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 Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Shirogane Aoi ike (Blue Pond) 白金青い池

Visited 14.10.2017 (Sat)
Previous post: http://hsuchia.blogspot.sg/2013/03/hokkaido-summer-2012-aoi-ike-shirogane.html

Revisit. On my first weekend in Hokkaido, I headed south from Asahikawa to Biei and Furano to revisit and explore new places in this area. When I visited Hokkaido five years ago during summer, I hired a taxi to cover several sightseeing spots located in Furano and Biei, and Aoi ike was one of them. Unfortunately weather was not its best on the day of my visit and Aoi ike was not as spectacular as what I perceived before I came. And because of this disappointing outing, I have also wanted to revisit this mysteriously blue coloured pond, hopefully on a different season.

Every second counts. For my trip, I made use of Dohoku Bus Shirogane line to commute between Biei and Aoi ike. The bus stop to board the bus heading for Aoi ike is located about a minute walk away from Biei JR Station. As the bus service was not very frequent (about 1 bus every 2 hourly interval), I had to plan my stay in Aoi ike carefully. Took the 0926 hrs bus departing from Biei and arrived at Aoi ike at 0946 hrs. I had only 40 minutes to spend in Aoi ike and this was inclusive of additional 3 minutes walk from the bus stop to the pond. Had to board the return bus trip to Biei at 1024 hrs, otherwise the next one would only come three hours later! Therefore there was no time to be wasted at Aoi ike!

But totally worth it. Despite the limited amount of time spent here, I was blessed with extremely fine weather and was able to witness a totally different view of Aoi ike as compared to the previous time I was here! The turquoise waters were relatively calm and could capture a clear and beautiful reflection of its surroundings on its surface. Moreover, the vegetation were in the midst of transforming into autumn foliage, thus further enhanced the mystifying charm of Aoi ike. I turned speechless when this picturesque scenery appeared right in front of my eyes and without further ado, started working with my camera to capture the panoramic feature of the blue pond from various angles/locations.

Landmark of Biei. One major difference I observed was the increase in the number of people visiting Aoi ike, and it was definitely way more crowded (and less peaceful) as compared to the past. The beauty of Aoi ike has lured many tourists (both domestic and foreign) like myself to travel all the way to Hokkaido to behold this scenery, and have paved way for to become one of the most prominent landmark in Biei over the last few years.

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Shirogane Aoi ike (Blue Pond) 白金青い池
071-0235 上川郡美瑛町白金
https://www.biei-hokkaido.jp/ja/sightseeing/shirogane-blue-pond/


How to get there?

(1) By Dohoku Bus Shirogane line 道北バス 白金線
The bus departs from Asahikawa Station Bus Terminal Platform 8 and passes by the bus stop near Biei JR Station. To get to Aoi ike, alight at Shirogane Aoi ike iriguchi 白金青い池入口. Bus journey from Asahikawa takes about an hour and a half whereas from Biei, it takes about 20 minutes.
Bus fares:
- Asahikawa Station Bus Terminal <> Shirogane Aoi ike iriguchi = 1,090 yen
- Biei JR Station <> Shirogane Aoi ike iriguchi  = 540 yen
http://www.dohokubus.com/rosen_bus1.html

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Furano Rising Sun 富良野ライジングサン

Stayed 14.10.2017 (Sat), 1 night
Booked thru' Jalan.net.
Single room = 8,000 yen inclusive of breakfast

Near pitch black. During my last trip to Furano, I stayed at Natulux Hotel which was just a stone throw away from the train station. Decided to expand my search to Kitanomine area which is more popular with skiers during the winter season. To my delight, I came across Furano Rising Sun, a newly opened B&B style accommodation which was able to meet my budget and not too inaccessible in my opinion. Arrived at Furano JR Station in the evening when the skies have already turned dark. Hopped on Lavender Bus and alighted at Hotel Naturwald about 8 minutes later. As there were minimal street lamps, I had to almost grope in the dark while finding my way to Furano Rising Sun. What make the situation a bit more challenging was Kitanomine area is located on a slope and I had to descend carefully to reach to my destination. The name of the accommodation never felt so apt at the moment when I saw the sign "Rising Sun" highlighted by spotlights from afar! Yes, I have finally reached!

Furano Rising Sun is a family run B&B which started operation in June 2017. There are a total of 5 rooms - 4 twin rooms and one single room, the latter being occupied by me on that night. I love the touch and smell of wood which was the main material of construction on both the inside and outside of the building. The sense of security, just like what a home will give, was what I felt upon stepping into this two storey building. Both the owner and his wife came to welcome me at the front desk upon arrival. The owner, who was able to converse in simple English, briefly explained to me the features of the building and brought me to my room after completing the check-in procedure. The single room I was assigned to was named "Snow" and had a more modern and simplistic outlook. Spacious with adequate walking space, the room was equipped with basic amenities, similar to that of a hotel. To my surprise, there was even a washing machine found in my room. As Rising Sun accepts long stay guests, this household appliance will bring along convenience and all washing can be done within the comfort of their living space.

Broke the silence. After a refreshing bath, I came out from my room and wanted to sit at the bar to have a drink while planning my itinerary for the following day. Owner was kind enough to open up the bar though I was the only patron, and stood patiently behind the counter while I was contemplating what to drink. Ordered their homemade ginger ale on the drink menu. While preparing my drink, the owner initiated a conversation with me. I took this opportunity to practice my Japanese; first with a self introduction followed by explaining the purpose of my visit in Hokkaido. The casual conversation warmed up the atmosphere and despite me switching between English and Japanese, the owner was very accommodating and waited for me to complete my sentences before responding. The wife joined us in our conversation when I was seeking their advice on places which they would recommend me to visit in Furano. They were extremely approachable and helpful; apart from recommending cafes/restaurants to try and sightseeing spots to visit, they went further to research the transportation I should utilise to get to these destination and even printed out the bus schedule for me! I was so grateful for their help rendered and could not thank them enough. In fact, I managed to visit both places which they recommended, Chevre, a Italian restaurant in Nakafurano and Ryonkaku 凌雲閣, a hot spring ryokan in Tokachidake Onsen 十勝岳温泉, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Surrounded by beauty. On the following day, I woke up earlier for a morning stroll in the neighbourhood. As I arrived at night the previous day, I had no idea how the surroundings of Rising Sun looked like. The timing was just right as I was able to catch a glimpse of sunrise, illuminating the beautiful shades of autumn colours that spread across the vegetation on highlands. As Kitanomine area is a well known ski resort in Furano, hotels and pensions here become popular accommodation options for skiers in winter. During non peak period, Furano is actually a relatively quiet and laid back town where people can relax to the calm and easy pace of life here.

Sumptuous breakfast. I could not contain my excitement when I saw the delicious looking breakfast platter served in front of me! The food was so beautifully prepared and I did not expect to indulge in such sumptuous and homely breakfast here. Fresh salad, my favourite croissant, homemade English muffin with bacon and egg, vegetable and tomato soup were served as the mains. The highlight of my meal was I even had the luxury to savour a slice of the sweetest tasting Furano melon for dessert! Many years ago, I have tasted this legendary fruit on my first visit to Hokkaido during the summer season and it has left such a delectable impression in my food memory since then. Being able to taste Furano melon again was a dream come true, especially when it was not at its peak harvesting season. Counting my blessings everyday!

Overall, my stay at Furano Rising Sun has formed, yet another excellent and unforgettable episode of my journey in Hokkaido.

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Furano Rising Sun 富良野ライジングサン
〒076-034　富良野市北の峰町13-28
http://g-brain.com/

How to get there?

(1) Furano Bus Lavender-go 富良野バス ラベンダー号
From the bus terminal in front of Furano JR Station, board Furano Bus Lavender Bus at Platform 4 (effect from 1 May 2018) heading for New Furano Prince Hotel. Alight at Hotel Naturwald and walk for another 3 minutes.
Fee = 160 yen

http://www.furanobus.jp/lavender/

(2) Furano Bus Goryo line 富良野バス 御料線
Similarly from the bus terminal in front of Furano JR Station, board Furano Bus Goryo line at Platform 3 heading for Goryo Ku Sen 御料９線. As compared to Lavender-go, there are significantly lower number of bus services (only three per day) operating along Goryo line.
Fee = 160 yen
http://www.furanobus.jp/rosen/index.html#goryou

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Dining Chevre ダイニング シェーブル

Visited 28.10.2017 (Sat)

Different objective. When I came to Nakafurano the last time (five years ago), it was solely for the flower parks (Choei Lavender Park and Farm Tomita) which were blooming with lavender during the peak summer season. However, I am here this time round for a different purpose. Stayed in Furano Rising Sun for a night two weeks ago and managed to strike a casual conversation with the owner over a drink. Seek his advice on places he would recommend me to visit in Furano. Have visited most of the more well known sightseeing spots in the area and would love to visit other places which are more popular among the locals. Chevre was one of the two places (the other being Tokachidake Onsen) which he strongly recommended me to pay a visit to. Made a mental note about it and managed to tick off both places on my to-do list, on my last weekend in Hokkaido.

Chevre is a small, family operated Italian restaurant located near Nakafurano JR Station. Opened in Oct 2009, Chevre utilises fresh greens harvested from Furano and nearby areas, and other ingredients cultivated in Hokkaido in their culinary creations everyday. The seating capacity is pretty limited in this country style, wooden house - only two tables for 4, one table for 2 and two counter seats. Upon entering the restaurant, a lady came out to welcome me with an apologetic smile and enquired whether I was willing to wait for a while as the chef was still preparing food for two tables of guests. Not an issue for me as I had set aside ample time for lunch. Sat down and looked at the lunch mains available for the day.

Creamy burdock potage.

Salad and homemade bread.

Thumbs up! Chose the sauteed chicken with tomato sauce (若鳥のソテートマトソース) over pan fried salmon and shirako (秋鮭と白子のポワレ). The 1,200 yen (~15 SGD) set lunch came with soup (burdock potage), salad and a choice of either homemade bread or rice. Though it took quite some time for my food to be served, the wait was absolutely worthwhile. The sauteed chicken tasted amazing and was cooked to perfection. The meat under the crispy golden brown skin was succulent and complemented well with lightly acidic tomato sauce. Throughout the entire meal, my appeased tastebuds directed my head to nod in admiration for the chef ,with every cut of meat I put into my mouth. Not forgetting to mention the homemade bread, which was equally delicious too. I was elated to be able to savour such high quality yet affordable Italian food in this humble little town, and credits has to go to Furano Rising Sun who brought me to this hidden gem. This is a restaurant which should be given more recognition and not be overlooked.

On a side note, I am recommending tourists not to shun away from western cuisine when they are in Japan. Most of the time, you will be surprised by how well the locals here have mastered and executed the techniques to deliver incredibly delicious western food. Chevre is one fine example to this notion.

Sauteed chicken with tomato sauce.

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Chevre ダイニング シェーブル
北海道空知郡中富良野町南町7-35
Opening hours: 1130 - 1500 hrs (last order at 1430 hrs); 1800 - 2100 hrs (last order at 2030 hrs)
https://blog.goo.ne.jp/dining-chevre

How to get there?
Less than 3 minutes walk from Nakafurano JR Station 中富良野駅.

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Furano Delice 菓子工房フラノデリス

Visited 28.10.2017 (Sat)
Previous visit: http://hsuchia.blogspot.sg/2013/02/hokkaido-summer-2012-furano-delice.html

I am back! This was one cafe I wanted very much to visit again in Furano, and my wish came true! Headed down to Furano on a weekend and made my way from Furano JR Station to Furano Delice using a rental bicycle. Nothing has changed much in the surroundings since I last visited this popular confectionery and sweets shop five years ago. Like an enchanted walkway, patrons have to walk through this sheltered path made of wood, slide between tree trunks before arriving at this country style house.

Sinfully delicious. As I reached slightly after it was opened for the day, I was able to secure a seat immediately in the dinning area. At the sweets display counter, I could not divert my attention away from the familiar and delicious double fromage cheese and pudding contained in milk bottles, which won my heart during my first visit. Had in mind to try something else this time round (first) and found out that they have a separate dessert menu, in which the items vary from time to time and are specially created for dining in. I was attracted to Millefullie Glace, a pretty looking dessert which looked like one served in a high end patisserie or cafe and decided to give it a try. Made up of puff pastry sandwiched with custard cream, this dessert totally boost my appetite for more. The secret is their custard cream which was oozing with rich eggy and milk flavour, captivating my taste buds with every mouthful. Yummy.

Double fromage cake is the deal. Could not resist the temptation anymore and ordered a double fromage cake, immediately after finishing my plate of dessert, to extend this delectable sensation. It was such a nostalgic feeling to tuck my teeth into this heavenly piece of cheese cake once again, and it surely did not disappoint! I have to exclaim that Furano Delice has made use of all wonderful ingredients, such as milk, eggs, flour, etc, that Hokkaido can offer to demonstrate how a delicious cheese cake should taste like skillfully. Glad to be back indeed.

Millefullie Glace + drink set = 1,080 yen
Double fromage cheese cake = 410 yen

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Furano Delice 菓子工房フラノデリス
北海道富良野市下御料2156-1
Operating hours: 1000 - 1800 hrs; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
https://shop.le-nord.com/

How to get there? 

(1) Furano Bus Lavender-go 富良野バス ラベンダー号
From the bus terminal in front of Furano JR Station, board Furano Bus Lavender Bus at Platform 4 (effect from 1 May 2018) heading for New Furano Prince Hotel. Alight at Hotel Naturwald and walk for another 10 minutes. 
Fee = 160 yen

http://www.furanobus.jp/lavender/

Hotel Naturwald, where you should alight at from the bus and walk from here to Furano Delice.

(2) Furano Bus Goryo line 富良野バス 御料線
Similarly from the bus terminal in front of Furano JR Station, board Furano Bus Goryo line at Platform 3 heading for Goryo Ku Sen 御料９線. As compared to Lavender-go, there are significantly lower number of bus services (only three per day) operating along Goryo line.
Fee = 160 yen
http://www.furanobus.jp/rosen/index.html#goryou

Moriya, a souvenir shop which offers bicycle rental service as well. Located near Furano JR Station.

(3) By rental bicycle
Upon exiting from Furano JR Station, turn left and you will see a shop named Moriya もりや. Apart from being a souvenir shop, it offers bicycle rental services. The rental cost is 200 yen/hour for conventional bicycles and 500 yen/hour for battery operated bicycles. You can also choose to rent the bicycle for the entire day (need to return before the shop closes at 1900 hrs) - 1,000 yen for conventional bicycles and 3,000 yen for battery operated bicycles.

I chose this mode of transportation to get to Furano Delice, which is located in Kitanomine area 北の峰 of Furano city, this time round. Using the conventional bicycle, it took me at least 40 minutes to ride to my destination. To me, the ride was physically challenging because Kitanomine area is situated on a slope. There were times my legs were just too tired to overcome the gradient with the bicycle that I decided to walk and push the bicycle on and off during the journey. However, the return journey was a breeze since I was cruising down slope on most part of the trip. If given a chance to choose again, I think I will still stick to the normal bicycle, endure the strain inflicted on the first part of the journey and use the saved money to eat more sweets at Furano Delice. 

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Yura JR Station 由良駅, Conan Street Stamp Rally コナン通りスタンプラリー

Yura JR Station (由良駅) is located along San’in main line. Located in Hokuei-cho 北栄町, a town in Tottori Prefecture, this station is only served by local trains. Journey by train to reach here takes more than an hour from either Yonago or Tottori Station.

Step into the world of Detective Conan. Despite the relative inconvenience, this small town is a place many manga fans from all over the world would love to pay a visit to! Reason being Hokuei-cho is the hometown of Gosho Aoyama 青山剛昌, the artist behind the selling manga series, Detective Conan 名探偵コナン. Its unwavering popularity since the release more than two decades ago has led to the establishment of a museum (Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory) which is wholly dedicated to Gosho Aoyama, in the place he grew up in. Not only that, the road from Yura JR Station to the museum was even named Conan Street コナン通り. Along the street, fans will be excited to find bronze statues of Detective Conan, stone monuments imprinted with the covers of Detective Conan comic books, directional signs depicting Conan and other characters pasted on the pedestrian walkways and colourful pictures of Conan illustrated on manhole covers! Last but not least, Yura JR Station which is the starting point of Conan Street is also known as Conan Station コナン駅 and within the train station, there are many photo taking worthy spots to look out for. In fact, this is not my first time visiting a place with such manga/anime related theme in Japan. Sakaiminato city, which is also in Tottori Prefecture as well, was where Shigeru Mizuki 水木しげる, the artist behind Gegege no Kitaro ゲゲゲの鬼太郎, grew up in as a child. Similarly, Sakaiminato JR Station 境港駅 was named Kitaro Station 鬼太郎駅 and the road leading from the train station to Mizuki Shigeru Museum 水木しげる記念館 is called Mizuki Shigeru Road 水木しげるロード.

Wear a detective cap and uncover where Conan is hiding in the train station. 

Strolling along Conan Street.

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What’s nearby?

(1) Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory 青山剛昌ふるさと館, about 20 minutes walk from the train station.
Operating hours: 0300 - 1730 hrs; last entry at 1700 hrs
Entrance fee = 700 yen; 100 yen discount for foreigners (need to show passport as proof).
http://www.gamf.jp/

(2) Tourist Information Center 観光案内所, located in the same building as the train station.
Operating hours: 0900 - 1715 hrs
https://www.hokuei-kankou.jp/%E8%A6%B3%E5%85%89%E6%A1%88%E5%86%85%E6%89%80/

Apart from being an information center to Hokuei-cho, there are exclusive array of merchandise of Detective Conan on sale here - T-shirts, towels, badges, coasters, stationery, etc! Here, you can purchase a Yura JR Station arrival certificate (コナン駅来駅証明書) as proof of visit. There is even a shelf of Detective Conan comic books placed in one corner of the room for visitors who are interested to read.

Conan Street Stamp Rally コナン通りスタンプラリー

One interesting activity which many people will engage in upon arrival is to purchase a Conan Street Official Guide Book (コナン公式ガイドブック) from the Tourist Information Center and embark on a stamp rally expedition! This concept is similar to Yokai Stamp Rally 妖怪スタンプラリー which I have participated in Sakaiminato two years ago. The guidebook contains detailed account (only in Japanese) of where various media of Detective Conan, such as bronze statues, figurines, stone monuments, directional signs and boards, etc, can be spotted along Conan Street. For the stamp rally portion, there is a total of eight inked stamp counters located in different areas of the town, such as Yura Post Office 由良郵便局, Asakura Books Center 朝倉書店 (a place where Gosho Aoyama visited frequently when he was a kid) and even the gas station! Upon gathering at least five out of eight inked stamps in the guide book, return to the tourist information center to receive a special gift. For my instance, I received a badge and a completion sticker which can be pasted at the back of the guide book. 

Deja vu! Visited Tottori Prefecture over a weekend and I was greeted by rainy weather on both days. This was the exact, same situation I came across when I was in Sakaiminato two years ago. Similarly, I had to brave the relentless wind and perpetual rain to locate various inked stamp counters and had to ensure that I do not drench or lose my guidebook this time round. The time taken to travel from one place to another took longer than usual due to the poor weather conditions but I eventually managed to collect all eight inked stamps successfully. Everything went on smoothly until I found out that the tourist information center was already closed for the day when I returned to the train station in the evening! I was definitely disappointed but I could only blame myself for the poor time management. Without further ado, I sat down to review my itinerary for the following day and research on the train schedule. Fortunately, I was able to carve out some time in the morning on the subsequent day to drop by this train station again to exchange for the present. And yes, each step was executed smoothly as per this last minute change in plan. Boarded the train from Yonago JR Station at 0839 hrs and reached Yura JR Station at 0921 hrs, shuffled my feet quickly to the tourist information center, happily collected my present and took the return train which came 12 minutes later.

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Commemorative stamps:

* Yura JR Station

* Hokuei-cho Tourist Information Center