Atsuta in the summer

Atsuta is a beautiful village just north of Sapporo. It's right along the coast to the Sea of Japan. As you can see, it's located with one side to the ocean and mountain on the other. I was blessed to be placed here by the JET program for one year. In the summer, Atsuta gets really busy with tourists coming for the beaches. In the winter, there are winter activities such as snow shoeing and skiing (the ski slope will be closed starting 2008 *sob*).

The population of the village is only about 1500 people. It's a village untouched by modern day technology and still has the atmosphere of Japan many many years ago. During my year here, I witnessed the struggle it takes with the rapid loss of population, among with many other problems for its residents. However, for tourists, it's an amazing place to visit and to see true Japanese life in the "inakas" (if that's what you're into seeing).

This is the main street of Atsuta, or so called "downtown" *lol*. With the loss of population, many stores had to close down. As I walk along the street, I can still picture the crowd roaming down the street in the old days. But looking at the present state, I can't stop but wonder "How's the town going to be next?"

One of the main income for people still residing in Atsuta is fishery. In the summer, Atsuta has morning fish market which attracts tourists and people from the city to come and purchase top-notch seafood. Living in the gifts village, I was lucky to have eaten tons of yummy food.

Atsuta probably has the most beautiful ocean along the western coast of Hokkaido. There are several beaches that's open to the public along the stretch of Atsuta. There was a small sandy beach about 2 minutes walk from my place (see corresponding picture). The water is clean, but darker in colour compared to those in the tropics. I was surprised to find how warm the water is though. I was able to swim in the ocean up until October and it still felt warm. Other than swimming, many surfers also come here to catch some waves.

Atsuta is also known for having the most beautiful sunset in Japan. The sunset is best viewed from its famous tourist spot "Lover's Sanctury". It's a small castle-like building built on top of the hill in Atsuta park. It is said that lovers that padlock their names to the wires there will be together forever.The sunset is so amazing in the sense that there are never 2 days with the same sunset. After work everyday, I would jog up the hill to catch the sunset. The sun radiates out different colours: yellow, orange, pink, purple, you name it. The clouds form different shape to compliment the sun. The Sea of Japan slowly absorbs the sun as it falls down to horizon. No words or photos can capture how amazing Atsuta's sunset can be until you've seen it with your own naked eyes.

Coming to Japan, week 1

In 2007, I decided to come to Japan. This time it's not for vacation, but to live here and actually experience the culture. After months of saying goodbyes to my friends, I said goodbye to my family and boarded the flight from Vancouver to Tokyo. This time, it feels very different from my last visit because my expectation was different now. I'm ready to start something new in this unknown land. I wasn't sure if I had much in mind, but I knew my life was going to change.

I came to Japan through JET programme. After I landed Tokyo, I was greeted by JET programme's staff and got on a bus with my fellow JETs to go to Keio Plaza in Shinjuku. This was the first time I met my fellow JETs, some who became my best friends and support during my stay in Japan.

JET programme orientation (Aug. 2007)

北海道 Hokkaido

　　Hokkaido is an amazing part of Japan. It's perhaps the section of Japan that's less touched and under appreciated by many. I actually didn't know much about Hokkaido before I came here. It was very different than the stereotypical image of Japan. In Hokkaido, you rarely see high-rises and the technology also varies depend on the regions. However, this island is absolutely amazing. The beautiful nature, friendly people, and delicious food just makes it a great place to visit.


Because the island is so huge compared to the rest of Japan, it does take a while to travel around the island. I lived there for one year and still did not manage to visit all the places I wanted to go. There is no Shinkansen (bullet train) on the island as of 2008 despite the talk of having one built. Thus, it takes a while to get around. From Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, it can take an overnight train ride to get to the Eastern cities, such as Kushiro.


I was fortunate enough to be working in Ishikari city, connected to the north east of Sapporo city. The section of Ishikari that I lived in is called Atsuta (厚田). It's a small fishing/agricultural village about 40 minutes drive from Sapporo. Many local tourists come to Atsuta for fresh seafood, or for the beach in the summer season.

In the upcoming posts, I'll share with you some of my times in different parts of Hokkaido :)

Continuation

Sorry I'm terrible at updating the blog. Thanks to all of you who never gave up on me and checked back periodically to remind me to update *lol*.

So since end of 2006, many things happened. I moved to Japan last summer and lived in a small beautiful place called Atsuta in Hokkaido for one year. I'll be slowly updating the stories of my life in Japan.

~Stay tuned~