Otaru and Yoichi

NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.23

Day 9 (1/2).

In recent years, the demand for Japanese whisky has skyrocketed worldwide, as many believe they have become the best in the world. The hype originated from 2001, when Whisky Magazine honored Nikka’s 10-Year Yoichi as its “Best of the Best. Global interest continues to grow as Japanese whisky continued to pick up international awards, including the world’s best whisky award given to Suntory’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 by Whisky Bible in 2015. The story of Nikka whisky began in 1934 when Masataka Taketsuru (竹鶴政孝) established his distillery in Yoichi, a location in Hokkaido that Taketsuru believed would best resemble the conditions of Scotland, the home of the famous scotch whisky. For the locals, Nikka Distillery in Yoichi is better known for the story of Masataka Taketsuru and his Scottish wife Rita, which has been retold in 2014 by a popular TV drama Massan made by the national broadcasting company NHK.

Born in 1894 in Takehara Hiroshima to a sake brewing family, Taketsuru traveled to Scotland in December 1918 and enrolled in University of Glasgow to study organic chemistry, and also took apprenticeship at various distillery facilities. In January 1920, he married Jessie Roberta Cowan (Rita) despite opposition from both families. In November 1920, they moved back to Japan and was hired by Kotobukiya (now Suntory) to set up Japan’s first malt whisky distillery known as Yamazaki Distillery (山崎蒸溜所) in Shimamoto, Osaka. Suntory refused to move the facility to Hokkaido, where Taketsuru believed was more similar to Scotland. As a result, Taketsuru left Suntory and established his own distillery in Yoichi with Rita in 1934. Nowhere is better than Nikka Yoichi Distillery to learn more about the story of Taketsuru and Rita, where their house and office were preserved and put on display at the distillery museum. The self guided tour of the facility allowed us to check out the buildings for various processes of whisky distillery, houses and offices of Taketsuru and Rita, a museum housing historical artefacts of the facility, and a tasting house and souvenir shop.

It was just a short walk from Yoichi JR Station to the distillery. The facility main gate was already full of visitors when we arrived at 9:15am.

A sign of “Nikka Whisky” was erected for photo backdrop for visitors.

The facility is consisted of a number of historical buildings.

Coal fire is still used to heat up the old copper stills at the distillery.

Staff keeps on adding coal into the furnace.

Yoichi Distillery is claimed to be the last remaining facility still using coal fire for their whisky stills.

Old buildings at the facility have been converted into exhibition areas to tell the story of whisky making.

Display of oak for making of traditional wood barrels.

A few wood barrels are put on display for visitors to take photos.

The former residence and office of Taketsuru and Rita were well preserved.

Former residence of the Taketsuru couple.

Barrel warehouse

Entrance into the museum building.

One of the two tasting areas in the museum.

The story of Masataka and Rita Taketsuru was told in the museum with artefacts and photos.

At the end, we had a chance for a free tasting with three glasses of alcohol: single malt Yoichi, Super Nikka, and Apple Wine. We could choose to add ice, water or apple juice to the alcohol.

After a delightful visit of Yoichi Distillery, we returned to Otaru to pick up our backpacks and moved on to our final destination, Sapporo.

* * *

Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 6 – On the road from Lake Akan to Furano
Day 6.1 FISHERMEN BELOW MISTY OAKAN (雄阿寒岳), Lake Akan (阿寒湖)
Day 6.2 TREATS OF OBIHIRO (帯広), Tokachi (十勝)
Day 6.3 ARRIVING IN FURANO (富良野)

Day 7 Furano & Biei
Day 7.1 LAVENDER BUDS, Nakafurano (中富良野)
Day 7.2 FARM TOMITA (ファーム富田), Nakafurano (中富良野)
Day 7.3 BI.BLE, Biei (美瑛)
Day 7.4 PATCHWORK ROAD & PANORAMA ROAD, Biei (美瑛)
Day 7.5 NINGLE TERRACE (ニングルテラス)

Day 8 – from Furano to Otaru
Day 8.1 CHURCH ON THE WATER (水の教会), Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (星野リゾートトマム)
Day 8.2 HILL OF THE BUDDHA (頭大仏), Makomanai Takino Cemetery (真駒内滝野霊園)
Day 8.3 SEAFOOD, CANAL, & HISTORY, Otaru (小樽)
Day 8.4 RAINY NIGHT IN OTARU, Otaru (小樽)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 10 – Sapporo
10.1 OKKAIDO SHRINE (北海道神宮 )
10.2 MORIHICO COFFEE (森彦珈琲本店)
10.3 KITAKARO SAPPORO HONKAN (北菓楼札幌本館)
10.4 SATURDAYS CHOCOLATE
10.5 GOTSUBO OYSTER BAR(五坪)
10.6 MOUNT MOIWA (藻岩山) & RAMEN HARUKA (ラーメン悠)

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

December 22, 2019 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Otaru and Yoichi | Tags: coal, 竹鶴政孝, distillery, 蒸溜所, Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese, Masataka, Massan, Nikka, Rita, still, Taketsuru, whiskey, whisky, Yoichi, 北海道, 余市 | Leave a comment

RAINY NIGHT IN OTARU, Otaru (小樽), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.22

Day 8 (4/4).

After a brief rest at the hotel, it was time for us to find a place for dinner. We wanted to go for somewhere causal and take a break from seafood meals. We picked Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten (若鶏時代なると本店), a famous fried chicken restaurant popular with both tourists and locals alike. Started in 1957 as an okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) shop, Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten (若鶏時代なると本店) has evolved into a causal restaurant specialized in Hanshinage fried chicken. The golden fried chicken is what most visitors would opt for, but the restaurant also offers local snacks and sashimi. After a tasty meal, we took a stroll around the city before returning to the hotel.

There was a queue in the vestibule when we arrived at Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten (若鶏時代なると本店). We were lucky to get a table less than an hour before it closed.

We ordered fresh clam sashimi as appetizer.

And of course the delicious half fried chicken. The thin and crispy fried skin of the chicken was fried to perfection.

Outside of Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten (若鶏時代なると本店), we were surprised to see a series of street stalls ranging from eateries to carnival games.

Despite the rain, many locals came out to have fun on the street.

The booths were all catered for the local community.

For adults, snacks are always popular.

We walked through the street of booths.

A booth of masks ranged from animation characters to traditional theatre figures caught our eyes.

We exited the pop up market street and made our way to our hotel.

The streets were decorated with traditional lanterns but somewhat quiet.

We walked past a few historical buildings dated from the heyday of Otaru.

The small city has a good mix of Western and local styled buildings.

Upon reaching our hotel, we decided to stroll along the canal for a bit.

All shops had been closed. The heritage buildings along the canal serve only as a pretty backdrop for tourists.

At last, we reached our hotel, a building with a dominant touch of Western architecture at the turn of century.

* * *

Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

December 15, 2019 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Otaru and Yoichi | Tags: なると, canal, 若鶏時代, Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese, market, Naruto Honten, night, Otaru, Wakadori Jidai, 北海道, 小樽 | Leave a comment

SEAFOOD, CANAL, & HISTORY, Otaru (小樽), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.22

Day 8 (3/4).

It was raining with occasional thunderstorms all the way from the Hill of the Buddha to Otaru. After a week on the road, we finally arrived at Otaru (小樽), the port city at Ishikari Bay roughly half an hour of train ride from Sapporo. For many Japanese and East Asians, Otaru has become famous after the 1995 hit movie “Love Letter”. Directed by Shunji Iwai (岩井俊二) and starring Miho Nakayama (中山美穂), “Love Letter” was filmed entirely in Hokkaido, particularly in Otaru. After the film, The little port city Otaru has become a cultural destination.

We dropped off our bags at the hotel, returned the Toyota near the railway station, and found our way to Sankaku Market (三角市場) for a seafood lunch.

Situated near Otaru Station, Sankaku Market (三角市場) is very popular for tourists and locals for fresh seafood.

The market sells seafood from all over Hokkaido.

The market has only one narrow aisle and shops at both sides.

Some shops also offer seafood snacks or lunch.

We chose the most popular eatery in the market, Takinami Restaurant, where there was a long queue of visitors at the door.

Seafood appetizers

Sea urchin, crab meat and prawns with rice, and crab miso soup

Despite the rain, we made a brief visit to the canal area of Otaru.

We didn’t stay long at the canal because of poor weather.

Instead, we dropped by the Otaru Art Base: four historical buildings were preserved and converted into art exhibition spaces.

Built in 1923, Takahashi Warehouses was turned into the Stained Glass Museum.

Most of the stained glass windows on display were manufactured in England in the 19th and early 20th century.

These stained glass windows were preserved from churches that got torn down.

In the heydays, there were 25 banks supporting the economy of Hokkaido. One of them was Mitsui Bank (三井住友銀行). The Neo-Renaissance building symbolizes the prosperous years of Hokkaido.

The former lobby and reception counter are splendid.

Former conference room

Former vault.

Other than the history of the former bank building, there was also an art exhibition in the building.

After checking out the Art Base, we returned to the hotel and finished the slide of Yubari (夕張) cantaloupe purchased from the market.

* * *

Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

December 13, 2019 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Otaru and Yoichi | Tags: canal, Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese, market, Mitsui Bank, museum, Otaru, Otarugeijutsumura, Sankaku, seafood, stained glass, 北海道, 小樽, 三角市場, 三井住友銀行 | Leave a comment

HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, June 15-25, 2019

Tsuyu (梅雨), the rain season, begins to hit Okinawa in May and gradually makes its way north to the rest of Japan until the end of June. During the wet season, rainy and cloudy weather affects the entire country except Hokkaido, Japan’s second largest island north of the main Honshu Island. The seismic active island is 3.6% smaller than Ireland, with a climate significantly cooler than the rest of Japan. Seeking for a pleasant getaway from Hong Kong’s humid and hot summer, we picked Hokkaido as the destination for our 11-day vacation from 15th to 25th of June. Traveling in the remote national parks and rural countryside of Hokkaido, hiring a car was a necessity. The Hokkaido journey was our first road trip in Japan.

Known as Japan’s last true wilderness, Shiretoko National Park (知床国立公園) is the natural haven where Brown Bears and Blakiston Fish Owls ruled the primeval forests and Orcas, Minke and Sperm Whales roamed the waters of Nemuro Strait. With fantastic natural scenery, wildlife and seafood to offer, this easternmost part of Hokkaido topped our priority list in the travel itinerary. Next in the journey took us to the spectacular volcanoes of Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園), where we came close to Japan’s clearest water at caldera Lake Mashu (摩周湖) and the fantastic onsen and fly fishing hot spot of Lake Akan (阿寒湖). While the lavender fields of Furano (富良野) and Biei (美瑛) had yet reached the peak bloom moment, the ultra fertile soil below the Tokachi Volcanic Group (十勝火山群) treated us with some of the best bread, corn, potatoes, asparagus, melons and milk that we ever had in our lives. Despite far away from Tokyo and Osaka, the architectural magic of Tadao Ando (安藤忠雄) in Hokkaido satisfied our thirst of contemporary design and aesthetics. Back in Obihiro (帯広), Otaru (小樽) and Sapporo (札幌), historic traces of early pioneers and contemporary dessert shops and local eateries brought us back to delightful charm of urban Japan. What’s more? Day after day of mouthwatering seafood, fresh produces, good coffee, and lovely patisseries reminded us how wonderful our world could be, when the water is clean, soil is rich, forests are healthy and people are friendly. Thank you Hokkaido. You have truly touched our hearts.

Located north of Honshu Island, Hokkaido is the second largest island in Japan.

Flying in from Tokyo Haneda, our Hokkaido journey began from Memanbetsu (女満別空港) near the Shiretoko Peninsula. After more than 1,181km of driving, we arrived at Otaru and Sapporo at the western side of the island.

This black hatchback hybrid Toyota Prius c (Toyota Aqua in Japan) provided us the means of transport from east to west across Hokkaido.

After 2 days of rain and wind, we finally had a glimpse of the active volcano of Mount Rausu (羅臼岳), the tallest peak in Shiretoko Peninsula.

The greatest experience we took away from Shiretoko was the close encounter with a pod of orcas in the Nemuro Strait.

The Mashu Lake (摩周湖) offered us a peaceful sunrise at 3:30am.

Under the shadow of Mount Oakan (雄阿寒岳), dozens of fly fishermen stepped into the crystal water of Lake Akan (阿寒湖) to test their luck.

Farms and greenhouses were washed with heavy rain as we entered into Furano (富良野).

Still at least half a month to go before the peak season of lavender blossom, visitors were enjoying themselves at a relatively less crowded Farm Tomita in Nakafurano.

Compared with rainbow flower fields, we loved the wheat fields at Biei the most.

Tadao Ando’s Chapel on the Water has been famous in the designer’s world since the 1980s.

The Hill of Buddha is the latest addition in Hokkaido by Tadao Ando.

At Yoichi Distillery (余市蒸溜所), whiskey has been produced since 1934.

Saturdays Chocolate in Sapporo is one of the many excellent local eateries and cafes that we visited in the journey.

Last but not least, Hokkaido offered us the best seafood and dessert that we ever had as far as we could remember. Let’s begin to tell the story of our journey!