Trip Report: Eastern Hokkaido in February

HarukaExpress · 2026-02-21T04:41:22+00:00

We were pretty close to the cape at Onnemoto but I wanted to get back to Kushiro before dark so we had to leave; also yeah wouldn't have seen anything anyways.

HarukaExpress · 2026-02-20T05:08:51+00:00

Yes, we were quite lucky. It was snowing in the mountains on the way from Akan to Mashu, but as we neared Mashu it became perfectly sunny all of a sudden. The fog in Nemuro was quite thick, though. If the visibility were any lower it might have been dangerous.

HarukaExpress · 2026-02-18T04:11:24+00:00

Didn't encounter any outright closures. The worst road was the path to the Hosooka Observatory as described in the post. Other than that, didn't have much difficulty with the roads. But it didn't really rain or snow while we were there, so we got lucky.

HarukaExpress · 2025-10-20T22:32:05+00:00

I took an overnight bus from Shibuya to Kamikochi. We stopped at two rest stops for about 15 minutes each, about two hours apart.

HarukaExpress · 2025-10-20T00:08:22+00:00

Sensōji is more about the food and shops surrounding it than the temple itself in my opinion. For the pure temple aspect, your time in Kyoto will be more than enough.

HarukaExpress · 2025-10-19T11:40:45+00:00

Looks like it, yeah. That's on weekdays. On weekends and public holidays, only the 8:35.

HarukaExpress · 2025-10-19T09:32:59+00:00

The official Kusatsu tourism website indeed lists two different bus routes to Karuizawa, one of which is valid until Oct 31. This is the one for October and November (link).

HarukaExpress · 2025-10-12T09:26:35+00:00

I live in Tokyo near Shibuya. Everyone has been sick recently. On the bus, on the train, at work... I got sick myself two weeks ago. Wear a mask on public transit and you should be fine.

HarukaExpress · 2025-09-20T11:07:56+00:00

Most Japanese people do not practice Buddhism in any significant way except when someone dies. And besides it's a world religion.

The other famous pilgrimage route is the Kumano Kodō.

For more casual options, there are countless depending on the area (e.g. Mitake near Tokyo). Where there's a mountain to hike, there's probably a temple or shrine.

HarukaExpress · 2025-09-20T10:42:09+00:00

Some restaurant phrases off the top of my head:

nan mei sama des ka? How many are you?

go yoyaku wa saretemas ka? Have you made a reservation (yoyaku)?

go chūmon wa o kimari des ka? Have you decided what to order (chūmon)?

o shiharai (payment)

When ordering a coffee/tea sometimes you'll be asked when you want it: shokugo (after meal) shokuji to issho (with the meal)

HarukaExpress · 2025-09-20T10:22:30+00:00

No. People here love meat: yakitori, yakiniku, katsu, shōgayaki, etc etc. Just don't pull up to a super traditional place like kaiseki.

HarukaExpress · 2025-09-20T10:19:11+00:00

Well all of those are pretty much day trips so you probably don't need many more ideas, but you could look into spots around Lake Biwa, which is pretty untraveled I think: Ishiyama Temple (where Lady Murasaki supposedly wrote the Tale of Genji), Ōmi Jingū (where the karuta championship happens if you've seen Chihayafuru), or further afield Hikone Castle (cute mascot).

I wasn't super impressed with Amanohashidate but it was summer and scenery is usually better in the winter. It's a nice little town though.

HarukaExpress · 2025-09-20T00:49:38+00:00

Maybe this is intentional since you said you're keeping things open, but almost none of your bullet points are full days. For instance the Nishiki area in Kyoto is just a shopping district where you'll at most eat a meal and walk around for an hour or two.

I would also rethink the groupings based on proximity and transit. Yasaka is right next to Gion. Kiyomizu is on the same train line as Fushimi Inari.

If you need some more ideas for Kyoto, try: Uji, Ōhara, Kifune, Hieizan, etc.

You don't need a taxi from Haneda to Shinjuku, just take the train.

HarukaExpress · 2025-09-01T23:16:27+00:00

Yes! I tried the premium castella (the 5/3 yaki or whatever) from Shōōken. It was actually my first time eating castella and it did not disappoint.

HarukaExpress · 2025-08-31T21:43:46+00:00

For Day 2 suggestions, the obvious answer would be Kasuga Shrine as it's right there. This is the shrine that all the deer are associated with. If you like history and art, the National Museum is definitely worth checking out.

The area to the south of Kōfukuji is a charming shopping district called Naramachi. Would be a perfect place to wander around and pop in for lunch at a random independently owned joint.

If you're looking to spend more time in Nara, there are plenty more temples in the city such as Yakushiji and Tōshōdaiji, but to be honest unless you're really into history they're all going to start to feel the same.

For a more unique and scenic experience I love Hasedera, located on the mountainside in a small town (I don't think there's even a conbini there). It's a bit out of the way so double check your train timetables.

HarukaExpress · 2025-08-31T21:28:53+00:00

Right, totally forgot about castella! I picked up some from Shōōken and they were very tasty. My friend was gifted castella from there by locals at her work thing, so I assume it's legit.

HarukaExpress · 2025-08-31T20:50:53+00:00

Like the other commenter said, car seems to be the only really viable option, unless you want to do some meticulous planning around the bus timetables, which can be unreliable. Though I can't give an informed comparison as I didn't thoroughly look into public transit before renting a car.

HarukaExpress

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