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 :)