Memories of Hokkaido

[giantcanopy]

Susukino - the nightlife of Sapporo.
Many would not miss going to Susukino for a short walk when in Sapporo - the place to eat drink sing, and other sorts of fun ( ? brothels :bsmilie: didn't see any, maybe wasn paying attention ) You would probably know Susukino because of their two Ramen alleys.

Susukino can be easily reached by the subway or by foot from Odori. It issn't too bad a walk from the main Sapporo JR station either - but that can be subjective

#16

A rather documentary take of Susukino. No tripod no nothing, just having enough time to snap and go. The gaijin signboard is pretty iconic. We didn't spend too much time roaming on the streets - We were there to try their ramen.

#17

The street between the two Ramen Alleys.
There are two streets - the old and the new Ramen Alley, the later having slightly bigger Ramen shops, but seatings still as cramped.

 

[two200]

Like #16. What setting do you use? Such clear shots without tripod

Going to Hokkaido in Dec, so hoping to learn something, anything!!:bsmilie:

 

[giantcanopy]

Like #16. What setting do you use? Such clear shots without tripod

Going to Hokkaido in Dec, so hoping to learn something, anything!!:bsmilie:

Hi it is a stitch of two wide angle shots actually - top and bottom. No settings with me at the moment, i pm ya when i got the data when i get back.

I am sure you will enjoy the trip. Will be pretty cold by then :bsmilie:

Ryan

 

[two200]

Cold also must go lah, my kids want to experience snow. Ok, the biggest 'kid' also want to experience snow

 

[giantcanopy]

Then remember to visit Odori Park. Check out their dates for the Sapporo Snow festival. I visited the Snow Festival Museum and was utterly impressed by their sculptures. The view from the TV Tower will be amazing as well.

Mt Kurodake that i hiked for a while at Daisetsuzan also got snow :bsmilie: at the top.

Ryan

 

[giantcanopy]

Went to the new Ramen Alley to try a bowl of Ramen.

#18

A shot taken at the doorway of one of the shops that we eventually patronized. Shops there are pretty popular, will have to wait a while.

 

[two200]

Unfortunately, Sapporo snow festival is in Jan-Feb period. So miss lah...... Going in mid Dec. Hopefully, climate warming has not done too much harm to the snow...

BTW, you must have very steady hands. No tripod and can take 2 photos good enough to stitch! Previously I use oly 770, no IS, poor lighting condn, like earthquake leh

 

[giantcanopy]

The wide angle and the slightly raised ISO definitely helped in handholding. I would imagine me shooting the same settings with a telephoto to be horrible.

I will try to post up a draft itinerary on one of the posts for reference for all , including the lodging and stuffs this few days. DIY in Hokkaido is actually really not difficult.

#19

The couple slurping the ramen beside me.
I was using a 12-24mm for the whole visit to Susukino that night.
I find the ramen in Japan rather oily ( I tried a few places ard Hokkaido ), and the mee has a striking resemblance to the dried instant mee in their convenience stores :think:

 

[giantcanopy]

Are you a chocolate lover ? Tried the famous Shiroi Koibito / 白い恋人 ( Aka White Lovers ) chocolates of Hokkaido ? It is the number one chocolate product ( and pricey too ) and NO other brands came close. Not even Royce ( Which is also from Japan btw ). It is not easy to find their chocolate éclairs outside Hokkaido.

We visited Ishiya Chocolate Factory in Sapporo , a chocolate centric theme park that will bring you through the history of chocolates and how it first landed in Japan. It is a big compound with many buildings interconnected, and having their own soccer field, a practice ground for the J League Sapporo Team, and an open viewing chocolate factory production line.

Children will love this place. At every hour, little moving dolls and music springs alive the whole compound. The can have some hands on actions on baking as well.

600 Yen pax and you get an Ishiya passport and a sample of their delicious 白い恋人 and a slow walk around their compound. Free visitors can only walk around the compound grounds and gardens, and their chocolate lounge.

Take Subway to Tozai Line Miyanosawa Station, less than 10 minutes walk and the fragrant smell of the chocolates will lead u to the building ( no kidding, the entrance smells of their chocolate and biscuits, think they channeled their oven heat out from somewhere there :bsmilie:

#20

A take of the compound from the side facing the soccer field, composed of 10 wide angle shots stitched into one. Skies were so blue there wasn't a need for any polarisers when taken opposite the sun.

 

[Parka]

Nice series of photos. The ones of your website are very good too.

 

[giantcanopy]

Thanks Parka for your comments. Intend to add the entire section of my Hokkaido/Osaka trip as a travel blog on my website. Will put some of the other more documentary stuffs and maps there as well.

Here is the logo of Ishiya. The logos were taken at a perimeter fence around the compound, at the junction of a right angle turn with stacked cats facing the other end on the right.

#21

 

[giantcanopy]

A young lady visitor. Abit of an impromptu moment, placement could have been better, but she never turned her head back

#22

 

[two200]

Like #21. I thought was a still, could have fooled me

 

[giantcanopy]

Like #21. I thought was a still, could have fooled me

:bsmilie:

One of the princess visitors. There are several little mini cottages for the children to play around in the garden at the gates.

#23

 

[g-khoo]

Great street captures! Totally different from mine. Haha.

Ishiya factory is the one place i missed out! Arghhh...

Did you purchase the choc biscuits from there? They taste sooo goood..

 

[giantcanopy]

Great street captures! Totally different from mine. Haha.

Ishiya factory is the one place i missed out! Arghhh...

Did you purchase the choc biscuits from there? They taste sooo goood..

Brudder.. Me and my gf bought 6 boxes hahahaha

 

[giantcanopy]

#24

A little wall mural at Ishiya ( at the start of the paid entrance walking route )

 

[doodah]

Is this what Hokkaido is like? :think:

Somehow, when I think Hokkaido, I think of natural landscapes. Did not know it's so much of a city... :think: May have to reconsider whether it's worthwhile for me to go there since I have zero interest in cityscapes... :dunno:

 

[giantcanopy]

Is this what Hokkaido is like? :think:

Somehow, when I think Hokkaido, I think of natural landscapes. Did not know it's so much of a city... :think: May have to reconsider whether it's worthwhile for me to go there since I have zero interest in cityscapes... :dunno:

Hi Doodah. There are several places i visited. Sapporo ( the one I am showing now ) is the one that is more urban, hence the shots here are of the slant.

There are plenty of natural landscapes in other areas that I have visited, rivers, waterfalls, moutain tops / alpines, craters .. ( which I will need alot of time to process, i took quite a number of them )

I have outlined some of the areas I visited on the first entry of the thread.

Ryan

 

[giantcanopy]

The factory process line for public ( paid entrance section ) viewing.

You can see their stringent and meticulous ways in making the buscuits as perfect as it should be. Biscuits are screened by several grades of colors, any not falling into the grade gets discarded

You get to see the process from making the batter to the baking. Refreshing idea. Keeps a check on the staffs as well :bsmilie:

#25

( high attrition rates so as to have that great expensive chocolate for you - you can see they actually have 2 guys at the biscuits area to select and throw from a slow moving conveyor belt on bottom left )