Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Sukiya すき家 (39号網走新町店)

Visited 06.02.2013

Sukiya, is a fast food restaurant chain in Japan, well-known for their gyu-don (beef rice bowl). It is currently the largest gyu-don restaurant in Japan, with more than 1800 outlets. Have eaten gyu-don from Matsuya (松屋) and Yoshinoya (which Singaporeans are more familiar with) on previous occasions - relatively low cost, yet delicious and satisfying quick meal one can get in Japan!

In fact, there are not many eateries/restaurants located within close proximity to the train station and Sukiya happens to be one of the few around. Decided to patronise Sukiya as we did not intend to travel too far away from our hotel, especially in this cold weather. 

Even though the restaurant did not provide any English/Mandarin menu, the clear pictures made ordering easier than expected. 
- Select from a variety of toppings/sauces for your beef rice bowl: mixed vegetables, onions, yam, cheese, kimchi, ponzu, etc. 
- Choose the size of rice bowl: mini, small, medium, large, extra large and mega size. 
- Complete your meal with miso soup, pickles, salad, egg, beancurd, chicken karaage (fried chicken) etc. 

Ordered a small beef bowl topped up with huge serving of crunchy onions and a raw egg. The beef rice bowl did not disappoint me once again and whetted my appetite totally. Sad to say, the version we get in Singapore (such as Yoshinoya) is not as good as what I have eaten in Japan...  

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Sukiya すき家 - 39号網走新町店
北海道網走市新町2丁目3-5
http://as.chizumaru.com/sukiya/detailMap?account=sukiya&accmd=0&adr=01&bid=ID0101173&pgret=2

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Other food options?

(1) Yakiniku Abashiri Beer Hall - about 7 minutes walk from Abashiri JR Station. This BBQ restaurant is owned by Abashiri Brewery, which is well-known for their colourful draft beer creations.
Restaurant website: http://www.takahasi.co.jp/beer/yakiniku/

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Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Abashiri JR Station 网走駅, Posta Collect 郵便局のポスタルグッズ

Abashiri JR Station (A69), on Senmo main line and Sekihoku main line.
Limited Express Okhotsk serves between Sapporo and Abashiri.
In winter (February to early March), the following sightseeing trains can be boarded from Abashiri JR Station:
(1) Ryuhyo Norokko Train, commutes between Abashiri and Shiretoko-shari.
(2) Ryuhyo Express Okhotsk-no-kaze, commutes between Sapporo and Abashiri.

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What's nearby?

(1) Bus stops
Map depicting bus stops located outside train station: http://www.abashiribus.com/noriba.html#noriba2
Tourist Facilities Bus (Mount Tento Line, 天都山):
- Bus Stop 1: to Michinoeki Drift Ice Breaker Terminal.
- Bus Stop 2: to Abashiri Prison Museum, Drift Ice Museum and Hokkaido Museum of Northern People.
Memanbetsu Airport Bus: Memanbetsu Airport (女満別空港) is about 30 minutes bus ride away from Abashiri JR Station.
- Board the bus at Bus Stop 2.
Airport bus schedule: http://www.abashiribus.com/en_Memanbetsu_Airport_Line_Timetable.html

(2) Hotels
Two popular business hotel chains, Toyoko Inn and Hotel Route Inn, are located just in front of the train station.

- Left: Caramel candies; Right: Postcards exclusive to Hokkaido! -

(3) Lawson convenience store, located on the right when you exit from the train station.
A good place to grab your travel essentials and late night snacks. Do keep a look out for snacks such as caramel candies (with Abashiri Prison and sea angel printed on their packaging) produced by and sold only in Abashiri.

(4) Post office, located on the left when you exit from the train station.

Do you know? Posta Collect introduced a set of regional collectible postcards, each representing one of the 47 prefectures in Japan. Each postcard highlights the unique landmark/attraction and famous food/produce from respective prefecture. Collecting these beautifully designed postcards is not so simple after all, since the postcard can only be purchased in the region that its representing, thereby elevating its exclusivity! A total of five sets are available since its introduction in 2009 (1 full set per year). Each postcard is priced at 180 yen.

Hokkaido is considered a prefecture as a whole, therefore these postcards can be found in any of its post offices. Visited the post office in Kushiro's MOO Fisherman's Wharf previously, but could only find 2 out of the 4 designs (only 4 were introduced during my time of visit). Tried my luck again in this branch located outside Abashiri JR Station and was fortunate enough to find all 4 of them! Looks like there are more souvenirs/collectibles to bring back on future Japan trips!
All Hokkaido postcards from Posta Collect: http://www.postacollect.com/gotochi/area01.html
All prefectures postcards from Posta Collect: http://www.postacollect.com/gotochi/

- Sapporo iconic Clock Tower: the first postcard introduced by Posta Collect in 2009 -

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Commemorative stamp: 

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Abashiri Prison Museum 博物館 網走監獄

Visited 07.02.2013

Mirror Bridge led to the entrance of the museum

Apart from the phenomenal drift ice viewing activities that occur during winter months, the most prominent attraction in Abashiri that is opened to visitors all year round has got to be this museum. The mention of "prison" will likely shun most people away, and almost impossible to associate this as an attraction. Apparently this is not case in Abashiri where you can find many souvenirs and merchandises (from milk candies to T-shirts) with images of prison imprinted on them.

History: 1890 marks the birth of Abashiri Prison, when 1200 prisoners and 173 jailers were sent to the small town of Abashiri, for the daunting task of building a central highway through Hokkaido. Japanese government had to expedite the development of Hokkaido in light of potential advancement of Russia to the South. Prisoners went through extreme hardship and merciless treatment to complete the building of central highway within a remarkably short period of time. Lives were lost due to long working hours, malnutrition, dangerous working conditions and harsh winter conditions. Important rail roads, fishing ports and farms in Abashiri were also the fruits of labour from these prisoners. Abashiri Prison undoubtedly marks an important chapter in the development of Hokkaido.

In 1984, the original site was reconstructed and a portion of the heritage buildings were shifted to Mount Tento and this eventually transformed into the current Abashiri Prison Museum, for future generations to understand the conditions of Abashiri Prison in the past and highlights the contributions made by prisoners towards the development of Hokkaido in the early days.

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Highlights: 

Red brick gate of Abashiri Prison

 - A reproduction of the "Mirror Bridge" (as the prison was located on the other bank of Abashiri River) that leads to the entrance of the prison. There is significance behind the name of this bridge: prisoners would look at their reflections in the clear waters and see the things they wanted to change about themselves. Main gate is constructed out of red bricks, which took five years and 1.5 million bricks to complete.

Reproduced the life of prisoners in temporary quarters

Right: Communal bathhouse; Left: Prisoners at work

- There are many things to explore within this 17 hectares size museum. Reproduction of staff housing, temporary quarters, agricultural warehouse and communal bathhouses provided an insight on the life of staffs and prisoners in the past. Life size wax figures were also displayed within these facilities, enhancing the realistic factor of the museum. Display boards for outdoor exhibits are written in four languages - Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, allowing foreigners to better relate to these exhibits.

Five winged prison - a unique arrangement of prison cells

How interior was kept warm during cold weathers

- The restored five winged prison was my favourite exhibit in this museum. A unique architecture, the name came about as the five wings of prisoner cells radiate outwards with a central guard station in the middle. This building was modeled after Belgium's Leuven Prison. In the winter months, a fireplace with a long exhaust extending along the length of each wing is used to keep the interior warm.

Details of prisoners' contributions to development of Hokkaido found in Penological Museum

- Exhibits providing historical background on the construction of highway between Abashiri and Asahikawa can be found in Penological Museum. Display boards were all in Japanese for this particular section, and explanations in English/Chinese/Korean were provided on separate sheets of papers (which you can bring home) placed on stands found in various corners of the exhibition hall.

Modern prison reproduced in Penological Museum

- The present Abashiri Prison is also reproduced in Penological Museum. As compared to wooden buildings in the past, prisoners are now housed in concrete structures which have improved lighting and sanitary conditions. The nutritional value of food were also taken into consideration during meal preparation to meet the health needs of prisoners.

- Cafeteria located in Futamigaoka Farm (which is closed in winter) reproduces the prison menu, for visitors to experience the meals prisoners ate in their cells. Another cafeteria which offers the same menu (all year round) is located at the entrance of the museum. In photos, the food do look like typical Japanese meal sets! Did not get to try it personally.

- Overall, it was time well spent in the museum, immersing ourselves with historical information on Hokkaido. Do allocate at least 1 - 2 hours to explore this well constructed museum fully.  

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Abashiri Prison Museum 博物館 網走監獄
〒099-2421 網走市字呼人1-1
Opening hours:

0800 - 1800 hrs (Apr - Oct)

0900 - 1700 hrs (Nov - Mar)

*You can get into the museum till one hour before closing time.
Admission fee = 940 yen (90 yen off with discount voucher)
Discount voucher can be retrieved online (http://www.kangoku.jp/waribiki.html) or from hotels located in Abashiri.
http://www.kangoku.jp/world/


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How to get there? 

(1) By Tourist Facilities Bus 観光施設めぐり (Mount Tento line, 天都山).
Board the bus at Bus Stop 2 at Abashiri JR Station. Fee = 230 yen.
Timetable (In Japanese): http://www.abashiribus.com/rosenjikoku.html

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Grand Glacier Restaurant Daihyogen

Visited 06.02.2013

Grand Glacier Restaurant Daihyogen is located on the ground floor of Abashiri Central Hotel. Hotel is approximately 10 - 15 minutes walk from Abashiri JR Station and a stone throw away from Abashiri Bus Terminal. Did contemplate to stay in this hotel for the sake of patronising this restaurant. Gave up the idea after some research as the rooms were more pricey despite not located near the train station.

Reached our destination after 10 minutes walk from Michinoeki (Aurora Ice Breaker Cruise Terminal). Was taken aback when my eyes set upon the classy interior of the restaurant. Sat down and browsed through the menu and heaved a sigh of relief when I found out that food was not too expensive here. No English menu was available and I had to pick my food based on the pictures featured in the book.

Ordered:

- Okhotsk drift ice white curry rice set -

(1) Okhotsk drift ice white curry rice set (1,313 yen): Drift ice being the most popular activity/event in Abashiri, has given rise to many creative dishes, all named after (and looked like) this phenomenon which is only encountered during the winter season. In this signature dish created exclusively by the restaurant, white curry is used to depict drift ice floating on the sea of Okhotsk. Rice is accompanied with fresh surf clam, crab and well-sealed scallops and topped with raisins. Curry was savoury, enhancing the sweetness locked within the seafood. This set meal comes with a dessert which fits the theme as well - a delectable scoop of vanilla ice cream "floating" in a cup of light blue coloured syrup. Having this set meal did make my drift ice expedition felt much more completed!

(2) Shio Ramen (850 yen): Topped up with dried scallops from Okhotsk sea, this bowl of ramen tingled our tastebuds! Soup was light and clear, less oily than the usual pork bone based. All felt that the taste of the soup was closer to what we would get at home. It was so yummy that we managed to gulp down the entire bowl of soup! Nothing beats having a warming bowl of ramen in this chilly weather.

(3) Tempura set (900 yen): A mixture of prawn and vegetables tempura, served together with rice and udon.

Overall, the dining experience in Daihyogen was memorable. One thing I noticed was that this restaurant do allow diners to smoke in their premises, therefore do sound off your concern (if any) to the waiters/waitresses before seated.

Recognition: Abashiri Central Hotel was awarded two stars in Hokkaido Michelin 2012 Guide.

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Grand Glacier Restaurant Daihyogen
Abashiri Central Hotel 網走セントラルホテル
〒093-0012北海道網走市南2条西3丁目
http://www.abashirich.com/

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Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Hotel Route Inn Abashiri Ekimae ホテルルートイン網走駅前

Stayed 06.02.2013 (1 day)
Booked through Agoda.sg.

- There are two hotels located conveniently in front of Abashiri JR Station - Toyoko Inn and Hotel Route Inn. Both business hotels are well-known for their inexpensive charges, suitable for budget travellers. Have no particular preference or staying experience in both hotel chains - decided on Hotel Route Inn eventually.

- Booked a twin room (inclusive of breakfast) for approximately 87 SGD after discount (redemption of points awarded from past hotel bookings with Agoda). Left our luggage with the front desk (located on the second floor) as we arrived before the check-in timing (1500 hrs). Brochures and discount vouchers for nearby attractions (such as Abashiri Prison and Okhotsk Ryohyo Museum) can be found on stands placed in the hotel lobby. Free drinks from coffee machine is available in the lobby (1500 - 2200 hrs) as well.

- Room has more walking space than expected for such business hotel and is equipped with basic necessities. Complimentary breakfast is served in its restaurant located on the second floor (just beside the front desk). Variety of food was limited and predictable, nevertheless still good enough to start off the day.

- There are two man-made hot spring public baths, separated by gender, available to hotel guests. A soak in the hot spring felt exceptionally good after a tiring day of walking in the town!

- Left: view from room; Right: Abashiri River just behind hotel -

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Hotel Route Inn Abashiri Ekimae ホテルルートイン網走駅前
〒093-0046 北海道網走市新町1丁目2番13号
http://www.route-inn.co.jp/search/hotel/index_hotel_id_502
Twin Room charges:
Oct - Jan, Mar - May = 9,500 yen (~ 120 - 130 SGD)
Feb, Jun - Sep = 10,500 yen (~ 130 - 140 SGD)

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Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Kitahama JR Station 北浜駅

Kitahama JR Station (B76), on Senmo main line.
Ryuhyo Norokko Train (流氷ノロッコ号) makes a 10 minutes stop at this train station during its operation in winter.

Highlights:

- This is the train station closest to Okhotsk Sea - approximately 20 to 25 metres from the coastline. An observatory deck erected beside the train station provides a panoramic and magnificent view of Okhotsk Sea. The view is breathtaking especially between January to March when huge masses of ice floes are carried southwards from Amur River in Russia to coastal regions of Hokkaido.

- This relatively small train station is not manned by any operator. However, an interesting sight awaits in the waiting area. Various forms of writing materials (postcards, business cards, papers, tickets, receipts etc) with messages scribbled on them were pinned onto the walls and ceiling, and all these small pieces of "art" were contributed by visitors from all around the world! A cafe (停车场) is also housed within the same train station. Read from travel guides that the commemorative stamp for this train station can be found in the cafe.

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Do you know? Kitahama JR Station appeared in the movie "If You Are The One (非诚勿扰)" released in 2008, starring Ge You and Shu Qi. Part of this movie was shot in East Hokkaido. Fast forward all the way to 1:08:46 for the scene captured at the train station.

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Ryuhyo Norokko Train 流氷ノロッコ号

Travelled 06.02.2013

Shiretoko-shari JR Station (0855 hrs) > Abashiri JR Station (1000 hrs)
Fee = 810 yen + 300 yen for reserved seats = 1,100 yen

Another seasonal sightseeing train available only during winter. There are a total of two trains in operation per direction daily. It travels along the section of Senmo line between Shiretoko-shari and Abashiri JR Stations.

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Highlights: 

- This section of Senmo line moves along the circumference of Hokkaido overlooking Okhotsk Sea, which is covered by huge masses of floating drift ice in winter. Similar to other series of "Norokko" trains in Hokkaido, this train moves at a much slower speed of 85 km/h, enabling passengers to get a better view of the vast Okhotsk sea during the journey. In reserved seats carriages, some of the wooden benches are oriented to face the window directly, allowing one to admire the scenery without straining his/her neck. Same train carriages are also seen in Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko Train, which is in operation between April to September.

- A small stand selling snacks and souvenirs is found in one of the train carriages. One of the most popular food on this train is milk pudding (made by Cafe&Cake 風花, a confectionary shop in Abashiri). Do grab one as soon as possible since only limited number is available on board (only 20 was for sale on the day of my travel). Similar to Fuyu-no-Shitsugen, coal stoves are also available in every train carriage. Decided to give it a try to grill a piece of dried squid over the stove, but the outcome was not to our expectation - found the meat too hard and chewy for our liking.

- Train makes a 10 minutes stop at Kitahama JR Station, the train station closest to Okhotsk Sea. An observatory is erected beside this train station, which offers a panoramic view of the majestic Okhotsk Sea.

- Not forgetting to collect a commemorative stamp before you alight the train!

- Related train information: http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/train/tr026_01.html

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Commemorative stamps:

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Day 4 Itinerary: Abashiri 網走

Day 4 - 06.02.2013 (Wed)

Breakfast: Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kitakobushi

Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kitakobushi (0745 hrs) > Shiretoko-shari JR Station (0835 hrs)
via Twinkle Bus Utoro-Shiretoko-shari line.
Fee = 1,000 yen

Shiretoko-shari JR Station (0855 hrs) > Abashiri JR Station (1000 hrs)
by Ryuhyo Norokko Train.
Fee = 1,110 yen (reserved seats)
- Train stopped for 10 mins at Kitahama JR Station.

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Check in: Hotel Route Inn Abashiri Ekimae

Abashiri JR Station > Michinoeki Drift Icebreaker Terminal
via Abashiri Tourist Activity Bus. Fee = 130 yen

Boarded Aurora Drift Icebreaker Cruise at 1100 hrs.
Fee = 3,300 yen

Lunch: Restaurant Daihyogen in Abashiri Central Hotel

Abashiri Bus Terminal > Abashiri Prison Museum
via Abashiri Tourist Activity Bus. Fee = 280 yen

Abashiri Prison Museum > Abashiri JR Station
via Abashiri Tourist Activity Bus. Fee = 230 yen

Dinner: Sukiya Restaurant, for beef rice bowl.

- End of Day 4 -

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Shiretoko-shari JR Station 知床斜里駅

Shiretoko-shari JR Station (B72), on Senmo main line.
Ryuhyo Norokko Train commutes between Abashiri and Shiretoko-shari train stations during winter season.

Note: There are no lifts and escalators in this train station.
This train station was last renovated in 2007 which explains its modern looking features.

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What's nearby?

(1) Shari Bus Terminal: local buses (Shiretoko line, 知床线) bound for Shiretoko National Park, Utoro Onsen and Rausu, and airport bus bound for Memenbetsu Airport.
Shiretoko line bus schedule: http://www.sharibus.co.jp/r_siretoko.html
Airport bus schedule: http://www.sharibus.co.jp/r_memanbetu.html

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Commemorative stamps: 

Hokkaido Winter 2013 北海道冬季之旅 - Twinkle Bus Shiretoko-go

Joined 05.02.2013, 06.02.2013

- Shiretoko-go and Sounkyo-go Twinkle buses (from JR Hokkaido website) -

As part of Hokkaido winter tourism campaign, JR company introduces additional bus services (Shiretoko-go and Sounkyo-go Twinkle Buses) between late January to early March, to various destinations in East Hokkaido. These destinations include majestic natural landscapes such as Lake Mashu, Lake Kussharo, Mt Iou and Oshinkoshin falls, and hot spring paradise in Sounkyo, Kawayu and Utoro. What I like most about this service is that the departure/arrival timings of these buses are planned to fit into their existing train schedule, therefore allowing passengers to transit between bus and train efficiently!

Tip: Try as much as possible to reserve and purchase the bus tickets early (stated as 3 days beforehand in small prints), preferably at Twinkle Plaza which can be found at major train stations (Sapporo, Asahikawa, Obihiro, Hakodate, Kushiro and Abashiri). Did try to purchase the tickets on the day itself and fortunately was allowed to do that. As this bus service is exclusive to JR passengers only, you may be asked to show your JR Pass or tickets prior purchase.

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Summary: 

Made use of three out of five available routes for Twinkle Bus Shiretoko-go. The fee for each route cost 1,000 yen.

(1) Shibecha - Kawayu Line: 
- SL Fuyu-no-Shitusugen Train from Kushiro arrives at Shibecha JR Station at 1224 hrs.
- Allows passengers to transfer to this bus that departs at 1240 hrs.
- Attractions covered: Lake Mashu and Mt Iou

(2) Kawayu - Utoro Line: 
- Same bus serving Shibecha-Kawayu Line, therefore one do not need to alight or change to another bus if you are continuing the journey to Utoro Onsen.
- Attraction covered: Oshinkoshin Falls

(3) Utoro - Shiretoko-shari Line:
- Bus pick up passengers from hotels in Utoro Onsen between 0735 to 0745 hrs.
- Arrive at Shiretoko-shari JR Station at 0835 hrs to catch Ryuhyo Norokko Train that departs at 0855 hrs.

JR Hokkaido website: http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/index.html
Shiretoko-go & Sounkyo-go Twinkle buses (2013 edition): http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/pdf/e/ml201212.pdf