snow – The Wknd Travel

Sakura 2024: HIDA TAKAYAMA & SHIRAKAWA-GO – Unexpected Snowy Mountain Scenery in Early Spring [March 2024]

A few months ago, my friends and I flew to Japan for Sakura. We started our long but memorable journey at Nagoya. Immediately after landing at Nagoya Airport, we took the train to the city to catch our onward bus to Takayama. We explored Hida Takayama (or simply Takayama) and Shirakawa-go for a good 48 hours. We did not expect to see and experience winter (in what was supposed to be early spring) in these two places.

I visited Takayama and Shirakawa-go back in autumn 2017. I was happy I got the chance to go back to these places after seven years. Join me in today’s blog as I share with you what we did for 48 hours around Takayama and Shirakawa-go.

Takayama & Shirakawa-go

Takayama is a small Japanese city in the mountainous Hida Region. Also known as Hida Takayama, the city has preserved its traditional elements, particularly in its famous old town.

Shirakawa-go is a traditional village famous for its gassho-style or thatched-roof farmhouses. Located in the remote mountains of Gifu, this UNESCO world heritage site became a favorite day trip destination of people visiting Takayama and Nagoya.

Plane Tickets

My friends and I flew in to Chubu Centrair International Airport, the nearest main international airport to these 2 places. We booked two one-way tickets and flew with Cebu Pacific Air on both flights. We paid ₱13,759.49 for both flights. These tickets were not the most wallet-friendly, but these were during the peak of the peak seasons in Japan.

I wrote about our 5J 5038 Manila to Nagoya and 5J 5039 Nagoya to Manila flights in the previous flight reports. I hope you can check these posts.

Nagoya to Takayama

The JR Hida Limited Express and multiple highway buses link Nagoya and Takayama daily.

My friends and I opted for the cheaper option, the highway bus. We got the 4:30 p.m. Nohi Bus service departing from Meitetsu Bus Center near Nagoya Station. We arrived at Takayama Bus Terminal a few minutes past 7:00 p.m.

This one-way bus ticket cost us ¥3,345 (around ₱1,284.44 at the time of posting) after discounts. It’s almost half the price of the one-way ¥6,000 train ticket.

Accommodation

My friends and I stayed with Country Hotel Takayama for 2 nights. We booked this hotel because of its location and price. We got an economy twin room with private bathroom and only paid ¥11,934 (booked 9 months in advance) for the whole stay.

Country Hotel Takayama is in front of the Takayama Bus Terminal and a few meters away from the JR Takayama Station. It is 800 meters, or 10-12 minutes, away by foot to Takayama Old Town. It has an in-house restaurant and a convenience store on the ground floor. The hotel offers a Japanese breakfast buffet for only ¥1,000 per person.

Going Around Takayama & Shirakawa-go

Going around Takayama and Shirakawa-go is easy. Both places can be explored by foot. Takayama’s city center is small to the point where you can walk around it in a few hours. Most of the attractions and shops are located near Takayama Old Town.

Traveling to Shirakawa-go from Takayama is easy. Buses depart every 30 minutes or every hour from Takayama Station. Visitors can choose between reserved and non-reserved buses. Reserved buses fill up quickly, so one needs to consider getting tickets from the bus terminal ahead of time. Bus tickets cost ¥2,600 per way and take around 50 minutes. You may check the Nohi Bus website for the updated schedules and ticket prices.

Shirakawa-go is a small village that can also be explored by foot. The gassho-style houses and the other houses are located near each other and are all surrounded by rice fields. The only challenging area in Shirakawa-go is going up and down from the view deck. Alternatively, visitors can take the bus up to and down from the view deck.

Around Takayama

Takayama Old Town

Hida Kokubun-ji

Miyagawa River

Nakatsubo – Nakatsubo is a family-owned local restaurant known for its Takayama Ramen.

Hida Takuma – Hida Takuma is a specialty restaurant that serves Hida beef.

Around Shirakawa-go

Ogimachi Village

Three Houses

Shō River

Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck

Ochūdo Café – Ochūdo Café is a local restaurant that serves curry rice and sweet egg bean soup.

Hida Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream

This sums up our quick, fun, and unexpectedly beautiful snowy visit to Takayama and Shirakawa-go. My friends and I expected to see these places during spring, but we ended up seeing them full of snow!

Have you been to Takayama and Shirakawa-go? What do you think of these places? Share your experiences and visits in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about these two? You may send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

This is the start of many Sakura 2024 content. I hope you watch out for more trip details in the future. Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Japan Highlights 2019: NAGANO – 48 Hours In The Inland Prefecture Of The Snow Monkeys

Last February, I spent 48 hours away from my family & went around the beautiful city of Nagano. After spending 36 hours in Tokyo, I took the overnight Willer Express bus from JR Tokyo Station to JR Nagano Station. I arrived in the morning & started exploring Nagano.

Nagano is a prefecture in the mountainous region of Central Japan. This area is known for its ski resorts & various nature sights. This is the perfect holiday destination for people who are up for anything snow-related during winter & for hiking & nature trails during summer season. In fact, Nagano hosted the Winter Olympics way back in 1998. Nagano is also known as the place to see the snow monkeys which are pretty much everywhere in the mountains during winter. Nagano City is the capital. It is a small & laid back city; it is the city that connects Nagano to the rest of Japan.

Applying for a Japan tourist visa soon? Let me help you. Check out these 4 easy steps on how to get your Japan tourist visa.

Access To Nagano

Took the overnight Willer Express Bus from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station – the cheapest option.

People can easily go to Nagano by shinkansen or bullet train, JR local trains & by bus. JR Nagano Station is connected to major shinkansen stations like Tokyo & Kanazawa. It’s also connected to local JR stations like Matsumoto & Nagoya. The most affordable way to reach Nagano is by bus. Willer Express & Alpico Bus Lines connect Nagano to major & small Japan cities. I took the overnight Willer Express Bus from Tokyo Station. The 6-hour bus ride cost me ¥2,500 one way.

Accommodation

There isn’t many cheap & shared accommodations in Nagano at the time of writing. Luckily I came across this traditional house turned hostel called Dot Hostel Nagano. It is a hostel that can accommodate up to 15 people in private & mixed dormitory rooms. Know more about this simple yet affordable hostel in this separate post I made. I stayed 2 nights in this hostel & made some fun memories with the other guests.

Nagaden Railway

The Nagaden Railway, also known as the Nagano Electric Railway or Nagano Dentetsu, is an old & a private electric railway that connects Nagano Station to Suzaka, Shinshu-Nakano & Yudanaka. This railway opened way back in 1926 & remains functional up to the present. This old train operates with modern train cars along the old & preserved train stations.

Nagaden Railway uses the manual ticketing & ticket collection method up until the present times.

The railway operates using the traditional system – that means, no electronic gates or whatsoever. You purchase tickets from the booths at your station of boarding & surrender the ticket in your final station. The railway runs local & limited express trips between town & cities within the Nagano Prefecture.

Zenkoji Station platform of the Nagaden Railway – one of the old train stations of this old train line.

A train ride from Nagano Station to Shinshu-Nakano, Yudanaka or even just the nearest Zenkoji Station should be part of one’s Nagano experience. Luckily, I tried this line a lot of times during my stay. The experience buying tickets through the gates & going through the very old train stations was one of a kind.

Snow Monkey Pass

I availed the Snow Monkey Pass while I was in Nagano. This tourist pass allowed me to have an unlimited use of the Nagaden Railway, Nagaden express & local buses for 2 consecutive days. The pass also included a one-time free admission to the Snow Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen-Koen). The pass cost ¥3,500. Note that the pass can’t be bought online. It is only available in the following Nagaden Railway Stations – Nagano Station, Gondo, Suzaka & Obuse.

Based from this page, the whole return trip to the Snow Monkey Park (entrance fee included) cost around ¥4,000. It doesn’t include the small trips you need to take in between stations. The Snow Monkey Pass saved me tons of yens. It even allowed me to take an afternoon trip to the nearby town of Suzaka. I was able to maximize the pass for 2 days.

Nagano Station

The first place you see when you get off Nagano is its main station, the Nagano Station. This modern train station serves as the main hub of the city. As mentioned above, this station connects Nagano to the rest of Japan.

Zenkoji Temple

Zenkoji Temple is one of Japan’s most famous & important Buddhist temples. It has housed the 1st ever Buddhist statue that was brought to Japan when the religion was introduced in the 6th century. The original statue is kept safe by the authorities while a replica is available for viewing (no cameras & videos allowed) in the temple’s main hall.

Suzaka SIDE Trip

Suzaka’s quiet neighborhood – I was the only visitor walking around the streets full of old houses.

The Snow Monkey Pass allowed me to go to the nearby city of Suzaka. This peaceful city is about 12 kilometers away from Nagano City. There isn’t much happening in the city when I visited. I just walked along streets full of old houses. I also walked to Garyu Park, which happens to have a frozen lake. I was told by 1 of the locals that this park transforms into a sakura park during spring season.

Gondo Shopping Street

Gondo Shopping Street is a long covered shopping arcade which has shops, service stores, cafes & restaurants, bars & pachinko outlets. The shopping street is a long quiet alley in the day but transforms into a busy area at night.

Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

The main purpose of this Nagano leg is to see the snow monkeys in person. As mentioned above, I used the Snow Monkey Pass to board the Nagaden Railway & bus to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park.

The snow monkey hot spring area is about 20 minutes hike up to the mountains. I was there during the winter season so the whole park was covered with snow & ice. The snow monkeys freely move around the park. They are also fed by the staff a few times a day. These monkeys are generally nice; just don’t show them a plastic bag or anything they can get from you.

The visit to the snow monkeys was the highlight of my Nagano trip. I used to only see them in blog posts & internet photos. Glad I was able to see them in real life & up close. The long hike up to the snow park was worth it & I won’t trade it to any other day trip in Nagano.

Note: The Snow Monkey Park charges an entrance fee of ¥800 per person. This fee is already included if you use a valid snow monkey pass during your visit.

Kamenoyu

One of the most unique experiences I had during my visit in Nagano was to try a local onsen or public bathhouse. The Dot Hostel Nagano staff recommended that I should try Kamenoyu, a public bathhouse in the city. This facility is owned & maintained by the City of Nagano.

I went there on my last night in Nagano & enjoyed a relaxing hot bath. Luckily, there were only a few people during my visit. The men & women have separate bathing facilities. This wasn’t my 1st time in an onsen. I’ve been to onsens in my previous Japan trips; the last one was in Hokkaido when I went to an outdoor onsen called Hoheikyo Onsen.

Missed Places

2 days isn’t enough to go around Nagano. Too bad I missed a few places during my visit. 1st place I wish I went to was the Togakushi Shrine. This shrine is located on the top of the mountain & requires at least a day to finish. Winter isn’t the perfect time to visit this shrine due to thick snow & slippery ice in the walkway & stairs.

I didn’t have time to visit a ski resort & to go skiing again. Nagano has a lot of ski resorts & is one of the main reasons why people go to this place. I’ll definitely check out these 2 places when I go back. I will also find time to visit the nearby towns of Shinsu-Nakano, Obuse & explore the town of Yudanaka more.

I only had 48 hours in Nagano & I’m happy I made use of the time well exploring the city. The visit to the snow monkey park was definitely the highlight of this trip. I’d love to see them again in the future. I’ll probably check out Nagano during spring or summer next time.

Have you been to Nagano? Have you been to nice places which I can include to my list of places to visit when I go back? Were you able to see the snow monkeys? Share your trip highlights & experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any question about anything written or mentioned above? Feel free to email me at contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll respond as soon as I can. Make sure to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Thank you for your time today. Until next time.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO – A Winter Paradise City

A few weeks ago, I shared to you how my friend Shane & I enjoyed Hokkaido Winter last February for less than ₱45,000 all in. I showed you how & when we booked our tickets, where we stayed & how much we paid in the hostel, what we ate & what we did. That blog post was basically a summary of the trip cost-wise.

With Shane in front of the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building

Today, I will share to you in detail the places we visited in Sapporo, the capital of the northernmost major island of Japan. Sapporo is a winter paradise in a city – the city looked so beautiful covered with snow. It felt like we were in a different world! Shane & I stayed 6 nights in The Stay Sapporo, a high-rated hostel in Susukino District. I normally talk about the accommodation in the same blog; but since I just introduced a section here called Hostel Of The Day, I will talk about the hostel in a different post. Watch out for that!

Random street near our hostel 😍

Now back to Sapporo. Getting around the city is easy-breezy. The city has a very easy-to-understand subway system with very few lines in place. We used our IC cards in riding the subway trains. IC cards are contactless cards which can be used in most train lines all over Japan (except bullet trains). These cards are reloadable & can also be used in convenience stores, supermarkets & some shops.

Beautiful morning at Hokkaido U Botanic Garden 😍

Sapporo is a very big city. We didn’t have time to explore many places but we managed to visit a few iconic ones. Check out the ‘list’ below!

Susukino District

Susukino is Sapporo’s entertainment district. It is the place to be when you’re looking for shops, restaurants, bars, clubs & pachinko centers. This is the area where Shane & I stayed so we walked around this district several times.

Night snowfall at Susukino!

This is also the place where the famous ramen alley – Ramen Yokocho is located. It is a small lane with a number of ramen restaurants serving Sapporo’s best ramen. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore this alley. I will put this in the list when I fly back to Sapporo!

Normal winter night at Susukino

Access: Susukino Station – Namboku Subway Line

Odori Park

Odori Park covered with snow

Odori Park is Sapporo’s central park. Located in the middle of the city, this 1.5 km long park separates the northern & southern part of Sapporo. This park is also the main site of the Sapporo Snow Festival held every first week of February. We were one week late for the snow festival so the park structures were just being dismantled during our visit. The park was still beautiful & was fully covered with snow.

Why hello there Mr. Snowman! ☃

Access: Odori Station – Namboku, Toho & Tozai Subway Lines

Sapporo TV Tower

Sapporo TV Tower is a TV tower at the same time an observation deck in one end of Odori Park. The observation deck is open for visitors for ¥720 per person. Shane & I didn’t go up the observation deck but we only passed by the TV tower site.

Random stream with the view of Sapporo TV Tower 🗼

Access: Odori Station – Nanboku, Toho & Tozai Subway Lines or 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station

Sapporo Clock Tower

The iconic Sapporo Clock Tower

Locally known as Tokeidai, the Sapporo Clock Tower is a famous Sapporo wooden landmark which dates back to the early development of the city. The clock tower is now a museum & a ceremony hall. Entrance to the clock tower costs ¥200 per person. We decided not to go inside the clock tower because it was almost closing time when we passed by.

Access: Odori Station – Namboku, Toho & Tozai Subway Lines or 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station

Hokkaido University Botanic Garden

Around Hokkaido U Botanic Garden 😍

Owned by Hokkaido University, this Botanic Garden is in the middle of Sapporo. University students use this garden for research & laboratory purposes. The public also uses this place for recreation. The garden was not open to the public during our visit; at the same time it was covered with snow.

Access: 5 minutes walk from Nishi-Juitchome Station – Tozai Subway Line

Former Hokkaido Government Office Building

This red brick office building, locally known as Akarenga, was once the seat of Hokkaido Government. This building now functions as a museum, shop & conference center. Entrance to the building is free of charge.

Inside the Former Hokkaido Government Building

Shane & I were lucky to witness the Mitsui Fudosan × Akarenga Illuminations last February. These illuminations were part of Hokkaido’s 150th Year Anniversary Project showcasing the island’s culture & history.

Witnessed the winter illuminations in the former government building

Access: Few minutes walk from Odori Station – Namboku, Toho & Tozai Subway Lines

Sapporo Beer Garden

Yes! Sapporo Beer Garden 🍺

Unlimited lamb for lunch! 😋

Sapporo is the famous because of the world-renowned Sapporo Beer. This beer started brewing in the city since the 19th century. The Sapporo Beer Museum shows the history & evolution of Sapporo beer production in the city. Beside the museum is Sapporo Beer Garden. This place is famous for the unlimited Genghis Khan lamb cooked grilled with fresh vegetables. It also comes with unlimited juice & of course, Sapporo Beer. The meal cost us ¥4,212 (or ₱2,114.97) each. Quite expensive for a lunch meal; but it was all worth it.

Unlimited lamb + unlimited beer = one happy man! 😍

Yes to unlimited Sapporo draft beer! 🍺

Everyone should not miss visiting Sapporo Beer Garden when in Sapporo.

Access: 25 minutes walk from JR Sapporo Station or 10-minute walk from Higashikuyakusho Mae Station Exit 4 – Toho Subway Line or Loop 88 Factory Line Bus

Sapporo Station

Sapporo Station is the city’s main station in downtown. It is where subway, JR lines & bus lines meet. This is probably the starting point of pretty much all destinations when going around Sapporo & nearby cities & towns.

View outside Sapporo Station

I got a super duper good deal in the Gap Store in Sapporo Station. I bought a pair of pants, 2 shirts & 2 baby tops (for my cousin & niece) for only ¥5,000 or for less than ₱2,500 pesos. What a bargain from Gap!

Access: Sapporo Station – Toho & Namboku Subway Lines & Sapporo Station Bus Terminal

Sapporo District

Busy Sapporo District at night!

The Sapporo District is the city’s central district. Surrounded by shopping malls & commercial establishments, this district is one of the city’s shopping hub. Almost all kinds of luxury & affordable shops are found in this area.

Access: Sapporo Station – Toho & Namboku Subway Lines & Sapporo Station Bus Terminal

Sapporo Ramen Republic

Welcome to Sapporo Ramen Republic 🇯🇵🍜

The Sapporo Ramen Republic is a floor of 8 top Hokkaido ramen restaurants. Located at the 10th floor of ESTA Complex in Sapporo District, this ramen place features Hokkaido ramen specialties – Sapporo Ramen (Miso), Hakodate Ramen (Shio) & Asahikawa Ramen (Shoyu).

Misono’s miso ramen. Yum! 🍜

Shane & I tried Sapporo Ramen in a restaurant called Misono. The ramen had miso broth with some pork & ginger flavor. The ramen cost around ¥800 per bowl.

Access: Sapporo Station – Toho & Namboku Subway Lines

Tanukikoji Shopping Street

Each major Japan city has its own shopping arcade. If Fukuoka has Nakasu-Kawabata Shopping Arcade, Nagoya has Osu Shopping Street & Osaka has Shinsaibashi Shopping Street, Sapporo has Tanukikoji Shopping Street. Just like any other shopping street / arcade, this is a row of local shops & restaurants. This arcade is the best place to buy souvenirs.

Shane & I went around this arcade several times. It is also where we bought chocolates & souvenirs for friends & family back home. Tanukikoji Shopping Street has a Don Quijote branch – the best place to buy Japanese goodies tax-free! Make sure your purchase is more than ¥2,500 tax excluded.

Access: Few minutes walk from Odori Station – Namboku, Toho & Tozai Subway Lines

Nijo Market

Yay to fresh seafood!

Nijo Market is Sapporo’s public market famous to both locals & visitors. People flock this market to buy fresh finds such as king crabs, salmon eggs & other fish. Shane & I went here to buy Hokkaido King Crab. A kilogram of medium king crab costs 12,000. We got 3 big crab legs (800 grams) for only ¥10,000. We had it cooked in the restaurant in front of the shop.

More fresh seafood 😍

The king crab was so fresh & sooooo good. It was worth the expensive price! I’m so happy we tried it even if it was a bit pricey. This king crab meal was one of the highlights of my trip – I’ll definitely have this again when I fly back to Sapporo.

Hokkaido King Crab Legs!! 😲🦀

Access: Few minutes walk from Odori Station – Namboku, Toho & Tozai Subway Lines

Other Places We Missed

We missed a few places due to limited time in the city. These places include the Shiroi Koibito Park (Chocolate Factory), Mount Moiwa Ropeway (a small mountain ropeway with a view of the city), Moerenuma Park (a large outdoor park in the outskirts of Sapporo) & Sapporo Historic Village.

These places, plus Ramen Yokocho, will definitely be in our list when we fly back to Sapporo. We don’t know when will that be but I hope it’ll be really soon.

Sapporo is indeed a winter paradise city! The city looked beautiful covered with powder white snow. The temperature may be at its lowest point but it didn’t hinder us from exploring what this city has to offer.

Beautiful winter morning in Sapporo 😍

Have you been to Sapporo during winter? How was your experience? Do you think I should also go there during summer, spring or fall? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Watch out for my next post about Otaru, Hokkaido’s harbor city & the detailed review of The Stay Sapporo. Thank you for reading & have a nice day.

Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 😃

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Hokkaido Winter Series: The Ultimate Japan Winter Experience Without Breaking The Bank (7 Days For Less than ₱45,000 all-in)

Hi, it’s me again. If you’ve followed my blog in the past, I’ve published posts about travelling to Japan on tight budget. In 2015, my friends & I went to Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka for 9 days & spent only ₱40,000 (all in – including airfare) each. In 2016, I went on a solo journey across 7 cities over 13 days for less than ₱50,000. I went to Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama last November for less than ₱35,000 over 7 days (including a flight change). Since coming to Japan in 2015, I’ve considered it as my next favorite country to the Philippines.

With my travel buddy, Shane, in Sapporo Teine!

I post blogs like those to prove that travelling to an expensive country like Japan can also be affordable. 3 months ago, my friend Shane & I went to Hokkaido, Japan for 7 days & spent less ₱45,000 (all in – including flights). Pretty cheap, eh? Yes! This leads me to introducing the next series of blogs in this website – the Hokkaido Winter Series. We’ve also experienced a lot & had many ‘firsts’ in this Hokkaido trip. I can’t wait to share our trip with you.

Let it snow, let it snow, let is snow!

Japan winter season may be over this year but it’s never too late to look back how we made this trip very affordable. We started planning around June 2017 & we’re happy everything went smooth as planned. Let me share to you how we planned this trip & how it didn’t shock our bank accounts.

I was very happy that everything’s covered with snow!

February 2018 Exchange Rate: 1 Japanese Yen = 0.49 Philippine Pesos

Plane Tickets

There are no direct flights that connect Manila & Sapporo at the moment. The easiest & fastest way to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo is via Tokyo. Shane & I were lucky to buy a Cebu Pacific Air piso-fare return ticket to Tokyo for only ₱2,225.76 each. We added prepaid baggage for both flights – ₱690 each for 15 kgs & ₱970 each for 20 kgs. The round-trip ticket to Japan, including baggage, cost us ₱3,885.76 each. Our ticket was so cheap considering each flight takes 4 to 5 hours.

Our piso-fare ticket to Tokyo.. Thank you Cebu Pacific Air!

We bought another return ticket – this time from Narita International Airport in Tokyo to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo. There are only 2 low-cost airlines flying between these two airports – Jetstar Japan & Vanilla Air. Shane & I went for Jetstar Japan – of course the cheaper option. The return domestic tickets cost us ₱6,151.89 each including 15 kgs baggage. Yes, domestic airline tickets in Japan are expensive. In fact, the 2 x 1 hour 45 minutes-flight to & from Sapporo was way expensive than our 2 x 4-hour flights to & from Tokyo.

Overall, the return tickets from Manila to Sapporo, with layovers in Tokyo, cost us ₱10,037.65 each. Getting all tickets for that amount is so affordable – definitely a bargain!

Our ticket from Tokyo to Sapporo. Domestic tickets in Japan are expensive!

Wondering how I get super cheap tickets like these? I actually wrote two posts about scoring the most affordable airline tickets. Check these posts (part 1 & part 2) out!

Also, the Philippine government requires all Filipino tourists going out of the country to pay ₱1,620 pesos for the travel tax. I don’t know what the tax is for & where they use it; but yeah, everyone’s required to pay before getting your boarding pass.

The Jetstar Airbus 320 sharklet plane we used to Sapporo

Hot news! Philippine Airlines revealed to Inquirer last month that they are looking to mount a direct flight from Manila to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo later this year. There are no details when the flight will start & what the flight times are but I hope this pushes through.

Tourist Visa

Filipinos need a tourist visa when visiting Japan. In 2016, the Japan Embassy in the Philippines granted me a 5-year multiple entry tourist visa until October 2021. Shane also had a 5-year multiple entry tourist visa. We didn’t apply for a tourist visa for this trip; we used our existing visa.

A clear winter morning in Sapporo

Interested to know how I got my 5-year multiple entry tourist visa to Japan? Check out these 4 easy tips on how you can get a Japan tourist visa. The article includes tips for easier application.

Accommodations

We stayed in 2 hostels for this trip. It was my friend Shane’s first time in a hostel so I made sure we stay in the nice ones. Our 5-night stay in The Stay Sapporo Hostel cost us ₱6,354.54 each, that includes a ₱500 off from Traveloka. The rate includes 5 nights in a 7-bed dormitory room with access to hostel’s common areas. I’ll talk more about the hostel when I post the more detail post or itinerary of this Sapporo trip.

Booked our Sapporo hostel via Traveloka

We stayed for a night in Tokyo before our flight back to Manila. We stayed in my favorite hostel in Tokyo, Oak Hostel Zen. We paid ₱644.09 each via Agoda for a night stay in an 8-bed mixed dormitory room. I don’t need to talk about Oak Hostel Zen because I already wrote reviews about this hostel in my past Tokyo trips. I’ve been to Tokyo 3 times & I’ve stayed with this hostel in all my trips.

Booked our Tokyo stay with Agoda

Shane & I paid ₱6,998.63 each for the 6 nights we spent in Japan. Accommodation in this country is very expensive so getting a bed for around ₱1,160+ average per night is already a good deal!

READ! I wrote about our experience in The Stay Sapporo. Check out this article.

Pocket Wi-Fi

One of Sapporo’s iconic building – the Old Hokkaido Government Building

As mentioned in my previous Japan blogs, a pocket Wi-Fi is a necessity when travelling around Japan. Not only does it help you upload photos in various social media platforms & communicate with your loved ones back home, it also helps you navigate your walks & direct which trains / lines to take. Shane & I got our device from Klook. The 7-day pocket Wi-Fi device rental cost us ₱1,887.36 – that’s 943.68 each.The device we got is a 4G LTE capable one & it has unlimited data allocation.

Ski Day Trip

Sapporo Teine Ski Resort

This Sapporo trip was our first winter trip & a winter trip will never be complete without skiing. Shane & I don’t know how to ski so we took Sapporo Teine‘s First Time Ski Experience Group Lesson. The whole day lesson cost us ¥14,000 (or ₱6,860) each. The rate includes ski equipment & outfit rental, instructors & gondola fees, a 1 hour 30 minute basic ski lesson in the morning & a 1 hour 30 minute downhill ski practice in the afternoon.

Photo with our ski instructors

The ski resort’s rate is expensive but their rate is actually the cheapest we saw in Sapporo. It was our first time to go skiing so we decided to invest for the experience. The ski experience was worth it. It was one of the highlights of our trip!

I wrote a separate article about our Ski Day Trip to Sapporo Teine Resort. Check out the article here.

Sapporo Beer Garden Lunch

Sapporo Beer Garden – my liver is happy!

Apart from our first winter & ski experience, Shane & I also had our first unlimited Genghis Khan lamb experience in one of the restaurants in Sapporo Beer Garden. This shredded mutton barbecue is a famous local dish in Hokkaido. The buffet includes unlimited vegetables, juices & of course, Sapporo beer.

Yes to unlimited lamb in Sapporo Beer Garden!

Another yes to unlimited Sapporo beer!

The meal cost ¥4,212 (or ₱2,114.97) each. It was an expensive meal but you don’t get to have unlimited mutton everyday, right?

Hokkaido King Crab

Hokkaido King Crab legs on display in Nijo Market

Hokkaido is known for its king crabs & fresh seafood. A visit to Japan’s northern most main island will never be complete without trying the king crab. On our 3rd day, Shane & I went to Nijo Market in Sapporo to have brunch. We came across a stall where the man offered us a free taste of the fresh king crab. A kilogram of the large king crab legs costs ¥13,000. We bought 800 grams for ¥10,000 (close to ₱5,000) & the man gave us ¥400 discount. Yes, king crabs are that expensive! We had the crab legs cooked & we went to a nearby restaurant to eat it.

800 grams of king crab legs for brunch.. So good!

Another expensive meal but it was so good! Shane & I were super full up to the point we didn’t eat the entire day. We rarely have king crabs here in the Philippines so it was worth the try!

We tried the Hokkaido king grab when we walked around Sapporo on our first days in the city. Find out where else we went & what we did around the city by checking this link.

Onsen Day

Outside Hoheikyo Onsen – a perfect winter day to be in an onsen

Japan’s Hokkaido is an onsen paradise; the island has many onsens or natural hot springs. In fact, there are a few onsens which are accessible from Sapporo. Shane & I went to Jozankei, the nearest onsen town in Sapporo. We specifically went to Hoheikyo Onsen, a natural hot spring which has an open air spring bath setting & a famous Indian restaurant.

The onsen day package was worth it!

The round-trip bus ride & onsen entrance fee cost us ¥1,800 each (around ₱880). This deal was a steal because the onsen fee itself (if not availed with package) was already ¥1,000 & the bus fare per way was ¥640.

ICYMI, I posted a separate blog about out onsen day. Check out this link to know more about our winter onsen experience.

Daily Expenses

I always set a daily budget for each day I am in Japan. This helps me plan out my expenses day by day. In previous Japan blogs, I’ve set daily budgets ranging from ¥2,500 to ¥3,500 per day. This amount covers all meals, transportation expenses & museum tickets or entrance fees if needed. Sapporo is a bit more expensive than the previous cities I’ve been to so I placed a daily budget of ¥3,500 per day. This trip had the same daily allowance with my 2016 Japan trip. The difference these 2 trips had was I travelled alone in 2016 (so more expenses) & I was with Shane in this Sapporo trip (we shared in some expenses like food, snacks, etc).

Otaru Canal at night

I was in Japan for 7 days to my total ‘daily expenses’ budget was ¥24,500 yen; that’s ₱12,005 in Philippine pesos.

Did you know? We took a half day trip to Otaru, one of Hokkaido’s famous port city. What else can you see & do there aside from visiting the Otaru Canal? Click here to know more.

Summary

That’s about it. Let’s have a look how much I spent for this entire trip.

All in all, I spent ₱43,911.93 for a 7-day winter trip in Hokkaido, Japan. Expensive? No. Cheap for a first timer? Y-E-S! This trip was for the books!

Early mornings in Sapporo be like..

Have you been to Hokkaido? Shane & I are planning to go back soon & we’re looking for more places to visit. Feel free to post your suggestions in the comments section below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Check out the individual posts featuring Sapporo, Otaru, Sapporo Teine & Hoheikyo Onsen! Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 😃

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.