Hakodate

Hokuto Limited Express

Sadly, my time in Sapporo is at an end and I need to make my way south to Hakodate. There are no shinkansen trains on the island of Hokkaido itself so the trip between Sapporo and Hakodate will take roughly four hours on the Hokuto Limited Express.

Regardless, I’m fairly excited for this part of the journey. In my research this train trip is supposed to be incredibly picturesque. Add in more snowy landscape and you have the makings of a very enjoyable and scenic ride to Hakodate! As with all trains in Japan, boarding is incredibly efficient and we are off within minutes. And as expected, my eyes are glued to my window for a majority of the trip taking in all the breathtaking mountain and sea views! Pro Tip: If you are travelling south, get a seat facing “left” and a seat on the “right” heading North.

Hakodate to Sapporo Ekiben

Another reason for excitement is this is my first ekiben experience. Ekiben is known as “train station bento boxes”. They are these wonderfully crafted lunch boxes that come in all shapes and sizes. Before coming to Japan, I’d watched countless videos of people partaking in these appetizing box lunches and really wanting to do it too. On my first opportunity, I opt for a seafood version which as you can see looks incredible! It tastes as good as it looks! Coupled with the eye candy of the snowy landscapes outside, I can’t say enough good things about this train ride down to Hakodate.

Hakodate

After a few hours on the train, we finally arrive in Hakodate. Hakodate is a “smallish” city in the southern part of Hokkaido. While my primary reason for stopping here is to break up a much longer train journey down to Tokyo. (And to have two shots at eating Ekiben!) Hakodate also has some things to see and do. I quickly get myself checked in and settled at my hotel before heading out to explore.

My main goal is to get to the Hakodate Ropeway to head up Mount Hakodate. In order to get there, I will need to ride a street car and walk a few blocks up a relatively steep hill. One of the things I noticed is that snow clearing isn’t great for pedestrians. While winter weather is expected, heading up a pretty steep incline (and later coming back down) is actually quite treacherous in these icy conditions! In fact, I did witness someone take a tumble and proceed to “slide” down half a block before they came to a stop. With this in mind, many pedestrians (myself included) opted to walk in the streets where our footwear has a bit more traction!

Hakodate Ropeway

At the top of the hill is the base station for the Hakodate Ropeway. The ropeway takes you to the top of Mount Hakodate where the view is considered one of the best in Japan. There are trails which you can hike to the top, but given the time of year and weather conditions, the ropeway is likely the best (and maybe only) option. In fact depending on the time of day, the views from the ropeway car itself is probably well worth it too!

Mount Hakodate

Once at the top, the minute you leave the ropeway car, you get a good appreciation on why this spot is so popular! The view is spectacular and especially when you come at sunset/early evening the “character” of the view changes the longer you stay! Hakodate is “sandwiched” between two bodies of water so seeing the lights contrast by sea on both sides makes for a really cool sight!

You can walk around the top of the mountain as well. On the side that faces opposite the city, you get an equally specular view of the sea to the south. With the night starting to get darker, its almost like a different scene from when I first arrived! Overall, I end up spending a few hours at the top taking in the same view but in different light.

While taking photos I also met two other solo travellers. We went to grab a drink at the bar in the ropeway station and shared stories about our travels. One is heading North to Sapporo while myself and another were heading south. We swapped tips and findings from our respective experiences before parting ways. While travelling alone has a lot of plusses, its sometimes nice just to meet a new friend and make a new connection on the road. While I may or may not see them again, its nice to find common ground with others having a shared desire to explore and adventure.

Lucky Pierrot

Eventually, I make my way back down the ropeway. And after navigating the slippery and quite honestly, treacherous walk down the hill. My mind is now set on dinner and I have my eyes on a fairly unique restaurant called Lucky Pierrot. It is a local “burger” joint that can only be found in Hakodate. It almost like a diner but with some incredibly wacky decor and a fairly extensive menu.

It’s almost like a McDonald’s but on drugs! They have a pretty big selection and I opt for their famous “Chinese Chicken burger”, a potato patty and a cheesy gravy fries which comes in a coffee cup. I didn’t quite know what to expect and I’m still not sure what to make of it. The food is good and prepared well, but beyond the “theme” of the restaurant, I’m not sure if it stands out enough to try again. Don’t get me wrong, I think its worth at least one visit just to experience the restaurant as a whole. But I don’t know if the food on its own is worth making a detour for (if that makes sense).

After another short and very careful walk back to my Hotel, I wash up and settle into bed. I have another multi hour train ride tomorrow back to Tokyo.