Day 6 (Part 2): From Hakodate to Sendai

For Day 6 (Part 1): Goryokaku, click here.

For Day 6 (Part 3): Anpan-man Museum and Jozenji-dori, click here.

From Hakodate Station 函館駅から

This is a quick update, namely to provide information for those travelling southwards from Hokkaido. It also allows me to focus on a special interest on mine when I travel, which would be the bentos you can get in the different prefectures and also on the different train types. First up, Hakodate has a famous bento shop, Mikado Ekiben, which is easily accessible at the station so remember to buy your bento before boarding! I took the 11.19 am Hakucho 28 limited express train which takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes to reach Shin-Aomori where I changed trains to get to Sendai. For those who are interested, the Shinkansen is being extended from Shin-Aomori into Hokkaido, with the Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate leg set to open by March 2016 which would allow you to travel by train from Tokyo to Hakodate in less than 4 hours.

Mikado Ekiben みかど駅弁販売店
The kind obaa-chans even recommended me a few of their signatures bentos for me to choose from. ^^

Lucky to be on the newer models. ^^

Always loved the packaging differentiation that ekibens had

The beef slices (top left) and minced beef (bottom right) was absolutely heavenly with the right amount of chewiness and flavour. The egg running through the middle does a nice job of balancing the sweet saltiness of the beef together with the rice.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

First time being checked on this trip... they actually check the reserved carriages quite frequently so don't risk sitting here if you don't have a proper ticket!

One last lovely view of Hakodate and Hokkaido as the train prepares to enter the Seikan Tunnel into Aomori Prefecture

Had some snacks from earlier visits to convenience stores where I usually had to buy 2 of these to get a free item... if I'm not wrong this packet of honey chocolates got me a my melody iphone earpiece holder ^^;

Transfer at Shin-Aomori station 新青森駅での乗り換え

I had about an hour to while away at Shin-Aomori station and was actually looking around for the train girl-related goods for the Aomori railway company, Tokie Hachinohe (八戸ときえ). Sadly enough I was transferring at a JR station and the nearest subway station for the Aomori railway company was a stop away at Aomori JR station. T_T

There were quite a lot of interesting art exhibits at the station

Ah yes, found the place to buy the ekibens only sold in Tohoku!~

The more familiar green Hayabusa trains that run from Shin-Aomori to Tokyo, the journey to Sendai would take another hour and 40 minutes

Witnessing the last vestiges of snow on the ground as the weather gets warmer southwards

Didn't appreciate this bento at all despite it boasting to have the freshest and most varied catch representing the Tohoku region. Really disliked the uni on the rice and the saving grace were the two well marinated hotate on the top
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

A cute Snoopy x Pocky collaboration serving station on the train ^^

The coffee was quite an excellent pick me up after feeling sleepy on the trains, but the waffle turned out to be rock solid

From Sendai station to the hotel 仙台駅からホテルまで

If I thought Sapporo station was big, Sendai station is an absolute monster with 5 floors and 3 dedicated to boarding of different types of trains. Incidentally, the 5th floor housed many fantastic restaurants that one should not miss if you happen to stop by or transit here. To answer the common query of why I decided to visit Sendai which is quite near to Fukushima, the primary reason was to catch up with friends and also catch the cherry blossoms which were in full bloom here at the time I was visiting. As for radiation concerns, the ground radiation in Japan is negligibly higher than that elsewhere and you would actually get a higher dosage of environmental radiation while travelling on the plane than you would in Miyagi Prefecture. In fact, the radiation in Singapore is actually on par with that of Sendai and much higher than many areas of Japan. For more info, click here.

The start of my crowded Japanese experience which I grew to really dislike after spending time in Hokkaido

A view of the first to third floors from the escalators

Sendai station's not very pretty looking from the outside ^^;

First time I've seen so many taxis in my life.

I chose to stay at Hotel Green Pacific as it was conveniently located near the station but the problem was in navigating the overhead passageways and the staircases with my luggage to get there. It was not too difficult to navigate given the GPS but it's important to note that there are a number of Hotel Green ____ in and around the Sendai station area so make sure you head for the right one if you do book the chain in Sendai.

Sadly enough no free upgrade to twin room here, Sendai being more crowded and hotels more occupied I supposed.
Stayed here for 2 nights for 5,500 yen per night (about 69 SGD)

For fond childhood memories of a bread man superhero, click here.

Day 6 (Part 1): Goryokaku

Day 5 can be accessed here.

Day 6 (Part 2): From Hakodate to Sendai can be accessed here.

Day 7 will be coming up soon!

Since there wasn't any nice night view shots of Hakodate from the hotel in my previous post, am including this shot taken from my room on the eighth floor. The area was not as brightly lit and there was almost no one as this was taken around 1 am after I came back from the bar. The row of lights in the far distance marked the boundary between land and sea while the other hotel (Route Inn) can be seen in the far right. The station is located to the middle left with the JR logo clearly visible even from my room.

Hakodate Morning Market 函館朝市

The Hakodate Morning Market (better known as the Hakodate Asaichi) is just a stone's throw away from the station spanning four city blocks. As always, my interest was not in shopping for fresh seafood catch but actually eating some. For that you would need to seek out the middle alley in between the four blocks known as Yokocho Shijo (横丁市場) where there are a number of yummy donburi restaurants!

The Yokocho Shijo is clearly marked here

A crab specialist shop... the prices were pretty specialist too ^^;

Foreboding skies... but was actually lucky that it rained earlier in the morning before I set out to the market

The original plan was to eat at Uni Murakami (うに むらかみ, address: 北海道函館市大手町22-1) but unfortunately they were only open after 9 am and I was on a pretty tight schedule with Goryokaku next on the plan. Furthermore, this may sound like a cardinal sin to a lot of seafood lovers headed to Japan, I don't really like uni that much. So decided to head to an equally delicious alternative, Kikuyo Shokudou (きくよ食堂 本店, address: 北海道函館市若松町11-15), with its rich history stretching back to Showa 31st year (1956). This was a fact proudly shared by the boss when he asked me how was the food and it was really good. Diners were also given yellow food mats which taught you the Hakodate dialect, was the first thing that caught my eye when I sat down.

Look for the bright yellow sign sticking out from its comparatively more dreary competitors

Really liked the two drawings in the top middle

It's always fun to watch squids swimming in the water

I forgot what fish I ordered ^^: but the squid sashimi was really good. Never really liked squid as I always found it too rubbery but this was the right punyu punyu feel to it ^^
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Goryokaku 五稜郭

After a most filling breakfast with the boss meticulously explaining to me the different shops at the morning market, it was time to head to Goryokaku. Had to take a 20 minutes long streetcar ride from the station to the stop near the park but Hakodate's streetcars were considerably less bumpy than Sapporo's so didn't feel as carsick.

Spotted a super cute Hello Kitty merchandise showcase along the way!

Another Pierrot branch... was super tempted to head in for a quick burger but really no time ):

Goryokaku is a massive star shaped Western style citadel which was built in the last years of the Edo Period for the defense of Hakodate against the imperialist threat posed by the Western powers. A few years later, the fort became the site of a civil war between an army of the shogunate and the superior troops of the newly established Meiji government. After the fort had lost its military importance, it was eventually turned into a public park in the 1910s.

One of the three bridges allowing access to the fort, which was enfiladed by two slanting embankments on both sides

As can be seen in this layout diagram ^^

Plaque commemorating the chief architect of Goryokaku, Takeda Ayasaburo. Apparently his face is still bronze because people would rub it for good luck or something like that.

Must have been a really pretty sight with cherry blossom trees lining the embankment

The former magistrate's office (箱館奉行所) where officers of the old Shogunate used to administer Hokkaido from. The original building was demolished after the fall of the shogunate in 1871, but the city meticulously reconstructed this part of the complex and opened it to the public in 2010.

The 107 metres tall Goryokaku tower was constructed in 2006 and is a really popular destination particularly during the sakura blooming period. But as it was too early for sakuras to bloom when I was there, the asking price of 840 yen (about 11 SGD) was too expensive for me to justify heading up to the observatory floor. But I must say they put quite a lot of effort in displaying the relics from the Boshin war and the Shogunate period on the free atrium floor which s a huge plus for me.

Took a break at the park souvenir shop on my way out to the tower... loved the warm light and wooden finishing

Ah yes, looks a bit like Changi airport tower hor.

Even Perry's black ships were featured at the rather extensive exhibit on the atrium floor

Taken from the interwebz, the reason why you should go up the tower during the sakura blooming period

Komaba Streetcar Garage 駒場車庫

As I managed to save some time from not going up to the observatory (should have went for the burger at Pierrot), decided to do a little side trip which I researched earlier while sipping coffee in the tower. The railway companies in Japan increasingly had anime girl mascots known as tetsudou musume or railway girls, and for Hakodate, it was Matsukaze Karen (松風かれん) as the representative. As both her and the Hakodate stamp were featured in the 2nd National Railway Girls Tour (全国鉄道むすめ巡り2nd) in 2013, I decided to go check out the related limited edition goods only available at their head office. Just as well, as the Komaba streetcar garage just nearby was definitely worth a visit if you like train tracks and carriages (which I incidentally do for both!~). 

The most modern streetcar I had taken so far haha, so it's not necessarily all vintage designs ^^

Loved the different streetcar designs that located on the various tracks

Matsukaze Karen's the girl in blue ^^

The chop and booklet for the tour... I CHOPPED BUT FORGOT TO TAKE THE BOOKLET WITH ME WHEN I LEFT T_T

For Day 6 (Part 2): From Hakodate to Sendai, click here.

Day 5 (Part 3): Motomachi and Suehiro

Day 5 (Part 2): Hakodate can be accessed here.

Day 6 (Part 1): Goryokaku can be accessed here.

Restaurant Genova at Mt. Hakodate

Some spillover from the last post as it was getting really too long. ^^; Restaurant Genova is located on the second floor of the Mt Hakodate Ropeway summit station and you can't miss it as you are heading up to the 3F and outside for the scenery. Was really lucky to have secured a window table and the night view was absolutely breathtaking. Had the Bavarois Hokkaido (ババロア北海道) set which came with royal milk tea for 1,030 yen (about 13 SGD). The creamy dessert which was shaped like Mt. Hakodate was similar to custard but thickened with gelatin instead of flour and was not overly sickening. Once again, the staff was absolutely effusive and enthusiastic in their service offering to help me take photos but somehow the camera lens was dirty and most of the shots came out really bad. ):

Bavarois Hokkaido
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Pardon the white spots but the view was absolutely stunning.

Motomachi 元町

As most of the tourists up on Mt. Hakodate came in tour buses, once I left the bustling ropeway station it was back to much appreciated peace and quiet (and also maybe the fact that I'm not hearing so much Chinese again). After Hakodate harbour was opened to foreign trade in 1854, Motomachi became a district favoured by the many traders from Russia, China and the West as they moved to Hakodate. This explains the many impressive foreign looking buildings that remain in the area till today.

Hakodate Episcopal Church

Hakodate Russian Orthodox Church

Motomachi Roman Catholic Church

Took a detour to the Motomachi Park (元町公園) as I really liked the quietness of the area and just wanted to chillax (yet again, but this time round without having to deal with restaurant customers and the clinking of cutlery). I personally find it really nice to be in a huge historic district with no one in sight, just wandering around stopping here and there to admire the architecture and metalwork.

I forgot what this place was but it was really pretty (and huge, given the distance I was from)

Had always wondered why Victorian-esque attire was so cumbersome.

Suehiro 未広町

Hakodate Bay Area 函館ベイエリア

By the time I got to the bay area it was already close to 8 pm, so the usual souvenir and tourist trap shops particularly at the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses (金森赤レンガ倉庫) were closed. Did slightly regret not reaching earlier to check out the assorted curios at the Kanemori Western Goods Mall (金森洋物館) which apparently had a rich history of having goods hail from all corners of the world. Walking along the pier was a totally different yet similarly relaxing experience compared to the stroll around Motomachi district. Perhaps I should have had some good draft at the Beer Hall Restaurant located nearby, but ultimately decided not to as I was headed for my planned dinner spot soon.

The warehouses from the distance... can't tell they are red at night but the lights were amazing

Ah yes, another nice restaurant and perhaps the least tourist trap-ish out of the other restaurants in the region. Too bad they were already closing by the time I reached.

Reminded me a bit of Otaru ^^

Dining by the bay would have been an awesome experience... something to do when I revisit Hakodate ^^

The Hakodate Factory is one of the bay's shopping mall, together with a seafood restaurant

So cute!~ It's the teddy bear of love at the Nishihatoba Museum ^^

Hasegawa Store ハセガワ ストア ベイエリア店
Address: 北海道函館市末広町23-5

I had to decide between two fantastic chains in Hakodate, the Hasegawa store for its yakitori and Lucky Pierrot for its burgers. Naturally gravitated towards the yakitori as this was a trip to Japan and I already had some Western dessert earlier at Mt. Hakodate. The owner was quite the huge fan of GLAY and was extremely helpful in offering to make sense of all the different parts of the pig and cow they were using for their yakitori. Not only did you have good service, the savoury yakitori was done on the spot and was super affordable for the asking prices. Also had a bowl of miso soup as foreigner service ^^; and it was just the right thing after walking in the cold outdoors for a while, so thoughtful of them!

This is like the devil's choice. Perhaps I should have went into both ^^;

Some yakitori grilling in action (and also the ordering process partly pictured on the left)

Pork soft bone (top left), shio chicken wing (top right), chicken skin (bottom left), pork belly (bottom right)... of course the bottom sticks are more varied but I can't recall all of them. ^^;
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Shinano しなの
Address: 北海道函館市若松町20-10

Decided to take the more scenic route back to the hotel by walking and it actually was not that great an idea. What seemed to be just a few streetcar stops away was actually 2-3 kilometres away. But just as well, I needed to walk off the yakitori for yet another unplanned dinner stop. Emi said I must must must try shio ramen in Hakodate and there was a perfect location to do so by the station, so off I went. On first glance, the place seems to be your standard hole-in-the-wall Japanese ramen place but looks can be deceiving. Had expected a somewhat salty shio ramen (by virtue of its name), but it turned out to be refreshingly light yet not bland. The one thick slick of chashu was the highlight of the dish as it simply melted in your mouth and had its porky taste blend perfectly with the broth. Ordered the standard gyoza only to regret as they had the hanegyoza with wings!~ But it was also quite well done with the tender filling overflowing with meat juice. More importantly they sold 'Goryokaku chopsticks' which they boast to be the first to do so and would definitely not let your ramen slip off. Basically they are pentagonal shaped chopsticks and the indent on the different sticks help you to better giap the noodles. ^^

Really like the design of the various Sapporo Beer posters ^^

Jan!~ The super yummy shio ramen ^^
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Night View Bar EsteLado 夜景バー エステラード

Address: Loisir Hotel Hakodate 13F

Decided that I should not retire that early for the night (11 pm sounded early for a traveller ^^;) so headed to the hotel's Night View Bar EsteLado to chillax. My order of coffee kind of stood out from the rest in a bar (because drinking alone was no fun) so the lady sitting next to me struck up a conversation with me. Apparently she was on her way back to Sapporo after a work trip to Tokyo and decided to make a stopover at Hakodate. I'm so envious, this is the kind of travel that you can never do in space-constrained Singapore. Was quite interesting hearing from a fresh graduate her experience in a Japanese company (well duh, Japanese of course Japanese company la) and I have lost much of my initial enthusiasm to work in Japan. ^^; Our conversation was cut short as the bar closed at midnight (?!) but it was fun meeting and making new friends.

Taken from their website as I was too paiseh at first to stand up and take and then too engrossed in talking later

The most conspicuous cup of coffee I've ever had.

For Japan's first star-shaped fort, click here!