sapporo

The first thing I noticed in Sapporo was how empty it was. At Sapporo station - the largest train station in Hokkaido - there were wide corridors, assembly points, information desks and waiting rooms, but no one around, really, to fill them. In Tokyo station, of course, it's a different story. My homestay mother noticed, on our search for a map of the area, that there was only one sign for overseas visitors, which read: 外国人案内場所. Really useful for the foreign tourist!

One of the main exits at the biggest and busiest train stations in Hokkaido

It was raining - a fine drizzle coating the pavements, the concrete buildings - but thankfully most of central Sapporo is built on a large, complicated network of underground shopping centres. I am ashamed (am I?) to say that I spent most of the three hours I had shopping instead of hitting the sightseeing trail. But I did have the recommended ramen in the proper district. But it turned out it wasn't the right kind of Sapporo ramen, which entails sweet corn and butter.

waiting in line for good ramen

At 'Ramen Alley' - reminds me of Chip Alley in Cardiff

I walked from Sapporo station to Susukino, stopping on the way to pop my head out into (onto?) the surface and take a peek at Odori Park and the TV tower. The park is very European in style, with fountains, lawns and neatly arranged flower beds in oranges and pinks.

awfully sorry to bother you, but do you by any chance have the time?

naked dancing women

Despite this, there were hardly any Europeans in Sapporo. In fact, I didn't see any in my (admittedly) brief time. And, more than in Niseko (which is fairly international for a small town of 10,000 inhabitants) I was struck by self-consciousness. Especially when I was sitting in the ramen-ya: passers-by stopped, smiled or even waved at me through the window. One unfortunate teenager looked up, met my eye, and tripped over his feet.

Sapporo tram

sapporo's answer to shibuya

All in all, there were many, many things I could have done in Sapporo (the Literature Museum, Modern Art Museum, the Clock Tower [what? you didn't even see the clock?], the numerous beautiful parks, the brewery). Please, if you have the chance, do those things. Succeed where I have failed.

Still, I managed to buy a really nice blouse.