!

Scott Wilson
Jan 8, 2015

There’s no shortage of unique hotels in Japan. Aside from the well-known capsule hotels and love hotels, there’s Gundam and Hello Kitty hotels, a toilet hotel, a so-cheap-it’s-scary hotel, and much more.

But the latest hotel that just opened up in Hokkaido is definitely the coolest of them all. It’s a hotel made entirely of snow and ice where you can spend the night in below-freezing temperatures!