Crazy Digest: Japan 2013: Tokyo + Hokkaido

Date of Travel: 2-12 Aug 2013

OMG! It's the Sapporo Beer Festival! But wait - we don't drink beer. D'oh!

Today was meant for wandering around Sapporo, and enjoying the food and shopping. However, it was so freaking hot! I miss our car :( We started out by walking to Nijo market to have brunch. I wanted to test the seafood, and ordered quite a fare bit. Unfortunately, it tasted just mediocre as I have to admit, Nijo Market is meant more for tourists.

A very hot day at Sapporo, not a cloud in the sky

I was the only idiot carrying an umbrella. And it's my super-duper umbrella from Taiwan that cost TWD550!

The arch is the start of Tanuki Koji Shopping Street. Nijo market is directly opposite this, where I am taking the photo from

In Japan, the food MUST come out exactly as shown in the model or picture. I picked left page, 1st column, 3rd row

My raw scallop don for 980¥(RM32). It DOES look like the picture! But scallop not as "sweet" as yesterday night's.

Kani, Ikura & Urchin Don 1780¥(RM58). Urchin is expensive stuff back home, this bowl would have easily cost RM120.

This is Hokke Fish 580¥ (RM19), or Atka Mackerel Fillet. Supposedly higher unsaturated fatty acids. I like!

I'm sorry that this is a bit lacking in information, but we just wandered aimlessly around the city, and went from shopping mall to shopping mall. We did pick up some nifty goods though! HH bought a pair of Columbia Outdry shoes for 9006¥(RM292) when it would have cost over RM500 back home. I bought some Okinawa salt, very delicious when put on grilled meat. Also, don't forget to pick up some Royce "Nama" chocolates for 693¥(RM22.50), because they charge RM48 for a box back home.

Inside the Tanuki Koji walking street. Too touristy to buy anything

Is this a library?! No, it's a high-end grocery store disguised as a library. How ingenious!

Their displays are so attractive and tempting to just grab a can.

Do your kids love the cartoon Cars? Come here to buy the model version. Very high quality Tomica cars for 510¥ (RM16.50)

Ta-Q-Bin, largest courier company in Japan. They deliver with trolleys, on foot!

Yes folks, you must know the Malaysian tour company Apple Holiday? They have their own freaking bus in Hokkaido!

We headed back to our hotel for a nap (it was really hot today!). Then we had to go find HH's sister again at their other hotel. They stayed 2 nights in Sapporo, but in 2 different hotels because almost everywhere is fully booked. On the way there, we chanced upon the Sapporo Beer Festival! Sapporo downtown is meticulously planned in 100m x 100m block. This beer festival stretched across 6 blocks, each block featuring a different brand of beer. The most crowded was a toss between Kirin and Asahi!

Never knew Japan encouraged basking

This 100m x 100m block is only for the brand The Sapporo Beer Garden beer. Imagine Asahi's crowd!

We took a long time finding a place for dinner, as everywhere was pretty full. We ended up at a Yakitori place again, one of my favourites since discovering it in Kyoto.