Hokkaido Summer 2012 北海道夏季之旅 - Odori Park 大通公园 & Sapporo TV Tower 札幌电视塔

Visited 13.07.2012

Odori Park: Located in the heart of Sapporo and the park stretches about 1.5 km long. Sapporo TV Tower is typically referred to as the starting point and the park ends at Sapporo City Archive Museum. Odori Park is also the main venue for Sapporo Snow Festival held in February every year. Intent of visiting this park was to search for this famous pushcart selling grilled corn. I believe there are a handful of such stalls distributed within the park and the one we patronise was located at the foot of TV Tower. Grilled corn has become a specialty of Odori Park and popularity has grown to the point that numerous souvenirs have been derived and even a corn mascot was developed! Therefore, it is a common sight to see locals strolling leisurely in the park and munching on freshly grilled corn. Cost about 300 yen for one stick of corn.

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Sapporo TV Tower: Constructed in 1957 and a prominent landmark in Sapporo. Standing at 147.2 m in height, it bears some resemblances to Tokyo Tower. Tickets to visit the observatory deck can be purchased on the third floor, the same floor to ride onto the elevator to reach the observatory deck.

Observatory deck is located at 90.83 m above ground. The whole stretch of Odori Park can be seen on the west side, and on a clear day, Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium (one of the venues for 1972 Olympic Winter Games) can be spotted from afar too. JR Tower and Sapporo JR Station can be seen on the north side.

TV Tosan is the mascot for Sapporo TV Tower and you can practically find him at all corners of this attraction. A shop is located on the observatory deck and sells a variety of merchandise featuring this adorable character and his family. Bought a handful of souvenirs from the shop - miniature wish board (840 yen), magnet (262 yen) and milk candies (157 yen).

Tips:
(1) Collect a 10% discount voucher for its admission tickets from the tourism information centre in Sapporo JR Station.
(2) If you plan to visit Clock Tower as well, both tickets can be purchased together at a discounted price of 720 yen. Admission fee to Clock Tower and TV Tower costs 200 and 700 yen, respectively.

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Sapporo TV Tower 札幌电视塔 (さっぽろテレビ塔)
Odori Subway Station, Exit 27
Admission fee = 700 yen (630 yen with 10% discount voucher)
http://www.tv-tower.co.jp/

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Commemorative stamps:

Sapporo TV Tower - TV Tosan

Hokkaido Summer 2012 北海道夏季之旅 - Sapporo JR Station 札幌駅, Sapporo-Otaru Welcome Pass

Sapporo JR Station, undoubtedly the busiest train station in Hokkaido.
Train station serves as an interchange for numerous lines. Express train services have been established to ferry passengers to various parts of Hokkaido from Sapporo JR Station, in the fastest possible time.
- Rapid Airport to New Chitose Airport, nearest airport to Sapporo
- Super Soya & Sarobetsu to Wakkanai
- Super Hokuto & Hokuto to Noboribetsu, Lake Toya and Hakodate
- Asahiyama Zoo Train and Super Kamui to Asahikawa
- Super Ozora and Super Tokachi to Kushiro and Obihiro, respectively
- Okhotsk to Abashiri

Two gates are located on east and west side of train station.

What's nearby?
(1) Sapporo subway station, for both Namboku (green) and Toho (blue) lines.

(2) Shopping malls: Daimaru, ESTA (Bic Camera, Uniqlo and Sapporo Ramen Republic), Stellar Place and Paseo.

(3) Attractions:
- T38, observatory located on the 38th floor of JR Tower.
- Hokkaido University, about 5 mins walk from north exit of train station.
- Former Hokkaido Government Building, about 5 mins walk from south exit of train station.

(4) Numerous hotels to choose from.
- Jul 12: stayed in Chisun Hotel Sapporo, about 6 mins walk from south exit of train station.
- Feb 13: stayed in Best Western Fino Sapporo, about 5 mins walk from north exit of train station.

(5) Hokkaido-Sapporo Food & Tourism Information Centre, located outside west gate.
- Collect brochures and discount vouchers for various tourist attractions in Hokkaido.
- Seek help/advice from English & Mandarin speaking staff at the information counters.
- Purchase Hokkaido products and souvenirs.

(6) Kiosk, located outside west gate.
- Sells Hokkaido products and souvenirs as well.
- Purchase merchandise from Farm Tomita.

Kyun Chan - Mascot for Hokkaido Tourism Campaign

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Sapporo-Otaru Welcome Pass 
* 15 Jan 2019: Please note that this pass has been discontinued by JR Hokkaido. 
Price = 1,500 yen

Exclusively for foreigners, this pass can be purchased from the following places: 

• JR Information Desk (JR Sapporo Station West Exit)
• JR Hokkaido Visitors Information Desk (New Chitose Airport Station)
• JR Travel Service Center (Twinkle Plaza) Sapporo Branch (JR Sapporo Station)
• JR Travel Service Center (Twinkle Plaza) South Exit Branch (Sapporo Stellar Place 1F)

There are two portions to this package:
(1) Subway ticket entitled to 1 day unlimited rides on Sapporo City Subway (does not include electric tram).
(2) JR ticket entitled to 1 day unlimited rides on railway section between Otaru and Sapporo.

Preparation: 
(1) Passport to be shown at the time of purchase.
(2) Decide which day the JR ticket will be used, as this information will be asked for during ticket purchase.
(3) Two tickets can be used on separate days (do not need to be consecutive days as well). Therefore, for two days stay in Sapporo, one day can be spent visiting attractions located within Sapporo city and the other day can be dedicated to Otaru.

Optimisation:

- Subway ticket usage

• Sapporo > Odori - Visit Sapporo TV Tower and Clock Tower; fare = 200 yen
• Odori > Miyanosawa - Visit Shiroi Koibito Park; fare = 280 yen
• Miyanosawa > Sapporo; fare = 280 yen

- JR ticket usage

• Round trip from Sapporo to Otaru; fare = 620 yen x 2 = 1,240 yen

Total fare = 2,000 yen

Sapporo-Otaru Welcome Pass = 1,500 yen

Savings = 500 yen

More information on Sapporo-Otaru Welcome Pass: http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/railpass/welcome.html

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Commemorative stamp: 

Hokkaido Summer 2012 北海道夏季之旅 - Day 4 Itinerary: Sapporo 札幌

Day 4 - 13.07.2012

Breakfast: Furano Natulux Hotel

Furano JR Station (0854 hrs) > Takikawa JR Station (transfer) > Sapporo JR Station (1055 hrs)
Fee = 8,480 yen for set of 4 tickets. Additional 510 yen for each reserved seat.

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Check in: Chisun Hotel Sapporo

Visited Twinkle Plaza in Sapporo JR Station to purchase Sapporo-Otaru Welcome Pass.
Fee = 1,500 yen

Utilised 1 day unlimited subway train rides ticket of Welcome Pass.

Sapporo (H07) > Odori (H08)
by subway via Toho line (blue).

Visited Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower.

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Odori (T09) > Miyanosawa (T01)
by subway via Tozai line (orange).

Miyanosawa > Shiroi Koibito Park
approx 7 mins walk.

Dessert: Chocolate Lounge, in Shiroi Koibito Park

Miyanosawa (T01) > Odori (T09)
by subway via Tozai line (orange).

Visited Clock Tower, before heading back to hotel.

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Dinner: Matsuya, outlet in Susukino.

- End of Day 4 -

Hokkaido Summer 2012 北海道夏季之旅 - Kodamaya 小玉家

Visited 12.07.2012

Day 3 was a very wet day (rained for almost the entire day) and we all yearned for a hot soupy bowl of noodles to warm our stomachs. We landed up in Kodamaya for a warm, hearty bowl of handmade soba. Soba served in either hot or cold form and comes with a variety of toppings - tempura, pork cutlet, beancurd, seaweed, unagi, etc.

Ordered a bowl of tempura soba for 800 yen. Apart from the soup being a bit sweet for my liking, the huge serving of buckwheat noodles was filling and satisfying! Shop sells various types of rice bowls and udon as well, if you want alternatives to soba. Menus are printed with English and Mandarin translation and you can refer to the appetising food replicas on display outside the shop before placing the order.

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Kodamaya 小玉家
富良野市幸町5番1号
< 5 mins walk from Furano JR Station.
http://www.furano.ne.jp/kodamaya/
Opening hours: 1100 - 2030 hrs, closed on Tuesdays.

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Tip: Kodamaya has another outlet in Furano town.
富良野市幸町12番10号
Opening hours: 1100 - 2030 hrs, closed on Wednesdays.
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Hokkaido Summer 2012 北海道夏季之旅 - Farm Tomita ファーム富田

Visited 12.07.2012
Revisited on 28.10.2017: http://hsuchia.blogspot.com/2018/07/revisit-hokkaido-2017-furano-farm-tomita.html

Fourth and last flower park of the day.
So far, the most crowded flower park out of all visited on Day 3. Took the Furano-Biei Norokko Train from Biei and alighted at Lavender Batake, the nearest train station to Farm Tomita. Weather continued to be unpleasant and we were totally drenched by the heavy rain during the walk from the train station to Farm Tomita.

Opened since 1958, Farm Tomita is a flower park well received by many visitors, both locals and foreigners. Its popularity has risen to such a level that people automatically associate lavender flowers with Farm Tomita and relate Farm Tomita to Furano. Most tour packages will choose Farm Tomita as the main flower park to visit in summer, which well explains the crowds in the park seen during this peak season. Captivating and beautiful flowers, arranged in neat rows of complementing colours, is truly a pretty and unforgettable sight in this 4 hectares wide flower park. Sad to say, we had to stay indoors most of the time due to the heavy downpour and could not tour this place completely. Instead, it was mainly souvenir shopping for us during our stay here. Farm Tomita has a comprehensive line-up of lavender related products - potpourri in various forms of packaging, fragrances, toiletries, moisturising cream, eye masks, etc. Not forgetting food such as milk pudding, sparkling drink and soft serves, all have a refreshing touch of lavender scent/flavour in them.

If you are tired of lavender already, do try out a slice of Furano melon (priced at 200 yen/slice) and you will be awed by its natural sweetness (something that all of us misses most from Hokkaido)!

Tips:
- If time permits, Tomita Melon House is located just beside the flower park. Truly a place for melon lovers which I will make it a point to visit next round hopefully.
- Merchandise from Farm Tomita are also sold in Furano Marche and Kiosk Souvenir Shop @ Sapporo JR Station.

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Farm Tomita 富田农场
http://www.farm-tomita.co.jp/en/index.html
Free admission.
Opening hours: 0830 - 1730 hrs (June to August); 0830 - 1700 hrs (September); 0900 - 1630 hrs (October to April)

View Larger Map

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How to get there?
(1) Furano bus, to Grape Juice Factory, Rokkatei, Winery and Farm Tomita. Only available in July and August. Fee = 300 yen (from Furano JR Station).
Furano bus: http://www.cbnet.co.jp/furanobus/index.html

(2) Twinkle Bus Furano Lavender Course, makes a 50 mins stop at this attraction.

One bus per day, departs from Furano JR Station at 1010 hrs. Bus service only in operation in July and August. Fee = 1500 yen.

(3) Approx 7 mins walk from Lavender Farm JR Station, a temporary train station which is only opened when Furano-Biei Norokko Train is in operation. 

(4) Approx 25 mins walk from Nakafurano JR Station.

Hokkaido Summer 2012 北海道夏季之旅 - Furano-Biei Norokko Train 富良野･美瑛ノロッコ号

Travelled 12.07.2012

Biei JR Station (1508 hrs) > Lavender Farm Station (1543 hrs)
Fee = 440 yen + 300 yen for reserved seats = 740 yen

Furano-Biei Norokko train is a limited period service on the Furano line, available during the summer period from June to August. There are a total of three such train service per direction, per day and this is the only train that makes a stop at Lavender Farm station, a temporary station within walking distance to Farm Tomita in Nakafurano. Boarded the last Norokko train service bound for Furano for the day and alighted at Lavender Farm station. Later found out that the signature colourful train locomotive was under repair and a replacement was used for that day.

Highlights: 

• Train moves much slower than usual, at 85 km/h. Allows passengers to view the scenery more closely along the route between Furano and Biei/Asahikawa. 
• A boarding certificate is issued to all passengers - proof that you have been on this limited period train service! Design of the certificate changes every year, thus explains its exclusivity. A commemorative stamp is also available in the reserved seats carriage, which you can imprint on your boarding certificate. 
• Part of seats in the reserved seats carriage faces the train windows directly, allowing passengers to sit back and admire the scenery outside (without straining their necks).
• A shop in the reserved seats carriage which sells simple snacks and drinks and Norokko train merchandises. Bought a nanoblock, a miniature representation of Furano-Biei Norokko train for 1,000 yen.
• When the train approaches an attractive spot, crew will make an announcement through the PA system to alert passengers to divert their attention to the scenery outside. However, all the announcements are made in Japanese. 

Hokkaido Summer 2012 北海道夏季之旅 - Biei JR Station 美瑛駅

Biei JR Station (F37), along Furano line.
Asahikawa Airport > Biei, via Lavender Bus. Fee = 360 yen.

Train station is built with Biei soft stones, creating this rustic feel. During peak period in summer, Mandarin speaking staff is deployed to this train station. Do keep a lookout for someone wearing lanyard with "Mandarin translator" tag, especially if you need help buying train or Twinkle Bus tickets from the counter. Biei JR Station is also a popular boarding point for the sightseeing train - Furano-Biei Norokko train during the summer season.

Note: Train station has no lift/escalator. Similar to Furano JR Station, one has to climb the overhead bridge to get to the opposite platform. Will recommend passengers with bulky luggage to reach at least 10 - 15 mins prior train departure timing.

Train timetable: http://www.hyperdia.com

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What's nearby?
(1) Biei Tourism Association (四季情报馆). Located on your left once you step out of the train station. A place to visit to acquire essential information of attractions in Biei and purchase souvenirs.

(2) Boarding/alighting point for the following Twinkle Bus courses: 
- Biei Hill Country Course: follows the Patchwork Road. 
- Biei Takushinkan Course: visit to Takushinkan Gallery, Shikisai no oka and Bibaushi Elementary School.
- Biei Lavender Course: travels along Roller Coaster Road, Furano Marche and Furano Winery. Course ends at Furano JR Station. 

(3) Hotel Lavenir. Approx 3 mins walk from train station. A popular choice of hotel stay in Biei due to its strategic location. Tried making a reservation with this hotel about 3 months beforehand, but it was already fully booked during the peak summer season.
Hotel website: http://www.biei-lavenir.com/

(4) Post office. Approx 2 mins walk from train station. Walk straight after stepping out of the train station.

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Commemorative stamps: 

- Biei JR Station - 

- Biei Tourism Association -