Ice Festival in Sounkyo 1

Sounkyo（層雲峡） is one of the most popular tourist spot in Hokkaido.
We can enjoy marvelous sight every season.
Above all, Hyoubaku festival(氷瀑まつり) fascinates everyone very much in winter.
All these statues are made of ice.
They are build by water of river streaming for about one-month.
At night, the statues are illuminated beautiful colors.



When I went there, the temprature was
-12℃. How Cold !!
The winter sky was so clear that fireworks were sparkling brightly.
I felt the winter fireworks had a charm of these own.

Penguin's Walking

The most famous zoo in Japan is Asahiyama Zoo.
It is in Asahikawa in Hokkaido.
In winter season, the zoo has a special event.
It is "Penguin's Walking".



Over 10 penguins take a walk into the zoo
for about 45 minutes.
They are as large as small children about 2 years old. They are unexpectedly large !!
They walk like a toddling baby with their flippers opened.
It is a heartwarming scene.

Cheese Sweets in Hokkaido !!

Today, I introduce you two kinds of sweets in Hokkaido to you.
These sweets are containing cheese.


←This is Kinotoya's "Rakunou Cheese Pudding".
　（'rakunou' means 'dairy farming'.)
　This tastes both cheese and pudding.
　It's very soft and feels good on the tongue.




This is "Furano Yukidoke Cheese Cake".→
('yukidoke' means 'melting snow')
It is a gelatin cheesecake. Whipped creme is on the cake, it's like snow.
It has rich taste of cheese, but not heavy.
When you eat it, it melts on your tongue.

Where has it been ???

Last spring, I lost my pass holder on the way to the office. In the holder, there was a subway pass left for one week, and a prepaid card remained about 8000 yen !!. I reported that to the police at once, but it wasn't discovered. I was very disappointed. After all, the year ended and I forgot about it.

Recently, a postcard from a police reached me. It read, 'We keep your pass holder. Come to get it to the police.' I was astonished.
At the police, they said it was handed in at new year holidays. But I lost it last spring. Where on earth had it been until then ?

Of course the subway pass is no longer valid, but the prepaid card has not been used since I'd lost it!! I felt a bit of luck !!

MOCHI CREAM !!

The other day I went to town's shopping mall, STELLAR PLACE.
Many stores were having a clearance sale there.
I bought a few discounted clothes at comme ca store.

After that, one small shop in a cafe caught my eye.
It read "MOCHI CREAM".
It was a rice cake(containing cream) shop of Cafe COMME CA ISM.
There were many colorful MOCHI CREAM in a glass show-case.

I bought 6 kinds of MOCHI CREAM.
(from the upper left, red-sweet-potate, cafe-au-lait, royal-milk-tea, passion-orange, caramel-pudding, and cream-chocolate)


←Caramel Pudding

Red Sweet Potate 　　→


I like passion orange taste the best of all.
There are 24 kinds of Mochi Cream. I want to try them all !!

Snowbording at Teine Mountain !

Today I went snowboarding for the first time in this winter.



I went to Mt. Teine.
Some Olympic ski events were held at this mountain in 1972.
Five colored circles as olympic symbol were still remained at this lodge.




The temperature were -6℃ at the mountain. It was not too cold for snorboarders, and weather was fine. There were not so many people because it was weekday, so I enjoyed snowboarding to the full.



I felt the clouds were very beautiful. They were sunset color.
So I pressed the shutter of my camera many times.
But when I came back home and checked my pictures, all clouds were not sunset color.
Why? My camera didn't work well? I wondered.
Finally I found, I'd took those pictures wearing orange goggles !!

"MAGIC SPICE", A Famous Soup Curry Restaurant

I went to one of the most famous soup curry restaurants,
"MAGIC SPICE".

The name 'Soup Curry' was born in this restaurant, and now, the name became common.
From the outside, it present a showy appearance.
The inside of the restaurant was also colorful and enjoyable.



I ate a chicken soup curry topped with many winter vegetables.
It seemed very healthy.
I also felt healthy about the soup, because it was very light taste.
It was different from the soup I'd ever known as soup curry.



There were many customers at the restaurant even though it was Monday. On the wall, I saw many pictures of well-known people. And, one waitress told me; just only 1 week before, some scenes of a movie were filmed there! The director was Takanori Jinnai !!

What a popular soup curry restaurant it is !!

JR TOWER Observatory T38

Today I went to JR TOWER in Sapporo.
There is an Observatory on the top of the Tower. I looked at the night view of Sapporo.



A Ferris wheel near Susukino was illuminated.
I was very impressed at the beauty of it.




I could see many lights to the horizon. I felt Sapporo was a large city.

Kagami-Biraki

In Japan, January 11 is the day of
Kagami-Biraki.
At New Year days, we offer Kagami-mochi (round rice cake) to the gods.
Then on the 11th of January, we cut the rice cake and eat it. We hope for health and good-luck. We call it "Kagami-Biraki".


Today I cooked Oshiruko (sweet adzuki [red-bean] soup) with pieces of the rice cake.
It was delicious, and I felt happy.

Lucky Starlike PINO !!

Today I bought a new PINO.
(Pino is a kind of icecream that has been longtime-sold in Japan.)
New pino is strawberry taste, and we can buy it during only a limited term.




When I opened the box, I found one special Pino !
It had the shape of star !!





I was very lucky !
I thought this year would be a happy year !!

Hokkaido Sweets, "White Pudding" !!

I have a weakness for sweets.　I introduce you to delicious sweets in Hokkaido.

←This is 'White Pudding'.
Lately this kind of pudding has been becoming famous in Hokkaido.
'White Pudding' was invented in order to increase the consumption of milk in Hokkaido.
There are some rules to be called 'White Pudding', as follows;


・The name must be 'Shiroi Purin (White Pudding)'.
・It must be contained a plenty of milk in Hokkaido.
・It must be produced in Hokkaido.

Many food companies in Hokkaido are developing it.

I don't like milk very much, but I can eat it as 'White Pudding' with relish.

Date - City in Hokkaido

How have you been this holiday ?
I visited my friend’s family in Date-city (in Hokkaido).
Date-city was reclaimed in about 1870’s by settlers from Tohoku prefecture.
It has comparatively old history and tradition in Hokkaido.


The all buildings along the main street must be constructed in a traditional way .








On the street, all electric wires are buried in the ground, so we can see no telephone poles there.


This is a bank. Don't you wanna deposit your money there?　　 →






← a waterwheel at a small park.




←probably it's the only post all over the world.


The dial of this clock is written by Chinese charactor. 　　→



Date is not a big city, but there are many things having a history.
I like this city.

Mt. Tarumae

These photoes are Mt. Tarumae.
These splendid sceneries are suitable for new year.

Joya - no - Kane (Temple Bells of New Year's Eve)

In Japan, it's a custom that temple's bell tolls at New Year's Eve. Generally the chief priest at a Buddhist temple strikes the bell. But this time, I heard that ordinary people could do it at a temple nearby, so I went there!!
When I arrived at the temple, there were many people (especially children) waiting in a raw. It was a little before midnight.
Soon it started ringing. My heart was pounding very fast. Finally my turn came! I made a bow, and stroke it as strong as I could! The bell rang deeply. It was so solemn sound that I felt my soul being purified.

A Happy New Year !!

A Happy New Year !!
I wish you all have a happy and wonderful year !!