2023 Hokkaido Trip Day 03: Otw to Asahikawa

May 15, 2024

We already went around Hakodate so we decided to just take the morning train (the earliest that we can wake up to) @ 9AM and go to Asahikawa . We needed to do 2 transfers, which was to alight (again) at Minami Chitose and take the limited express train to go Asahikawa. We just followed the timetable proposed by the JR Station personnel (they know better). To help prepare us for the journey, we went to the train station to get our breakfast, lunch and snacks (and some souvenirs too) for the trip.

Our breakfast is 7-11 tamago sando and karaage (I do noticed that 7-11 are more strategically placed than Lawson and Famima, though they are also near the vicinity) .

We bought some ekiben to take with us for the duration of the trip, and some snacks along the way (my staple will be Royal Milk Tea and Chip Star)

大沼黒牛めし 1300 yen @ 四季海鮮旬花 (Not in picture: 四季彩幕の肉 1200 yen @ 駅弁の函館みかど) Hakodate Oonuma Kurobuta Meshi

It was already 2ish when we reached Asahikawa Station. We checked in our hotel first before leaving for the first order of business -- go to Asahi Bridge (Asahibashi). At this timing, it will be too late to go to the Asahiyama Zoo, so opted for the place near to the station - The Asahi Bridge and Tokiwa Park.

We had to go through Heiwa Shopping Street before we can reach the park. There were a few random statues adorning the shopping street.

The roundabout telling you the time and the fact that you need to turn slight left to reach the bridge. After walking a few more blocks, the bridge is now in sight.

From Asahi Bridge, we worked our way to Tokiwa Park (which coincidentally was having a festival. This was a happy accident. I thought that i would just be wandering to an empty park. )

What is a summer festival (natsu matsuri), without the assortment of food and drink (though it takes awhile to find the trash can in the area, where volunteers set up camp and prepare trash cans for your disposal. ) Do note that since this is Japan, you need to segregate your trash, the lid, the straw of the paper cup and paper cup goes to different trash bin

My staple festival food are Choco banana and takoyaki. Nothing beats that! (but I do remember it to be more tasty the last time around.. )

the takoyaki (best eaten when it's freshly cooked)

First time drinking these cool aids (too sweet for my taste) They tasted like a very sweet butter beer.

and then walk to a few more stalls (The narrow walking path in the park was transformed into a festival for the day) .

They sell colorful drinks (and drinks that are in baby bottle, don't know what is the fascination drinking from a bottle)

they also have food stalls with anime characters adorning the stall. They sell various food like yakisoba or yakitori (even the 10 yen cheese made an apperance).

After a few snacks, it was time to explore the park .. there were rental boats (quite rowdy on a saturday afternoon filled with Gen Zers and Gen Alphas, together with their millenial parents)

you can stroll around the park surrounding the small lake. Albeit it was hot, it was still a refreshing walk and see nature in the middle of a bustling city.

the observatory .. although not sure if this is a working telescope or just for display...

and you can't help but wonder how this managed to fit in the park .. a natural stream.

A park that big that houses an observatory, a shrine and a museum! You can just leisurely stroll in the park. The park is huge, that it even has a shrine inside (Kamikawa Shrine)

and then went, we chose some off beaten path to go back to our hotel (discovered a shrine along the way - that was closed for the day) , Naritasan Shinkyuji Temple.

You can still admire the exterior of the temple (just that you can't enter inside the temple) .

Then it was off to get some dinner at Santouka Ramen , The menu is lean, that your choice is limited. We just stick to what was their best seller, which was their shio ramen, Santouka shio ramen (s)