Sleeping on the floor has turned out to be more comfortable than expected. After our dinner last night, an attendant came by to move our table and chairs aside and replace them with our futon beds, covered with fluffy thin comforters. The lights from the shrine shone into our room and this morning bells woke us up early. We had planned to visit the shrine before heading to the airport, which was a good choice. The grounds were empty of visitors, and the priests were just starting their days as we wandered through the grounds. There were several shrines and buildings devoted to many different divinities and people, but most of the signs were in Japanese and incomprehensible. It did not matter that I understood nothing. We admired the carvings and the statues, tried to make sense of what we were seeing, and for me, I finally felt the peace and serenity of what I imagine a religious place ought to evoke. When I return to Japan, I will try to visit temples first thing in the morning before the crowds descend.
I was loathe to return to the intense activity of the train station, and delayed as long as I could at the shrine. I am relieved that it is so easy to find our trains and reach our destination. Although signs are generally in Japanese and one must depend on limited information, and even more limited English, we have always found our way with no mishaps. Narita airport was a short 15 minutes away, we arrived in time to get on our Australian based low cost carrier, found a snack for breakfast, and were on our way to Sapporo.
The airport at Sapporo is attached to a shopping mall, and after finding the most expensive coffee we have had so far in Japan (and excellent coffee too), we circled the many restaurants with their plastic food presentations. After a while, the plastic looked less and less appetizing, so that by the time we decided what to eat, we were starving. Eric thought the city was an hour and a half away, so it was prudent to eat before embarking on our next train ride. The journey was actually only 35 minutes between the new Chistose airport and the centre of Sapporo. Using google maps to find our hotel, we decided to walk instead of take the subway, and found ourselves quite lost before a kind man stopped on his bike and redirected us back five blocks to our hotel. The hotel room was a disappointment, but less expensive than the alternatives.
Eric left for his meeting, so I wandered around the area. Odori park is a long 20 block green space filled with beer gardens during the summer. Sapporo is known for its breweries, and it appears that beer is the preferred drink. Tables were full, with massive beer dispensers at one end, and large beer glasses kept full. Food was basic snack fare, with lots of sausages and fried food. Children were everywhere. I expected to see more elderly people in Japan (statistics show 23% over 65) but am struck by the number of little children as well as schoolchildren in their pert uniforms.
At one end of the Odori park is an Eiffel like metal tower. It is possible to ascend for a view of the city, but instead, I listened to jazz from a huge tent. It is the end of a month long jazz festival happening in Sapporo, along with an 'international art festival' all over the city. At the other end of the park, after a huge tent featuring 'Fransikaner Weissbier' and Oktoberfest representations, there is a garden with half planted with roses popular in Germany, since Munich is a sister city, and the other half with roses loved by Americans, since Portland is another sister city to Sapporo. The old court house after the rose garden was closed, but houses exhibitions all year long.
From Odori park, I walked on through the neon lights of the shopping district and into the red light district, which is full of bars, karaoke establishments, pachinko parlours, restaurants, souvenir shops, and hidden corners. The streets were crowded with shoppers, generally a young crowd, many purchasing groceries in the many shops in an open covered mall stretching across many streets. I felt overstimulated with all the colours, lights, neon, activity, and people in droves. Later I met Eric and we found 'ramen alley', where a long queue had accumulated in front of the Yochoko establishment. The alley was chock full of tiny ramen shops, some with only a few seats, with men mostly slurping up their noodles. We chose an empty place, and absolutely enjoyed our choice of ramen noodles with hot sauce. Sapporo is known for its ramen, soup curry, crab, the best fish in Japan, and a lamb dish named after Genghis Khan. Food is reputed to be especially good in Sapporo.
The streets were still full of revelers when we left at midnight. It is Monday night! This is a young town, and very much more relaxed than Tokyo or Kyoto. I am looking forward to more adventures tomorrow.
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