NIPPON
January 2025
Shot on Leica Minilux
Kodak Portra 400
January 2025
Shot on Leica Minilux
Kodak Portra 400
We flew into Sapporo and spent a day touring the city. We saw the clock tower and climbed the stairs up the TV tower. The fish market gave us our first taste of Hokkaido scallops. After a ramen lunch, we tried the city's namesake beer at the Sapporo Beer Museum, then visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine. After sunset we rode the Mt. Moiwa ropeway before going out for dinner and drinks.
The next morning we boarded a train toward the mountains and stopped for the afternoon in Otaru. We had a delicious sushi lunch, then walked around Sakaimachi shopping street. We tasted some Otaru sake and beer before heading back to the train station.
After arriving in Niseko we ate spicy curry soup and prepared to hit the slopes. Over the next four days we skiied Niseko United. We ate great food on the mountain and in town. After a long ski day, we found an onsen (Japanese hot spring) where we could relax. On the fourth day we hiked to the top of Mt. Niseko-Anupurni twice to ski backcountry area off the north and south faces.
Next, we picked up a rental car and drove south toward Lake Toya. We stopped at Fukidashi Park and continued to a viewpoint overlooking Lake Toya. At the Volcano Science Museum, we learned about previous eruptions in the area and how future eruptions can be predicted. Before sunset, we took the ferry for views of the lake. In the morning, we rode the Mt. Usu ropeway.
For our last stop, we drove to the town of Noboribetsu, known for its geothermal activity. We visited Jigokudani ("hell valley") to see geysers tucked within the snowy landscape. We also walked to Oyunumagawa natural footbath for a rest. After a seafood lunch, we relaxed in the enormous Takimotokan onsen and even enjoyed some floating sake.
© 2025 Will Krieger