Small bar
There are countless restaurants and bars in the city of Sapporo. Even in areas that should be familiar to you, you may be surprised …
Author: K. K. Yam
Summer Festival
The Sapporo Summer Festival has begun. One of the main events is the Sapporo Odori Beer Garden, which runs for almost a month. Domestic and …
Summer solstice night
It is the day of the summer solstice in 2023. The incredibly clear sky gradually turns a deep blue. In Odori Park, where the trees are spreading their leaves …
No rainy season
Hokkaido has no rainy season or tsuyu from June to mid-July. The weeks on the island are rather a beautiful season in which late spring …
The Sapporo tram
The Sapporo tram has been in operation since 1918. The history of the streetcar system is almost the same as the history of the city’s …
Driving through the Ginza sky
An elevated expressway built 63 years ago runs through the center of the Ginza and Yurakucho areas. My favorite, the Tokyo Expressway KK Line …
Airport after midnight
My early evening flight from Haneda Airport was significantly delayed due to lightning striking the aircraft. Eventually, the airline decided …
The oldest shopping arcade
Tanukikoji Shopping Street is one of Hokkaido’s oldest and largest shopping arcades. It has a history dating back to 1873 and stretches for …
A local bar in the snow
Sapporo is a city of snow. The white flakes that fall throughout the winter months from November to March and accumulate, even in the city center …
Late night in Ginza
In Ginza, Tokyo’s most glamorous commercial district, the streets are nearly deserted after a certain time of night. People are probably spending their time …
A west-bound Shinkansen
In front of JR Yurakucho Station in the evening twilight, I got an up-close look at the Tokaido Shinkansen departing from nearby Tokyo Station as it ran along …
Light trails over city center
Haneda Airport, located on the Tokyo Bay shore at the southeastern tip of Tokyo, started using new air routes crossing the city cente …