2016-12-31

Hakodate Bay Area 3 !


by Kazu

Can you see the top of Mt. Hakodate on the photo above ?
The base for artillery was on top of the mountain. There are underground warehouse that was used to stock the gunpowder and cannonballs.
I am not sure the length the cannonballs could reach from the top of the mountain but it is apparent that the cannons were for attacking the battleships off shore of thebay city.
I am not sure if the cannonballs from the peak actually wrecked any ships or not but the natural fort still exist.  It required high degrees of skills to hit the ships from the mountain, I think.

2016-12-30

Hakodate Bay Area 2 !


by Kazu

Remembering the warm and comfortable season in Hokkaido, here I post the photos of the bay area of Hakodate City. 
 Jogging around Hakodate Bay, you can find a variety of objects that show the history of Hakodate City. Before the tunnel under the seabed of Tsugaru Strait connected Hokkaido Island and the main island of Japan, ferry lines convey the people between the islands.
This is the ferry that conveyed the people between the islands. That was called "Seikan Renrakusen". One of the ship was wrecked and there were so many casualties at that time. Just after the accident, it was decided to built the tunnel under the seabed.

2016-12-29

Hakodate Bay area !


by Kazu

I think living in Hakodate City is so nice and exciting , particularly around bay area. Now that the actual center part of the city is around the old citadel "Goryoukaku", the bay area does not seem to be so flourished.  
But that keeps the appropriate balance of the oldies and the development of the city and provide me with so comfortable course for jogging.
From the peak of Mt. Hakodate, so nice geographic overview can be obtained as well as the night scenery that is counted as one of the best three night scenery in Japan.

2016-12-28

Hokkaido University in white!


by Kazu

So heavy snowfall hit Sapporo City in this December. The total amount of the snowfall was for the first time in the past 50 years.
 Usually, we are not sure if we can experience the white Christmas or not every year but thank to the heavy snow, people in Hokkaido really enjoyed perfect white Christmas but so many flights were cancelled and the tourists had to stay in the airport building of New Chitose Airport on December 22, 23 and 24.

2016-12-27

Winter in Sapporo City !


by Kazu

I jog around in the central area of Sapporo City every morning before dawn and after sunset. It was as if the limelight lighted up the natural snow art.
I am eager to show these scenery to my friends in Hawaii and other southern area on this globe. It is very cold but our hospitality must warm up our friends even in such monochrome world.

2016-12-26

Sapporo City in White !


by Kazu

The snow flakes are called "Rikka" or Rokka" that means flower that has six petals in Japanese. Have you ever sen the snow flakes, the flower of snow ?
 A variety of the shape of crystallized snow flowers are superb. As the temperature was comparatively,  
 The heavy snowfall of these past 3 days was what we have experienced for the first time in this fifty years.  What do you think of these white arts ?

2016-12-25

What the wet snow makes !


by Kazu

This is what Hawaiian people can not see in their state, isn't it, Dennis, Luis, Kelianne and other friends in Hawaii ?
At the temperature of 1 to 3 degrees in Celsius, such kind of natural snow arts are made.
The wet snow sticks to the branches of trees and the trees are decorated as if they were the glass art. Reflection of the limelight along the road play up the beauty of the white arts.
 At the beginning of the season of white, we really appreciate what the season show us but in mid-winter, most of the people in Hokkaido get worn down and fed up with the heavy snow.

2016-12-24

Jogging around in Hakodate City !


 by Kazu

I jogged to the railway station in Hakodate City in the morning. I love to jog around the bay area of Hakodate City. This is in front of the railway station.
 Hotel Route Inn, Loisir Hotel, Comfort Hotel and other accommodations are near the station. Old buildings that have circumstances make a harmony with new ones.
This is the station building of Hakodate City. The bullet train railway reached the adjacent town Hokuto and will carry so many tourists from the mainland of Japan, I hope.

2016-12-23

Hakodate City in the morning !


by Kazu

Jogging around in Hakodate City,  I found the first coffee roasting machine near the hotel. It seems that the machine was made in 1935 in Hokkaido.
 Suzuki Coffee Shop run by Misuzu Coffee chain has the first machine. As you may know, the southern end of Hokkaido Island is where the first pioneers stepped in .
Yes, the city has longer history than other part of the island. The bullet train called "Shinkansen" in Japanese reached to Hokkaido this year. What kind of change will the faster train bring to the island ?

Japanese Bistro "Hakodateyama" in Hakodate City !


by Kazu

Sea urchin and salmon roe might be a little too fatty for late dinner but the taste was so nice and so this "Saikyo Yaki" of sliced cod.
 Saikyou Yaki is the grilled sliced cod topped with fermented soy-beans paste called "Saikyou miso". The combination is superb.
We were full of so nice cuisine made of the quality seafood landed on the port of Hakodate City and went back to our hotel that had so nice hot spring spa.

2016-12-21

Izakaya Hakodate Yama, Japanese Bistro of this year !


by Kazu

Looking back the spring of this year, I once visited Hakodate City to pick up my wife who had to use the bullet train because the flight she had been booked was cancelled.
 After picking her up at the railway station in Hakodate City, we had a late dinner in the Japanese Bistro "Izakaya" that we use every time we visit the city.
Do you remember the bistro ? The name is "Hakodate Yama". We can eat fresh raw squid of more than sushi grade. Some times the head and feet of squids run away from the dish.