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.