Hokkaido-Sapporo Travel Diary: Dormy Inn Accommodation and Sapporo Kani Honke Experience
Foreword
🔗After leaving Hakodate, I headed to Sapporo with the main purpose of shopping and experiencing local restaurants and the everyday areas where locals hang out. I didn't include any city landmarks or observation decks in my itinerary, as I wanted to focus on a more casual exploration. Since my trip was quite spontaneous and I didn't do much planning in advance, I asked my Japanese friends from language class for some recommendations on must-try foods in Sapporo. They suggested Genghis Khan grilled lamb, but unfortunately, I missed out on it because I didn't make a reservation. I realized I was being silly as even in Taiwan, there are many restaurants where you need reservations. How could I have thought Japan would be any different...
Returning the car, JR New Chitose Airport Station ➞ Sapporo Station
🔗First, after leaving Hakodate, I returned the rental car at the original rental location, which was about a 15-minute drive from New Chitose Airport. After that, it was quite convenient to travel from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo using the JR railway. By taking the JR Rapid Airport train, it only took 40 minutes to reach Sapporo Station.
At the beginning, there were relatively few people, but as we got closer to Sapporo, the number of people increased.
Tanukikoji Shopping Street and Dormy Inn Sapporo ANNEX accommodation
🔗
After arriving in Sapporo, I headed to my accommodation, Dormy Inn Sapporo ANNEX, located in the 6th block of Tanukikoji Shopping Street. The hotel is conveniently located, with Sapporo Station just a 10-minute walk away. There are also nearby bus and subway stations, making it easy to access various attractions and commercial areas within the city.
In addition to the essential facility of hot springs, the hotel also provides complimentary popsicles and Yakult. The popsicle flavors were quite to my liking, even though the temperature in early May in Hokkaido was only around 10 degrees Celsius 😂. As for Yakult, it's the same type that you can find in Taiwan, but the bottles in Japan always have labels written in Japanese, mentioning various beneficial bacteria and cultivation. It's particularly intriguing and makes me want to give it a try, haha.
The breakfast at the hotel has been consistently good, and based on my experiences in Noboribetsu and Hakodate accommodations, I highly recommend this hotel in terms of quality.
Strolling through the underground shopping street, Nakajima Park, and Odori Park.
🔗I started my day by mingling with the locals in the underground shopping street! 😎 I must say, the temperature outside was really chilly for someone like me from southern Taiwan 😂. If I wanted to get to a specific destination, I definitely opted for the underground street as it provided shelter from the cold.
These attractions are mainly for spending time with family, strolling around, taking leisurely walks, and having conversations.
Sapporo Kani Honke
🔗Next, it was time to try the famous local crab restaurant. Personally, I wasn't particularly interested in crab, but my older brother is a big fan. He had heard great recommendations from his colleagues and insisted on making an early reservation for us to try it out. I must say, I found the restaurant's decor and architecture to be incredibly grand and elegant, with a distinct Japanese style.
As for the portion size, I found it to be a bit small, and my mom kept comparing it to seafood restaurants in Tainan, Taiwan 😂. However, what stood out was the service of having Japanese staff dressed in kimono, delicately arranging and cooking the dishes. I personally enjoyed the ambiance and experience, but if we consider the value for money, it might be helpful to refer to the opinions of those who truly appreciate crab cuisine. After all, it's possible that the ingredients were of top-notch quality, but I just couldn't discern it myself 😎.
Hokkaido University
🔗After having a satisfying meal, I made a special visit to Hokkaido University. Established in 1876, it is one of the oldest universities in the Hokkaido region and one of the seven earliest imperial universities in Japan. I happened to visit during the afternoon when the first classes were starting, and I saw many university students riding bicycles to make it on time for their classes.
Observing the scenery of these boreal coniferous forests, I couldn't help but wonder if students at Hokkaido University ever skip classes because of the extreme cold during winter 😂.
I initially thought about trying to join the university students for their cafeteria meals, but in the end, I decided to go and try other delicious food instead.
The missed opportunity to visit the original Genghis Khan restaurant, "Sapporo Jingisukan Honten."
🔗Sapporo Genghis Khan is a renowned restaurant famous for its grilled lamb dishes. This restaurant is widely popular for its authentic Genghis Khan-style barbecue.
Genghis Khan barbecue is a grilled dish primarily made with thinly sliced lamb. At the restaurant, you can sit in front of a unique charcoal grill and enjoy the experience of grilling the lamb yourself. This cooking method helps maintain the tenderness and texture of the meat while allowing the flavors to fully infuse, resulting in a rich and delicious taste.
This particular restaurant is one I personally wanted to try, as it came highly recommended by my Japanese friends. In Taiwan, I haven't had the chance to try a lamb-focused barbecue restaurant. However, the downside is that popular restaurants like this usually require reservations, as they tend to be fully booked. One thing I found not quite satisfactory was the ventilation system, which seemed inadequate and resulted in smoke and fumes from the grilling. It could be due to the older facilities in the original store or other factors. If you're sensitive to the smoke, it might be better to choose another establishment.
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Conclusion
🔗
Arriving in Sapporo marks the final leg of this trip, and soon it will be time to board the plane back to Taiwan. Honestly, the most enjoyable meals have been the ones provided by the hotel. Perhaps it was due to not making restaurant reservations in advance that I missed out on trying the local delicacies. However, it's also possible that my taste buds have become too picky from the food back in Taiwan 😂. If I have the opportunity to visit again, I'll definitely plan my itinerary better and try the everyday local cuisine that the locals enjoy. Experiencing the local way of life is what truly makes a trip worthwhile.
I must say, Japanese health supplements are really amazing. The digestive medicine I bought this time has significantly improved my digestive system. After returning to Taiwan, I can feel a noticeable difference. Looks like I'll have to allocate some extra budget for regular purchases of Japanese products in the future 😎.
Reference
Alvin
Software engineer, interested in financial knowledge, health concepts, psychology, independent travel, and system design.
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