Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Ginneko 焼鳥専門 ぎんねこ

Visited 03.11.2017 (Fri)

New discovery. In the past, the first thing that came to my mind whenever people mentioned about Asahikawa was Shoyu based ramen. However, during my one month long study trip in Higashikawa-cho, I discovered another soul food which holds important significance to the locals here in Asahikawa. This local favourite is grilled half young chicken named Shinkoyaki 新子焼き and its history traces all the way back to post World War II reign, when Japan was in the state of recovery. As meat was expensive and not consumed frequently in the olden days, Shinkoyaki was deemed a delicacy and at the same time, a vitality booster for the commoners during the recovery period. The word Shinko 新子 has two different meanings. Konoshiro gizzard shad (known as kohada コハダ in Japanese) is a type of fish that has four different names, each given at a particular stage of its lifespan. When the fish is at its smallest phase, it is called Shinko and is known to be a high class delicacy. On the other hand, the word means young in the culinary world. Therefore, while normal grilled (grown) chicken is called Sanzokuyaki (山賊焼き), Shinkoyaki is used to differentiate grilled young chicken from the former. Its popularity has also given rise to an association being set up to promote this soul food to a bigger audience and currently, there are about 10 registered restaurants offering this local flavour.

Shinkoyaki introduction (in Japanese): https://shinkoyaki.com/

5.7 Koji Furari-to, the alley where Ginneko is located in.

Presenting Shinkoyaki! The thigh portion was lightly seasoned with salt while the breast and wing portion was dressed with their secret sauce

Yummy. On my last night in Hokkaido, I made my way to Ginneko ぎんねこ, a small restaurant established in 1950 and a yakitori specialist, to try their version of Shinkoyaki for dinner. Ginneko is one of the many restaurants tucked in this alley named 5.7 Koji Furari-to (5.7小路ふらりーと), which has been around even before World War II and has been carefully refurbished/preserved to evoke a sense of nostalgia. When I thought I would be the earliest diner at 5 pm, I was surprised to see a restaurant packed with customers after opening the sliding door. Fortunately, I managed to squeeze into the last available counter seat. In Ginneko's version of Shinkoyaki, locally grown chicken which are about 6 weeks old are selected and are grilled over direct heat produced from high grade charcoal known as bincho-zumi 備長炭. Ordered the "half and half ハフとハフ" version in which the grilled half young chicken is further divided into two portions, each with a different seasoning. The thigh portion was lightly seasoned with salt while the breast and wing portion was dressed with their secret sauce which has been aged over a long period of time. In both versions, the skin was grilled to crispy golden brown on the outside while the meat was very tender with all the wholesome savory meat juices locked in. Kudos to the chef who has perfected the grilling technique while battling the intense heat and choking fumes to serve up this delicious dish that will make one yearn and return for more.

I think I have found another reason to return to Asahikawa again!

Requested to take a group photo before I bade farewell to them!

Remember. As a foreigner, I always find it a bit daunting to visit local restaurants/Izakaya due to the inherent language barrier and uncertainties. Having said that, the amicable and warm hospitality displayed by the locals usually comes aptly to overcome this fear on most occasions. In this particular instance, I sat in between two groups of diners, a group of three friends who are in their fifties and a solo traveller from Osaka. The initial awkwardness was inevitable since we were all seated so close to one another (almost rubbing shoulders), but after realising that I was a foreigner (when I requested for an English menu), they started chatting with me and the casual conversation extended throughout the entire dinner. I could not thank them enough for their friendliness which helped to break down the barrier and also a beer treat from them when least expected! Such acquaintances made during overseas travels always form part of the memorable moments and experiences that I can reminisce every now and then.

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Ginneko 焼鳥専門 ぎんねこ
070-0035 旭川市５条通７丁目5.7小路ふらりーと
Located in 5.7 Furari-to food alley.
Opening hours: 1300 - 2200 hrs, closed on Mondays.
Ginneko: http://www.ginneko.co.jp/
5.7 Koji Furari-to (5.7小路ふらりーと): http://furari-to.net/f_index.html

How to get there?

(1) By foot. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Asahikawa JR Station 旭川駅.

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Asahikawa JR Station 旭川駅, Matsuya 松屋

Revisited in Oct 2017.
Previous post (2013): http://hsuchia.blogspot.sg/2014/01/hokkaido-asahikawa-jr-station-heiwadori.html

Transformation. The current train station looks relatively newer than the others in Hokkaido because it underwent a major overhaul back in 2011. I actually will rank this as one of the most beautiful train station I have seen in Japan to date. Adore the spacious compound within the train station where passengers or locals can hang out freely in, either to wait for the train arrival or to even mingle with their families/friends. When I was here four years ago, the promenade in front of the train station was still undergoing construction and I was eager to see how things would change after that. Now, in addition to redevelopment of shopping mall and hotel adjacent to the train station, Asahikawa JR Station has developed to become the focal point in the second largest city of Hokkaido.

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What's nearby / What has changed? 

(1) Bus terminal, located in front of the train station North Exit (East side).
Platform 6: Asahikawa Denkikidou 旭川電気軌道 Bus 41, 42 and 47 depart for Asahiyama Zoo 旭山動物園.
Platform 8: Dohoku Bus Shirogane line 道北バス 白金線 for Aoi ike 青い池 and Shirogane Onsen 白金温泉.
Platform 9: Asahikawa Denkikidou 旭川電気軌道 Bus 77, Furano Bus Lavender-go 富良野バスラベンダー号 to Asahikawa Airport 旭川空港.

Platform 10:
- Asahikawa Denkikidou 旭川電気軌道 Bus 66 (Asahidake line 旭岳線) for Asahikawa Airport 旭川空港 and Asahidake 旭岳.
- Asahikawa Denkikidou 旭川電気軌道 Bus 60, 62 and 67 for Higashikawa-cho 東川町.

There are other bus stops located slightly further away from the train station.
- Bus Stop 11: Board Dohoku Bus 道北バス 630 or 667 from here and alight at Takasagodai iriguchi 高砂台入口 for Snow Crystal Museum 雪の美術館.
Bus schedule: http://www.dohokubus.com/rosen_bus2.html
- For highway buses to Sapporo, please proceed to Chuo Bus Terminal 中央バスタミナル (near Bus Stop 11 in the map shown above).

Bus Stop 11; Chuo Bus Terminal on the right.

AEON Mall and JR Inn connected seamlessly to the train station.

(2) Opening of AEON Mall and JR Inn

The former site was occupied by ESTA (a shopping mall managed by JR) and Asahikawa Terminal Hotel and both ceased operation in Jul 2012. A new building which comprised of a shopping mall managed by AEON and a hotel owned by JR group, was constructed and eventually opened its doors for business in Mar 2015. The shopping mall includes a foot court, cinema and is also occupied by local household brands such as MUJI (Level 1) and Daiso (Level 3).
- AEON Mall Asahikawa Ekimae イオンモール旭川駅前: http://asahikawaekimae-aeonmall.com/
- JR Inn Asahikawa JRイン旭川: https://www.jr-inn.jp/asahikawa/

(3) Heiwa-dori Shopping Street 平和通買物公園

- Closure of Seibu Asahikawa 西武 旭川店
This major departmental store has pulled down the shutters of its last branch in Hokkaido permanently in Sep 2016. MUJI, formerly a tenant in B building, has moved its operation to AEON Mall. As for the other major tenant, LOFT, it did not source for another location in Asahikawa city, making Sapporo the only place in Hokkaido where you are find this popular lifestyle goods shop.

- Closure of !EXC エクス
!EXC was another shopping mall which ceased operation in 2014. The existing building has not been tore down and part of it is currently being occupied by Tsuruha Drug store ツルハドラッグ.
Tsuruha Drug Asahikawa Kaimono Koen-dori branch ツルハドラッグ 旭川買物公園通店: http://www.tsuruha.co.jp/shop/?cm=v&id=1663

- Matsuya Kaimono Koen-dori branch 松屋買物公園通店
To my surprise, this is the one and only branch Matsuya has in Asahikawa city. Having said that, the rest of the branches in Hokkaido are all located in Sapporo city. The reason why I have such deep connection to Matsuya is because its beef rice bowl was the first meal I had in Japan on my debut visit in 2011. Then after, I am always on a lookout for their stores with the distinct, bright yellow signboard whenever I am craving for beef or grilled pork rice bowl during any trip in Japan. For just 450 yen, I can get a hearty bowl of salt flavoured, grilled pork rice bowl, topped up huge servings of crunchy green onions and accompanied by a bowl of miso soup. Tastewise, the entire rice bowl is so well flavoured which whet my appetite instantaneously and the contents are always gone within minutes after tucking in. So far, I have yet to record any disappointing outing and I can always rely on Matsuya to deliver such satisfying rice bowl whenever I visit them.

Website: https://pkg.navitime.co.jp/matsuyafoods/spot/detail?code=0000001707&bc=eNqLVnq2ZM7zLYseN3c8bm5%2B3DxdSUcJiB43T33cvOpx857HzevBZCdEGVAqrSg1tTy%2FKMW%2BODWxKDlDtySxKD21JKbUwMA4JS8xN1UvMSWlKLW4OB7MgSiKB2kAKTEyg7GMU1RdLVSdjFSdzFVdzVUtLFUdLVVdTVUtTFUdnUEMS2dVSyNVV0tVCwNVS0eQiJOjqqW5UiwAlLxDXg%3D%3D

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Asahiyama Zoo Train 旭山动物园号

Travelled 09.02.2013

Asahikawa JR Station (1605 hrs) > Sapporo JR Station (1746 hrs)
Fee = 2,420 yen + 2,460 yen (for reserved seats) = 4,880 yen

One round trip per day on stipulated dates (typically in operation on weekends and during the week of Sapporo Snow Festival & Asahikawa Winter Festival). Despite being called "Asahiyama Zoo" Train, this train does not bring you directly to the doorstep of Asahiyama Zoo (I had this misconception too). The train will stop at Asahikawa JR Station and passengers will have to transfer to a local bus (approx 40 mins bus ride) to continue their journey to the zoo.

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Highlights:

1st carriage (blue) - Polar Bear; 2nd carriage (orange) - Wolf; 3rd carriage (yellow) - Lion; 4th carriage (green): Chimpanzee

- One of my most looked forward train rides - this train is well liked by both adults and kids. The train is made up of five carriages with different animal themes: polar bear, wolf, lion, chimpanzee and penguin, and each carriage is beautifully wrapped with its own theme. The thought of being able to board this colourful train will make one feel excited and young at heart again!  

Kids playground in 1st carriage; Polar bears and owls "Hug Hug" seats meant for photo taking only

- The 1st carriage is polar bear themed and is virtually a playground for children. A carpeted TV and storybook area will keep the children occupied throughout the journey. Commemorative stamps are found in this carriage and there are a total of five (each representing one of the five themed train carriages) to collect. Staffs, dressed in adorable animal costumes, are constantly surrounded by the kids wherever they go.

2nd carriage - Wolf; animal face stickers pasted on mirror for you to fit your face in

3rd carriage - Lion; A very mild looking lion with pink nose?

- The 2nd to 5th carriages are passenger carriages and the themes are wolf, lion, chimpanzee and penguin, respectively. Adore the details that can be seen in the interior design of the carriages. All the seats are fitted with head covers depicting faces of animals such as polar bear, hippopotamus, squirrel and lion. Stickers with animal facts are pasted on the table on each seat. Each carriage has four "Hug Hug" seats which are made up of adorable large sized stuffed animals such as polar bears, owls, lions, tigers, penguins, hippopotamuses, chimpanzees, etc, and they emerged as the most popular photo taking spots in the entire train. The theme is extended into the toilet as well whereby the mirrors are pasted with stickers of animal face which you can fit your face into! Overall, there are numerous features for everyone to explore and journey will never be boring on board this Asahiyama Zoo Train!

4th carriage - Chimpanzee; Adorable chimpanzee and hippopotamus on "Hug Hug" seats

5th carriage - Penguin; Animal facts found on stickers pasted on tables

- All passengers are issued with beautifully designed boarding certificates which come with lanyards that you can hang over the neck! The boarding certificates come in two different designs for outward and return trips (outwards: Sapporo to Asahikawa). For the return leg, we received the certificate which had a pictorial of penguins. Do note that there is no cafe in operation on this train. Only drinks vending machines are available. Therefore, do grab a ekiben at the train station before boarding the train (if you expect hungriness to creep in during the train ride).

- Felt fortunate to be able to ride onto this version of Asahiyama Zoo train before it underwent a revamp in July 2013. It was redesigned by Hiroshi Abe, an author of picture book and former breeding staff of Asahiyama Zoo. Animals such as giraffes, flamingos, zebras and orangutans have joined the crew with this revamp! Check out its latest look on JR Hokkaido website: http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/travel/asahiyamazoo/index.html

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Commemorative stamps: 

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Mori no ma Cafe 森の間

Visited 08.02.2013

Headed to Heiwa-dori shopping street for late lunch after returning from Asahiyama Zoo. Came into Feeeal Shopping Mall and spotted this delicious looking hashed rice with omelette picture on the shop directory. Made our way up to the third floor and found this corner cafe. Mori no ma - a cafe in the forest, connecting people in the bustling city to nature. This humble cafe aims to create a laid back ambience for guest to take a breather while enjoying the delicious and healthy "slow" food served by them. Did notice that majority of the customers were ladies, who were spending their afternoon with friends, chatting over a cup of coffee and dessert.

There were no English menu and I could only make out what the food was from pictures featured in the menu (and not all the dishes in the menu had pictures depicting what they were). After peeking at what nearby diners had on their tables, we ordered the hashed rice with omelette (チキンと豆のオムハヤシライス) which caught my initial attention while browsing the shop directory, and root vegetables and meat patty served with potato salad (根菜ハンバーグとポテトサラダ) . Both dishes felt so well balanced, nutritionally and aesthetically. Omelette was runny, cooked in the way I liked it. Fresh ingredients are essential to what seemed simple yet delicious tasting dishes in this cafe. A surprise find for all of us, Mori no ma is indeed a gem tucked in a small corner of the city.

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Mori no ma Cafe 森の間
3F, Feeeal Shopping Mall
Mori no ma Cafe: http://www.kotobuki-coffee.com/morinomacafe/
Feeeal Shopping Mall: http://www.feeeal.com/

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Asahiyama Zoo 旭山動物園

Visited 09.02.2013

Undoubtedly this is the most popular attraction in Asahikawa & zoo in Hokkaido. But what made this zoo stands out from the rest in Hokkaido (there are zoos in Sapporo, Obihiro and Kushiro)?

History. Asahiyama Zoo was opened in 1967 and started with only 75 different species of animals. Response was lukewarm and the number of visitors gradually declined over the years. Situation worsened when the zoo met with a crisis in 1994 (a handful of animals in the zoo died of an echinococcus infection) and this caused the zoo to be closed for several months. It was till 1997, when the newly appointed chief proposed a revamp and the fate of Asahiyama Zoo was completely turned over. New facilities were added to the park and these behavioral exhibitions aimed to bring visitors closer to these animals and as much as possible preserve the animals' natural state of life. This move helped the zoo gained tremendous popularity to the point that its visitorship came second to Ueno Zoo in 2007! The success revolution story of Asahiyama Zoo was even adapted into a film in 2009 - the belief that one's dream can eventually come true as they took on the difficult task to revitalise the zoo over the years. 

To me, the main attraction was to see these animals in a completely different setting... in snow - a sight which is uncommon for people living in tropical countries.

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Highlights: 

(1) Penguin Aquarium. Yet again, penguins won the hearts of most visitors. There is an underwater enclosure which allows visitors to observe how these streamlined bodies creatures maneuver in the waters. The most popular activity is the King Penguins parade which takes place twice a day (1100 and 1430 hrs) during the winter months (Dec - Feb, reduced to once a day in Mar). See how these adorable penguins take small and careful steps on the snow route. Do grab a good spot along the designated parade route at least 10 - 15 mins before the commencement of event.

Penguin Parade - what most visitors were waiting for!

(2) Seal Museum. See how the seals move agilely through the water tunnels, in a twinkling of an eye! In the outdoor enclosure, observe how the seals slide on their stomachs and lie leisurely on the snow grounds. Adore the look of contentment reflected on the faces of these seals! You can also visit them during their feeding times, which takes place twice a day. Please follow the instructions of crew to remove the slip on spikes on your shoes when entering indoors and avoid usage of flash photography.

Seal Museum

(3) Polar Bear Museum. Visited the polar bears during their feeding time. In the indoor exhibition area, visitors can observe their dynamic plunges and powerful kicks in the waters through the huge glass panels. There are also capsules which you can pop your head into to view the polar bears' movement on land more clearly.

Polar Bear Museum

(4) Other attractions include chimpanzee house (an indoor enclosure to see the human like characteristics/expressions of these chimpanzees), the tamed wolves in the wolf forest, Hokkaido's Sika deer and Japanese cranes (Tanchos), amphibians & reptiles house, etc. Giraffes, goats, sheep, ponies, owls and eagles can also be found in this winter wonderland. Spent approx 3 hours touring the park (we reached at its opening time of 1030 hrs). Lastly, don't forget to grab exclusive merchandises from the souvenir shops located within the park before heading home.

Wolf Forest

Sika Deer Forest

Other animals featured in Asahiyama Zoo.

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How to get there?

(1) Local bus:
Take Bus 41 or 47 from Bus Stop 6, located just outside Asahikawa JR Station (旭川駅). Approx 40 mins; fee = 440 yen
Bus schedule (search for Bus 41 and 47): http://www.asahikawa-denkikidou.jp/kensaku.php

(2) JR Twinkle Bus:
Twinkle Bus Sounkyo-go available from Feb to Mar. This seasonal bus commutes between Asahikawa JR Station and Sounkyo Onsen, and allocates ample time for passengers to visit the zoo during the journey.

- Asahikawa JR Station (1050 hrs) > Asahiyama Zoo (1130 - 1515 hrs) > Kamikawa JR Station (1715 hrs) > Sounkyo Onsen (1800 hrs)
- Sounkyo Onsen (~0920 hrs) > Kamikawa JR Station (0950 hrs) > Asahiyama Zoo (1130 - 1500 hrs) > Asahikawa JR Station (1540 hrs)

Fees (based on 5% consumption tax):
Asahikawa JR Station < > Sounkyo Onsen - 1900 yen
Asahiyama Zoo < > Sounkyo Onsen - 1500 yen
Kamikawa JR Station < > Asahiyama Zoo - 500 yen

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Asahiyama Zoo 旭山動物園
http://www5.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/
Admission Fee = 820 yen
Opening hours:
1030 - 1530 hrs (winter season)
0930 - 1630 / 1715 hrs (summer season)

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Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Day 7 Itinerary: Asahikawa 旭川, Sapporo 札幌

Day 7 - 09.02.2013 (Sat)

Breakfast: Asahikawa Washington Hotel

Asahikawa JR Station Bus Stop 5 (0910 hrs) > Asahiyama (0950 hrs)
via Bus 46; alighted at last stop and another 5 mins walk to Asahiyama Zoo.
Fee = 380 yen 
* Please take Bus 41 or 47 from Bus Stop 6, located just outside Asahikawa JR Station. 

Visited Asahiyama Zoo.

Asahiyama Zoo (1330 hrs) > Asahikawa JR Station (1412 hrs)
via Bus 41.
Fee = 400 yen

Late lunch: Mori no ma cafe, third floor of Feeeal Asahikawa.

Asahikawa JR Station (1605 hrs) > Sapporo JR Station (1746 hrs)
via Asahiyama Zoo Train. Day #3 usage of 4 day flexible Hokkaido Rail Pass.

Check in: Best Western Fino Sapporo

Dinner: Kani Shogun

- End of Day 7-

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Minami-Nagayama JR Station 南永山駅

Minami-Nagayama JR Station (A31), along Sekihoku main line.
Three stations away from Asahikawa JR Station.
Asahikawa > Minami-Nagayama; train fee = 220 yen

Minami-Nagayama JR station is a "no-man" station; only has a small waiting room for train passengers.
Do note that only local trains stop at this station.

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What's nearby:

(1) Uniqlo (Nagayama Outlet)
To my surprise, I could not locate any Uniqlo outlet near Asahikawa JR Station and in Heiwa-dori Shopping Street (being the heart of Asahikawa city). There are only two outlets in Asahikawa - one along Asahimachi-dori and the other located near Minami-Nagayama JR Station (approx 5 mins walk). Shopped at the latter, which has an extensive line-up of products.

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(2) Asahikawa Ramen Village (Ramen Mura)
Asahikawa is well-known for their soya sauce based ramen, which explains why there are many ramen restaurants with established reputation scattered all around the city. Ramen Mura is a one stop place to taste eight popular ramen restaurants, all originated from Asahikawa.
Website: http://www.ramenmura.com/index.html

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Asahikawa Ramen Village (Ramen Mura) あさひかわラーメン村, Aoba 青叶

Visited 08.02.2013

Hokkaido is well known for its ramen culture, namely miso ramen from Sapporo, shio (salt) ramen from Hakodate and shoyu ramen from Asahikawa. Asahikawa Ramen Village was opened in Aug 1996 and is made up of eight established ramen restaurants all originated from Asahikawa - aimed to spread the ramen culture that Asahikawa is proud of; introduce the taste of ramen to all corners of Japan and the world. Like this one-stop concept where you can savour each restaurant's very own creation/receipe of how a good hearty bowl of ramen should be like. Decided to make the trip to take a look at this place despite being able taste the same ramen in Heiwa-dori shopping street. There is even a shrine in the village - "Menmusubi" Shrine, where people come and pray for their romantic relationships to be as hot as ramen broth and to last as long as noodles. 

Features of Asahikawa Ramen: the idea of keeping the broth warm by covering the surface with a film of lard; soy sauce flavoured broth made from pork bones and seafood stock; and fair and wavy noodles with less water content. 

Do you know? Famous Asahikawa Ramen restaurants such as Santouka (火头山) and Baikohken (梅光轩) have extended their businesses out of Japan and have opened outlets in Singapore.
Santouka - in Central (Clarke Quay) and Cuppage Road
Baihohken - in Takashimaya and North Canal Road

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Aoba 青叶
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~aoba1948/

Made one round in the village, peeking into each shop to understand the business status - noticed that business for most shops was not as brisk as expected on this day. Chose Aoba as it was recommended by one of the travel guidebooks. Aoba has been around for more than half a century (was established in 1947). Shop is proud of their broth which is made of pork bone, chicken breast bone, Rishiri kombu and vegetables, with no artificial flavourings added.

Left: Shoyu Ramen; Right: Gyoza and Miso Ramen

Had to order their specialty char siew shoyu ramen to try. Soup was flavourful and you can taste the goodness from the harvests of both land and sea, all locked within the bowl of soup. Personally felt that it was on the saltier side (which is quite typical of ramen in Japan). Found the soup to be oiler which is meant to retain the heat within the bowl for as long as possible - especially important in the cold weather. On the other hand, the gyozas were pan-fried to perfection with juicy meat and vegetables fillings - to me was an exceptional side dish to go with a hot bowl of ramen. 

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Asahikawa Ramen Village (Ramen Mura) あさひかわラーメン村
日本北海道旭川市永山11条4丁目
Approx 5 - 10 mins walk from Minami-Nagayama JR Station. 
Opening hours: 1100 - 2100 hrs
http://www.ramenmura.com/
   
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Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Asahikawa Winter Festival 旭川冬まつり

Visited 08.02.2013
Year 2013: 06.02.2013 - 11.02.2013
Year 2014: 06.02.2014 - 11.02.2014
Year 2015: 06.02.2015 - 11.02.2015

Apart from Sapporo Snow Festival, the next largest winter event that is held in the same week is Asahikawa Winter Festival. This event, held in Asahikawa - the second largest city of Hokkaido, has been around for more than half a century, 1 decade younger than Sapporo Snow Festival. During the 6 days event, both ice and snow sculptures, in various forms and sizes are put up for display in two venues - along the populated Heiwa dori shopping street and the riverside beside Asahibashi bridge.

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Highlights: 



- Numerous ice sculptures lined both sides of Heiwa dori shopping street. These beautifully crafted masterpieces are created by ice sculptures all around the world and are also entries competing in the annual World Ice Sculpture Contest. At night, these ice sculptures are lit up, looking vastly different appearance as what we see in the day. Felt that the details of the sculptures looked more well-defined as various coloured lights are shone upon them under the dark skies. Was amazed by the fine and intricate details that each of this ice sculpture portrayed.

Intricate details on every masterpiece

Ice sculptures took on a different form at night

- Made our way to the main venue located beside Asahibashi bridge. The main highlight of this annual event is the construction of one gigantic snow sculpture - Transformers took the centre stage in 2013 (and in 2014 as well). Construction activities started in late Dec/early Jan as snow quantity began to accumulate. If you are wondering who are the artists behind this big masterpiece, they are actually from Japan Ground Self-Defense Force! Truly impressed by their dedication in such ad-hoc events as well.

54th Asahikawa Winter Festival theme: Transformers - More than meets the eye

- Another main attraction is the longest snow slide that is about 100 m long! But do expect to queue for your turn as these slides are hugely popular (because its free!) and only two slides are available (did not manage to try out as the queue was too long on the day of our visit). There are lots of other activities to keep visitors occupied throughout the entire event period. Visitors can also participate in snow rafting, banana boat, sledding, tubing, etc made available in the main venue (at a nominal fee). There are also live performances and light shows (at night) taking place at the center stage. Many medium sized snow sculptures, featuring many familiar cartoon characters and Asahikawa's very own mascot - Asapi, were also on display for endless photo taking.

A thrilling ride down this 100 m long snow slide!

Medium sized snow sculptures; Top Right: Iconic Asahibashi bridge

- The main venue also housed a Winter Market which is packed with food stalls. A lounge area was also set up for visitors to escape from the cold and enjoy their food indoors. Do visit their souvenir shop as well as to purchase limited edition merchandise - bought a collar pin that was specially designed for this year's event.

Winter Market and Lounge

Collar pin collected!

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Asahikawa Winter Festival 旭川冬まつり
http://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/files/kankou/awf/index.htm
(1) World Ice Sculpture Contest: Along Heiwa-dori shopping street
(2) Main event venue: Beside Asahibashi bridge

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How to get there? 
(1) Free shuttle bus service operates during the entire period of Asahikawa Winter Festival. The bus commutes between Asahikawa JR Station and the main event venue.

Another free shuttle bus commutes between the main event venue and Asahiyama Zoo and Yuki no Mura Snow Village (雪の村). This bus service allows visitors to visit both attractions conveniently on the same day. Do note that the timing for this bus is less frequent.
Bus schedule: http://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/files/kankou/awf/access/s_bus.htm

(2) Walk: Start from Asahikawa JR Station and walk along Heiwa dori shopping street to admire the ice sculptures. Continue to walk straight till you reach the roundabout and make your way towards Asahibashi bridge.

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Asahikawa JR Station 旭川駅, Heiwa-dori Shopping Street 平和通購物公園

Revisit: https://hsuchia.blogspot.com/2018/05/hokkaido-revisit-2017-asahikawa-jr-station.html

Asahikawa JR Station (A28), an interchange station for the following train routes:
(1) Sekihouku main line, eastwards to Kamikawa and Abashiri.
(2) Soya line, northwards to Wakkanai.
(3) Furano line, southwards to Biei and Furano.
(4) Hakodate main line, westwards to Sapporo.

Train station underwent a major overhaul in 2011 and was transformed into a elevated platform station. Many amenities/facilities are available in this modern, newly furbished train station - Twinkle Plaza (to purchase JR Pass and Twinkle Bus tickets), shops selling souvenirs and ekiben, tourism information centre and even houses an art gallery! Spacious walkways and compound, artistic ornaments and wooden finishing made this train station a pleasant and comfortable place to hang out in.

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What's nearby:

(1) Asahikawa Tourism and Local Products Information Centre 旭川観光物産情報センター

Located within the train station (closer to the east exit), this is a good place to drop by to gather information on attractions in Asahikawa city. There are English and Mandarin speaking staff working at the tourism information counters whom foreigners can seek help from. The other half is allocated for sale of products (agricultural produce, sake, delicacies, souvenirs with packaging bearing their very own mascot - Asapi) all originating from Asahikawa.
Website: http://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/files/kankou/information2.htm

Asahikawa's adorable mascot - Asapi!

Asapi, being the mascot of Asahikawa, has all the prominent features of this city. A combination of polar bear & seal (Asahiyama Zoo), donning a costume with the prominent Asahibashi bridge and a cloak of delicious Asahikawa Ramen! 

(2) Heiwa-dori Shopping Street 平和通買物公園
Walk out from the west exit and head straight down this street. This entire stretch of road was converted to a permanent pedestrian only road in 1972. Shops, restaurants and hotels lined up on both sides of the road. Major departmental stores include Seibu, !Exc, Feeeal and Okuno.

Being in the smaller and quieter towns for the past few days, we finally got to do some shopping here in Asahikawa. The train station was previously connected to ESTA (a shopping mall managed by JR) and Asahikawa Terminal Hotel but both were closed down in July 2012. Plans to build another shopping mall on this existing site was unveiled in 2013 - a collaboration between JR Hokkaido and AEON Mall, and is expected to complete in 2015.

Left: ESTA and Asahikawa Terminal Hotel closed down in 2012; Right: Seibu [Permanently closed in 2016]

- Seibu: Made up of A & B buildings, Loft (a popular Japanese chain store that sells novel everyday commodities) and Muji can be found in B building. Supermarket is located in their basement level - a place that I like to visit when in Japan to grab fresh fruits, groceries and ready-to-eat bento sets.
https://www2.seibu.jp/wsc-customer-app/page/087/dynamic/top/Top [Permanently closed in 2016]
- !Exc: http://exc.jp/ [Permanently closed in 2014]
- Feeeal: http://www.feeeal.com/
- Okuno: http://www.okuno-asahikawa.com/

Shopping street in the night; Mister Donut for light supper

There are also many cafes and fast food restaurants located along this shopping street - Macdonalds, Mos Burger, Mister Donut, Doutor, Lotteria, KFC, etc. Numerous ramen shops where you can taste Asahikawa's specialty shoyu ramen are found along the same street. Some of the famous names include Santouka (山头火), Hachinya (蜂屋), Aoba (青叶), Baikohken (梅光轩), etc.


View Asahikawa Heiwa-dori Shopping Street in a larger map

(3) Numerous hotels to choose from.
Stayed one night in Asahikawa Washington Hotel, located along Showa-dori. Approx 5 mins walk from train station.

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Commemorative stamps: