Not Long to go now:
In the spirit of motivating myself and others for the start of the next snow season, and of course since Asahidake just got some overnight snow, I thought I'd post a nice pow-related pic. from Kamui Ski Links.
See Also:
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Asahidake Gets First Snow of the Season
Unfortunately I don't have any pics of it yet, but I'll try to get some from the guys up the mountain soon.
Stay tuned, should be a good riding season this season...
Friday, September 19, 2008
B.B.Q and Clean Up Kaimono Koen Day
Presented by Panny
This week, the great guys from Panny (see HERE) did something that you don't see nearly enough of in Asahikawa. They held a daytime B.B.Q and clean up Kaimono Koen day. The mini-festival was held street side of their restaurant and provided yakitori, beer, hand made crafts, and toys for the kids to passers-by on Kaimono Koen.
The guy in the massive pink bunny suit was definitely a highlight, as were the awesome smells emanating from the twin BBQs, setup by people who clearly had a good grasp of what they were doing.
After plenty of beers and even more laughs, the entire crew formed a clean up line (with the pink bunny running shotgun) and worked their way down the length of Kaimono Koen removing any rubbish in their path.
Events like this one need to be applauded and supported. Not only do they provide great entertainment for city shoppers and residents, they show the willingness of people to promote the city area and Asahikawa in general.
Hats off to the guys from Panny, and thanks for a great day.
Start Your Karaoke Experience Here
Romper Room
Romper Room is a small new Karaoke Bar in the San Roku nightlife district in Asahikawa City. With so many of the established Karaoke Bars closed in recent years, there really aren't that many places to go to belt out some of your favourite tunes without parting with a good amount of cash.
That's where Romper Room comes in. Unbelievably low priced party plans, excellent snacks and a late closing time, this is the perfect place both to kick off your evening or finish it in fine voice. The floor space is small, but efficiently utilized providing comfortable seating at the bar, bench and cushion chairs at the tables, or high chairs at the short counter by the entrance. You're sure to find something suitably comfortable on your visit.
If you have never tried Karaoke before, please consider Romper Room. Food, drink, and song, with the luxury of your own private space, what could be better?
See Also:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sapporo Winter Festival
In February, thousands of people will descend on Asahikawa City to enjoy the splendor that is the Asahikawa Winter Festival, celebrating its 50th anniversary no less. At roughly the same time, Sapporo City celebrates its own winter festival, though for Sapporo, it will be the 60th anniversary.
At Asahikawa Tourism we always try to point out that Asahikawa is a central location with quick and easy access to all of Hokkaido, and with that in mind, I would suggest getting more out of our trip to Hokkaido by seeing BOTH festivals.
The Sapporo winter festival takes off on the 5th of February, the Asahikawa Festival on the 7th. Why not spend two days in Sapporo (5th & 6th) checking out the Sapporo Festival and then head up to the 'Kawa for the start of the festival here on the 7th.
If the reverse is more suitable for you, then try that. Sapporo and Asahikawa are separated by 70 minutes on the train and trains run all day.
Why not double your Winter Festival Action!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
One for the Aussies - The Meat Pie
Where to get an Aussie Meat Pie in Asahikawa
Is there anything better than following a day's skiing or snowboarding with a quality Aussie Meat Pie?, yeah, probably plenty of things, but there's no doubt that a pie does add a certain polish to the end of a great day out. So you'll be happy to know that you'll be able to get of Australia's finest right here in Asahikawa at the Den International Bar. That might not seem like a big deal, but trust me, after a couple of weeks in the snow you'll be craving more than one. For memory, the Den offers Beef, Steak and mushroom and chicken pies.
As a side note, those of you that are going to ride in Colorado this season, my bro. informs me that a couple of Aussie punters have their own pie shop close to the snow there too and make pretty good gear by all reports.
Enjoy.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Asahikawa Restaurants - Panny 4-5 Jyo 7 Chome
It seems that the more we cruise around Asahikawa, the more we become convinced that its reputation as a gourmet town is richly deserved. This week took us to Panny, an infant in terms of its age, yet a modern, spacious, beautifully presented restaurant with an internationally inspired decore and menu.
Most impressive at Panny, is its ability to provide privacy and atmosphere at the same time. Now that may seem strange, but really there's no better way to put it. Meticulously placed decorations, curtains and shades break the rooms up into subtly perceivable segments, sufficiently enough to allow you to manage your own space, but not so much that you become separated from the atmosphere of the room in general. Only rare restaurants can pull this off successfully, though I've sure many try.
The preferred choice of music is reggae, but the in-house DJ will mix it up from time to time. The food is a genuine hybrid of International influences with no individual style dominant. The owners consider Panny an International Izakaya, and as I devoured my lunch set including sweet & sour chicken, red chili pasta, naan bread with curry /bean and tuna salad dips, Italian style salad, and a mushroom and tempura prawn donburi, I figured they were probably right.
Comfort, atmosphere, great food, great music, you'll get it all at Panny. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You'll find Panny on the Main Shopping Street, Kaimono Koen in Asahikawa City, just after the 4th main intersection heading from the train station on the right.
Panny also has a sister restaurant called Delly in the San Roku party district. More on this one soon...
More Information:
Asahikawa Weather Update
Summer is Hangin' in there!
Half way through August, we were saying goodbye to Summer and dusting off the snowshoes and shovels in preparation for the inevitable inundation of pow. Well, as it turns out, summer has struck back. The last few weeks have been sunny, warm to hot, and perfect for getting out and about.
The above picture (taken yesterday) is of a rice field in Toma town, famous for the Toma Limestone Caves as well as mushrooms (the rice is probably ok too). As you can see, beautifully clear sunny skies, with little cloud. Today the weather is even nicer, blue skies and a more than comfortable 24 degrees Celsius. The forecast for the rest of the week is for more of the same, so if you are visiting Asahikawa around this time, try to make the most of it. I would seriously recommend the zoo or a round of golf.
Things to do:
Tokiwa Park Asahikawa City
Beautiful Walk in the Park
If you're staying in Asahikawa during mid to late Autumn, keep Tokiwa park in mind as a place for a stroll or a jog. A large and open park, located very close to the city centre, it is easily accessible on foot from any of the city hotels. During the Autumn, the park is at its most striking, with the diverse nature offering an incredible palette of colour as a backdrop for whatever activity you wish to undertake there.
Work your way through the park and you'll soon reach the expansive banks of the Ishikari river between the Asahibashi and Shinbashi bridges. From here, you can walk along the river along the bicycle path, or perhaps rent a bicycle from the small shop at the rear of the Library Car Park. You'll find the library at the north end of the park. A bicycle will obviously allow you to cover a lot more ground, and during a nice clear day is a great way to navigate the fringes of the city. Bicycle rental will cost you about ￥500 with the presentation of some form of ID.
In the centre of the park you'll find some small shops selling drinks and snacks, as well as plenty of places to take seat and have a rest. For a further alternative, with a slighly more cultural flavour, at the Southern corner of the park you'll find the Asahikawa Museum of Art. More on the Museum in another post.
Other Places of Interest:
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Asahikawa Bars - The Den International Bar
The Den is one of Asahikawa's original International Bars. Featuring a sensational beer menu, a host of international food, and a large screen projector , it is a great place to spend a few evenings when in Asahikawa. The relatively large floor space (by Japanese standards) allows comfort of dining and drinking and features an Australian pub-sized pool table.
More Information:
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Hot Yoga is Coming!
Hot Yoga in Okuno from December
As far as I can tell, Hot Yoga is,...Yoga at 38 degrees Celsius and 65% humidity. What that does for the body I'm not sure, but for the Yoga professionals, those wanting to experience a new style or technique, or simply those trying to do something good for their body, this could be worth a try.
Hot Yoga will start in December in Okuno Department Store Asahikawa.
Give it a try. I'll write more as soon as I try it myself.
Rumoi - Don't Forget the Beach!
For those that get tired of forests and mountains and start to get sentimental about the sea, Rumoi is your best option.
Rumoi is about 1 hour west of Asahikawa by car and offers three activities worthy of mention. The first of these is camping on the beach. If you like being surrounded by people, camp on the beach during weekends, national holidays or school holidays, the scene is best described by the pic below;
Fishing is also a popular pastime in Rumoi. The sea is adequately stocked with flatfish (flounder), a tasty white-fleshed fish that will add a bit of DIY to your beach B.B.Q later in the evening or the next day. Flatfish can be caught from the beach, off the rocks or at any of the many mini-harbours used by the fishing vessels. Some places won't permit fishing, so the best rule of thumb is that if you see people fishing, chances are you're good to go.
And finally, in the event that you don't catch any fish, or don't even bother to try, there are some fantastic dock-side fish markets ready to stock you neck deep in the freshest, finest, tastiest seafood to come out of the Sea of Japan. A good deal cheaper than any supermarket, these places are extremely beneficial for those that like flounder, octopus, scallops, squid and sea cucumber as well as other seasonal fare.
Asahikawa Restaurants - Buffet with style
Lilas Restaurant
Lilas combines the comfort of a spacious modern layout, convenience of a city location and excellence in the preparation of local produce to give customers a thoroughly satisfying dining experience.
Not really what you would expect from either a hotel or buffet restaurant, but then, exceeding expectations tends to be the norm at the Loisir. Lilas carefully combines Asian and Western influences using local seasonal produce where possible, presenting stunningly original dishes that beg to be tasted at least once.
More Information
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Asahikawa Restaurants - Togen Chinese Restaurant
Togen - Chinese at The Grand Hotel Asahikawa
Togen recently re-opened after renovations. The restaurant offered a magnificent lunch course for ￥1,000, including three popular dishes, tea, and dessert.
Its difficult to imagine that anyone would be dissatisfied with value of that calibre. The food was, on the whole, outstanding, though I would advise those with a weak tolerance for chili to check whether the kitchen can go conservative on the red stuff. Those like myself that don't mind a bit of a kick will be in flavour country.
Togen is open for lunch and dinner, and with its food quality, service, and location, combined with the elegant flair of the Grand Hotel, represents a fine choice for those wishing to dilute their Japanese food intake with some different Asian flavours.
More Information:
Camping - Great Places to Camp Close to Asahikawa
There are so many great camping locations close to Asahikawa and scattered all over Hokkaido.
The first of these that I'll let you know about is the Lake Shumarinai Auto Campground. A short distance from Horokanai, which itself is a short distance north-west of Asahikawa city, Lake Shumarinai is Japan's largest man-made lake. Basically drive in, set up shop on one of the conveniently leveled tent locations close to the shore and you're ready to have a relaxing day or two.
Reasonable enough bathrooms are available at the top of the driveway, while a large wash area is available for washing plates and cooking utensils and the like.
Fishing at different parts of the lake is good, canoeing is available as well as a lake cruise and paddle boats for a fee. There is a great look out on your right when nearing the camping area allowing you a delightful view of the greater part of the lake on a nice clear day.
If you camp during the week and away from public holidays, there's a good chance you'll be camping on your own. There's a lot to be said for being given the feeling that you have the entire lake to yourself.
Something Interesting About Horokanai
Horokanai - Big on Soba, Small on Population, Not so Warm in Winter
Horokanai town is as big as one third of Tokyo prefecture, 767.03km², but the population is only1,811. The population density of this town is 2.36 per km² , the lowest of any Japanese town. Luckily (or not), if Horokanai were considered a village, it would rank as the second least populated village in Japan.
Horokanai's other talking point is its claim to the lowest recorded temperature in Japan, a balmy -41.2 degrees Celsius. This record is not official however, as due to its size, Horokanai didn't have in their possession an official thermometer at the time of recording. So even though Horokanai claim the record, Asahikawa are the official coldest temperature title holder at -41 degrees.
That's why we have such good snow!
More on Horokanai
Asahikawa Golf - Asahikawa Intl. Country Club
Asahikawa International Country Club
Just to keep the golf theme going (the last post was about Shirogane Golf Club), I thought I'd throw in a plug for my favourite course close to Asahikawa, the Asahikawa International Country Club in Aibetsu.
Aibetsu Town is known for its famous Maitake mushrooms as well as its mushroom festival (second Sunday in September), but is also home to one of the finest golf clubs to be found within easy reach of the city.
During the week the prices are quite reasonable and the traffic is slight. The course is perfectly maintained and challenging in length. Long par 5's are the order of the day, though most have very forgiving wide fairways. The course is light on water hazards but full of carefully placed sand traps ensuring several visits to the beach during your round.
At the end of your 18 you can relax in fine style in the clubhouse restaurant (excellent for Ramen), then take a hot spring bath in the Onsen area.
Aibetsu and the Asahikawa International Country Club are a good 40 minutes from Asahikawa city, but well worth the trip.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Golf Asahikawa - Shirogane Golf Club
Shirogane Golf Club
As far as value for money golf courses close to Asahikawa go, Shirogane Golf Club must be considered in the top 5. Perfectly maintained, picturesque, uncrowded and having a distinct country club look and feel, you would be excused for thinking that it was a strictly 'Membership Only' affair. This thankfully is not the case, and although you really do get a sense of golf extravagance as staff rush to your car to take the clubs out, as soon as you walk through the front doors you are quickly put at ease by the welcoming friendly staff.
Fully automatic, remote-control buggies guide you around the course with ease, allowing you the luxury of taking in the spectacular mountains of the Taisetsuzan National Park which dominate the horizon at different parts of the course.
The course itself is professionally maintained throughout and provides a comfortable balance between forgiving fairways and 'gone for good' OB gullies. The dog legs tend to be taxing following inaccurate drives, but some do offer a chance to cut corners and make shots up.
More Information 'HERE'
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Samurai Finish 8th in International Cup
The Japanese Samurai Football Team have ended their 2008 International Cup Campaign in Australia with a loss in the playoff for 7th and 8th place against the U.S.A.
All things considered, 8th out of 16 teams is not a bad result for the Samurai who showed good spirit to convincingly win two matches during the tournament.
The final score was:
U.S.A: 14.12.96
Japan: 02.04.16
Better Luck next time
Soba Festival - Horokanai
Horokanai Soba Festival
This year, the Horokanai Soba festival is actually being called a Soba Expo, and spans three days rather than the standard two. For those that don't know, soba is buckwheat noodle. People outside of Japan (in particular people from Europe) would be more familiar with buckwheat grain, served like rice as a side to steak, goulash, or stew. In Japan, the grain is ground into a fine powder in the same way wheat is, and is ultimately turned into noodle to be served hot or cold at a soba or izakaya restaurant.
Horokanai, as well as regularly featuring on the national news for its 'Freeze the B...s Off a Brass Monkey' cold temperatures in winter, is Japan's number one soba producer, least populated town, and holder of one of the best soba festivals (expos) in Japan.
Aside from making it possible to sample dozens of unique soba styles, visitors to the festival are able to try and buy non-traditional soba creations. In the past, the festival has provided soba crepes, soba bread, soba cakes, soba beer, soba ice cream, soba mochi, and soba bagels to name just a few.
As a final thought, there are plenty of activities to distract one from overdosing on soba alone. A large stage in the center of the festival grounds serves up non-stop song and dance. There's a jumping castle for the kids, craft sales for the interested, and a soba tractor exhibit for the manly.
Final word; 'Well worth the scenic drive, and a couple of hours well spent'
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Asahikawa Ramen - Japan's #1 Choice
In short, ramen is noodle soup. Not so complicated you would think, but in reality countless numbers of ramen variations exist in Japan, specific to region, city and shop.
Most ramen broths are made using pork or chicken (or both) as the main bases. In addition, shops (or regions) will add any number of ingredients such as fish, beef, garlic, mushrooms, seaweed and others to make their broth distinctive.
Asahikawa is a very cold place in winter and the ramen made is Asahikawa is a little heavier than that made in other parts of the country. This extra heartiness is what gives Asahikawa ramen the unique flavour so popular all over Japan (and more recently internationally).
More Information About Asahikawa Ramen HERE
Asahikawa Restaurants - Izakaya Tenkin
Izakaya Tenkin (4 Jyo)
With a convenient city location, plenty of comfortable seating, menus in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, and a wealth of local delicacies to tempt the palette, put Tenkin of your list of "things to try in Asahikawa" without hesitation.
You'll love it.
Tenkin Information:
Samurai Defeated by Canada
Unfortunately the Samurai failed to even get a goal on the board and were defeated by a total of 41 points in a very one sides affair.
The result is a disappointment for the Samurai whose previous two performances had been outstanding.
The finals score was;
Canada: 6.8.44
def.
Japan: 0.3.03
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
So many places to do nothing
Hokkaido provides many out of the way places that allow people to escape into nature. Those people that don't mind the odd bit of seclusion to recharge the batteries from work or personal pressures will find a great deal of comfort in the mountains, rivers and lakes of Hokkaido.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Out of the way places
How about going for a drive out to this place. Unfortunately not as easy as it sounds. This is a quiet little place tucked away in the heart of Shirogane Onsen. With the only access being a cumbersome, narrow, dirt road, I have never seen this place highlighted in any tourist brochures or magazines.
That's a real shame since this place is quite stunning, especially on a clear day when the sun is high and really exaggerates the pale blue sulphur rich water.
Oh, and by the way, the picture you'll find two posts ago was taken by Shunichi ABE at the same location. Guess it shows you the difference between professional and amateur.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Japan Smash India in International Cup
Japan - 15.16.106
India - 00.00.00
Japan now have two wins from three games and look to be improving the quality of their play. I'll update you on their progress in the upcoming finals.
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