Hakodate 1

I don't think I will ever like Japanese breakfasts. The rice is alright; the Chinese eat porridge or rice too, but my stomach isn't used to sour and sweet pickles as accompaniments.


Japanese transport is well coordinated. Observe this travel sequence: 0832-0840 bus to Toya-ko Onsen bus station; 0857-0916 bus to Toya-ko rail station, near the coast; 0922 express train to Hakodate. Just 6 minutes to buy a ticket and board the train. Probably not doable in peak times, but the platform was fairly deserted. About 100 minutes later I was in Hakodate.

This is just outside the station. People liked to crawl under and have their photo taken echoing the posture of the sculpture.


I walked around a few blocks looking for a 7-11 (sebun-erebun). The Japanese banking system is parochial. Most ATMs do not accept foreign cards despite the MC/Visa logos. The post office ones only accept debit cards. Fortunately 7-11 came to the rescue, their store ATMs will accept foreign cards.  Bless them.

At the station again, I tried to buy a Hokkaido Rail flexipass. The clerk said that the validity started as soon as it was purchased. How silly! Eurail flexipasses start on first use. So either I have to purchase it just before leaving Hakodate, which means I can't take an early train because the sales office opens at 1000, or I have to lose one day, which is alright if I finish my planned travel before then.  Bugger!


Later in the day I rang Asahidake Onsen Hostel, where I intend to go via two train sectors plus a shuttle bus. The last bus is at 1530 which means I have to take an early train. Ok that forces my hand, I'll have to purchase the pass tomorrow and use it up within 9 days, which is still within my itinerary. Again, how idiotic! Are you listening, Japan Rail?


At the hostel I was assigned a single room. This place seems to be similar to a business hotel. Shared onsen, but my own washbasin. Not bad.  The in-house onsen is really a hot tub, not fed by a natural spring, not in the city.  The wash first rule still applies and the washing stations were there.

I just had to have some western food for a change so I opted for a burger chain called Lucky Pierrot. Weird place: it was garishly decorated in a Christmas theme, the shop was full of Santa dolls and similar kitsch. The burgers were western alright but the menus nearly all Japanese and the staff only understood the expected words like hamburger and potato. Nonetheless it seemed to be one place with people waiting to be served. I guess the Japanese like quirky themes.

I spent the afternoon exploring the old warehouses which have been turned into tourist shops. It's the sort of place where Latin Jazz piped out of discreet speakers make you feel that it's a good day to buy something. I had a gelato which was a tad expensive but as good as any in Australia, as the fruits were grown locally. I had melon and another flavour new to me called Northern Haskap (which tasted like the Chinese Haw fruit but seems to be a temperate berry).

The confectionery on sale is Shiroi Koibito (White Lover), famous as white chocolate to bring back from Hokkaido.

Hakodate was one of the first 3 ports Japan opened to western trade so there is a foreign flavour in the architecture of the former foreign settlement, now a historic area. A Russian Orthodox Church and a Greek Orthodox Church can be found here. However the city has a whiff of decay.  Business seemed to be slow or non-existent.  Walking past the shops you imagine this is what shops might be like after most of the customers have been lured away by the new super duper shopping centre in the outskirts. A notice in the railway station announced that Chinese speaking tourism staff were now available. So it looks like Hakodate is trying to lift its fortunes as a tourist destination. It seems the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) reaches Hakodate later this year. Maybe it will help.

Later that evening I went looking for dinner and found the streets practically deserted. The only restaurants that did not look sad and forlorn were those in the warehouse district, i.e. the touristy ones.  What a vast difference from the lively nightlife of Sapporo. I gave up and went to the supermarket where I bought some takeaway sushi. As a bonus, I got it at half-price since it was near closing time. Well it was a nice walk anyway, there were cool sea breezes.