Glass art workshop / store After I left Mashu lake area, I took a local train down to Kushiro on the coast, then took a long distance express train to Otaru.  My initial plan was to spend 3 hours in Kushiro, but I did not get off there.  I just could not see the asphalt and concrete ugly city after spending 3 magical days in the most beautiful place.I am glad that I took the train during the day, instead of after getting dark.  The view from the train was fantastic, though a little monochromatic.  The train passes through the coast, the mountains, and the cities. Ishikari Plain, after the snow and rain, shining in the sun One of the historic bank buildings in…

My second stop was actually the next station from the Swan Lake – Mashu.  It’s a famous lake area in the east of Hokkaido, but the place I stayed was in the middle of nowhere, far from the lakes.  There is this English-style manor house/hotel. My close friend recommended this place to me, and I scheduled my trip around staying here for a few nights.  It’s a bit pricey if you stay on your own, but considering the place I am staying in Otaru, the quality of the food and services, this manor totally worth every yen I paid. The day of arrival was snowy. It snowed through late in the evening.  I was very lucky, because until 3 hours prior to my arrival,…

Last night, I came to a hot spring area further to the south.  The place I stayed was, as I have written earlier, a small B&B with private hot spring.  The owner, a couple in their 60s, welcomed me at the station, prepared my dinner, then kept company with me while I eat. After dinner, I went out for a walk.  It was a quiet, cold night, with fat moon in the sky.  The sky was bright, and I could not see any star.  I walked out of the property, to the main road outside, and just stood there for 10 minutes, felt so happy. No sound, absolutely nothing, except for the hot spring water running somewhere.  No, except for the strange noise that…

Animal footprints on fresh snow.  Thin ice floating across a lake.  Wind blowing up powdery snow in the air.  These almost made me cry. I arrived at Hokkaido at 13:35 this afternoon.  On vacation on Friday.It was not until yesterday that I found out about the scheduled strike of the airline company, although in Japan, normally companies and the labor unions reconcile the night before the scheduled strikes.When I arrived at the airport on time, indeed I found that the strike never did happen.  But my flight was delayed by 45 minutes!  My carefully arranged bus/lunch/train connections are already in dismay. I took flight from Tokyo to Memanbetsu airport, which is close to the city of Abashiri, on the coast of Okhotsk Sea.  From…