Sapporo

Odori Park Winter White Illumination, Christmas Market, Snow Festival

One of the highlights we wanted to see in Sapporo was the White Illumination event in Sapporo in the winter. Odori Park, which is a whole12-block stretch of park that serves as a central landmark of Sapporo, is lit up using thousands of light...

Finding Willy Wonka

I love chocolate factories. When I was a kid, I used to watch musical entitled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I also visited a local chocolate factory as part of a school field trip and I remember warm sweet smell of chocolates and us...

Braved the cold for Anthony Bourdain's Ramen Find in Sapporo

In search for the perfect ramen, we journeyed into Susukino district in Sapporo, despite the snow, to find this small little ramen place in the corner that sits about 20 people max.

We think we know ramen, with the loads of authentic Japanese...

Early Morning... Freezing... Deserted Streets: Perfect for Photography!

Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, doesn't appeal as a place to visit for a peaceful and relaxing time.

Sure enough, the fifth largest city in Japan was bustling when I got there. So in order to photograph scenes of tranquility, I got up early one...

Grilled Fish with Ice Cream??

No, those two scoops aren't vanilla ice cream. They're butter.

This fish lying on a bed of vegetables was served on a sizzling hot plate. It was topped with two scoops of butter. What you had to do was spread the butter over the fish and then stir...

Genghis Khan Lamb BBQ with Sapporo Beer, perfect combination!

One of the popular dishes that originated in Hokkaido is the Jingisukan, which is lamb bbq or mutton bbq. Instead of the usual open grill on charcoal used in western barbeques, the Japanese use a non-smoke pan like the one in the photo, sometimes...

Ski Jumping, Anyone?

Coming from a tropical country, it was interesting for me to explore the unfamiliar world of winter sports in one of the actual Olympic sites. Mt. Okura was one of the venues for the 1972 Olympics and home to ski jumping events. Today, it holds an...

Hokkaido Souvenirs, Japanese Petit Piece Puzzles and Gap

This may look like a typical outlet mall in the US, but this photo of a mini food truck was actually taken in Chitose, near the international airport in Sapporo, Japan.

Most of the shops are actually Western brands and thus the look of the US...

The Making of Real Good Chocolate at the Airport

It's quite a surprise to see a working chocolate factory in an airport, and Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, has one: the Royce' Chocolate World. You can view the process from finish to end along the stretch of the terminal. They have...