Hokkaido Trip (Day 5) –Ishiya White Chocolate Factory

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DAY 5/ Part 1: White Chocolate Factory

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We had ended the “greenery” exploration portion of our tour and headed to the city. Along the way I saw this lorry being packed with cows and took a snap shot of it.

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Pokka Aromax Premium Coffee. Another wonderful warm and aromatic can-coffee form the vending machine (Japan’s vending machines do dispensed warm can drink).

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We had reached the famous White Chocolate Factory. Wow! It was really difficult for one to believe that it was a factory!

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The first thing that caught our attention were these nervous chefs trying to prevent the toppling of a tall “cake” ha-ha. Very creative indeed.

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Another view of this magnificent factory.

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The ticketing counter looked extremely grand too. Do you think so?

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Do you want to capture your own photo and have it imprinted on the chocolate metal box? I didn’t ask for the price but I can tell you that it would be costly.

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This rubbish bin was unique. Say Cheese! Mr.Rubbish Bin…Ha-ha.

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Wow! Look at this in-house fountain.

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Inside this factory, one could see a grand collection of the antique items that founder had collected over the years.

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Even the ceiling looked special. Who were they?

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Any coffee or hot chocolate would test good and special in them I guessed.

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Some of the chocolate box wrappings collected by the founder.

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Prisca was excited about this place; grabbed the camera from mommy to do her own photo shooting.

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Some antique chocolate boxes and containers.

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These were the workers working hard in the yummy chocolate factory.

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Can you see us? Our images were being projected onto this special wall at real time.

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These cookies and sweetie items were really tempting us to buy them home!

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This cake would look good for your wedding day.

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This factory was being linked up to another mini-museum where one could find some childhood toys and gadgets. Do you recognize him? He is Tin-Tin.

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These Japanese childhood toys really looked like strangers to us.

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Cute toys. They must be expensive and popular during their own era.

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I liked this unique wooden chair. It had a big side table to put one’s cup of hot coffee and maybe some cookies too.

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Ohh…this was the Ghost Rider.

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Ultraman and some my favourite childhood robots and characters.

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Super heroes were here too yea? Ha-ha.

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This was the clock tower of this factory. We were reminded to watch a special show at 12.00P.M. The venue was outside in the garden area.

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Superman will like this spinning door ha-ha.

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This was the special show that the tour guide had mentioned with all these dummies chefs singing to one another.

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These were another batch of big figurines playing their musical instruments and communicating to those dummies chefs at the other building.

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After the show, the time was running short and we had to rush a little so as to explore the undiscovered attractions inside the secret garden. “Are there anybody home?” There were a lot of mini houses inside this garden which really fascinated Prisca.

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These mini houses were really designed for the kids. I was really a giant and felt really big when I got myself near the house.

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The furniture inside these houses was real. Prisca could not control her curiosity and tried out the mini-bed.

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“Peekaboo”…we popped out from a small tunnel and above us was a patch of beautiful flowers!

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“Papa…takes picture of me in this house.”

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“Do you see me?”

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These houses were really fun for the kids indeed. I don’t really see these in Singapore.

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A tree house in the carpark. I doubt one could climb on it.

This factory was really a wonderland. One hour was really not enough to explore it completely.

Hokkaido Trip (Day 4) – Daisetsu-zan National Park

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DAY 4/ Part 5: Daisetsu-zan National Park/ Sounkyo Kanko Hotel

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Before we headed to our hotel for the day retreat, we were being brought to this famous Daisetsu-zan National Park to see the “Male” and Female” waterfalls. Interesting eh?

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This is the “Female” waterfall – Ginga-no-taki (meaning “Milky Way Falls”). It looks like a lady with “long hair” and flowing much gentle and gracefully as compared to its partner next to her.


The Ginga-no-taki waterfall. The water stream was really fast and furious, scary I would say.
(Note: YouTube clips may not be accessible in some company’s server).

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This is the “Male” waterfall – Ryusei-no-taki (meaning “Shooting Stars Falls”). Do you noticed that the flow is furious and in a rush ha-ha.

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This was our hotel for the 4th day – Sounkyo Kanko Hotel
. The most luxurious Onsen hotel I would say inside our tour package.

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Big clock in the lobby.

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Look at the hotel room! It was extremely big and spacious.

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Prisca opened up every doors in the room to explore any hidden “treasures” within.

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“Is this a tent?” Ha-ha.

Hokkaido Trip (Day 4) – Another Farm Again?

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DAY 4/ Part 4: Flower Plantation

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After a simple buffer lunch at a simple restaurant we were out again to this flower plantation farm. This was the 2nd flower plantation of the day.

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Prisca was playing with her 2 elephant friends with the big ice cream when we were discussing on how to walk on the muddy path to tour around the plantation.

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Walking on the farm became difficult but it was a waste of not being able to have a tour in this farm.

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Out of a sudden, the tour guide shouted at us to enquire whether we would like to have a ride on this tractor-cart for ¥1500 (whole family) to tour around the plantation.

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Photo taken on the tractor-cart. Prisca looks more like Papa or Mommy?

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One could also take a ride on this 4-wheels scrambler if the weather was good.

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“Say hello” to this Ginger Bread girl made from hay stacks.

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This is a natural heart shape tree.

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These flowers were not that impressive as compared to those at Farm Tomita (what do you think for those who have followed my blog throughout this few days?).

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Lavender Pooh Bear. They looked awful me ha-ha.

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Lavender Hello Kitty hand bags.

Hokkaido Trip (Day 4) – Farm Tomita

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DAY 4/ Part 3: Farm Tomita

It was drizzling along the way to the Farm Tomita.

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It was getting colder with strong chilling wind blowing. I guessed the outdoor temperature was around 14 Deg Celcius or below as I also need to put on my wind breaker (my own limit of not wearing any sweater is up to about 14 Deg Celcius…Singapore is really a wrong place for me yeah?).

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This was the map of Farm Tomita.

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Lavender flowers inside the green house. First time looking at lavender from such a closed range and smelling its trademark fragrance. Hmm…The feeling was great!

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Another closed up snap shot from my Sony W50.

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After capturing some indoor photos of lavender, we headed for the outdoor plantation. These purple flowers look gorgeous, what are their names?

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Can you see the whole stretch of these lavender plants? They are beautiful.

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Are these lavenders too? Hmm…I really can’t tell…

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Ohh! These were the opium poppies flowers?! These plants were allowed in Hokkaido?

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The weather was extremely harsh and we were forced to enter a shop cum mini museum.

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One could smell the dried aroma of different types of flowers in this shop/ museum.

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These lavender souvenirs were unique and cute. The price was not that cheap too of course.

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An exterior view from the inside of the mini-museum. Can you see a traditional train passed by?

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Prisca examined a chart. Looked how serious she was ha-ha.

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An antique extracting machine for extracting of flowers “juices”?

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An empty wooden-and-stone-made cafeteria; maybe it was due to the rain.

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Healthy food but not that yummy in taste I guessed ha-ha. But the prices are reasonable.

Hokkaido Trip (Day 4) – Chateau Furano

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DAY 4/ Part 2: Chateau Furano – Wine Factory

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After the cheesy factory, we headed down to a wine factory – Chateau Furano. The weather is getting colder this late morning.

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The opening hour of this place.

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The process of wine making. You may like to try it out if you have the time and apparatus ha-ha.

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This place is boring if not for some free wine tasting. Hey! Who’s that girl behind the wine barrel?

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Want to buy a bottle home?

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Underground wine barrels storage place. The air was damp and moist in here.

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“Papa…I’m drunk after some drink…”

Hokkaido Trip (Day 4) – Cheese Factory

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DAY 4/ Part 1: Cheese Factory

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Time flies. It was the 4th day of our journey. This was the tour guide’s map showing clearly by colours where were we heading everyday. Look at the map, Hokkaido is really very big; during our whole journey we only had the chance to explore the western part of it.

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It was a cooling weather with slight drizzling to start the day with. This was the cottage-looking cheese manufacturing factory. It was extremely small inside with just two storey; cheese merchants was at the 2nd floor selling different types of cheesy items to fill one’s stomach.

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Making of cheese can be quite easy after viewing through the TV introduction programme (with the translation from the tour guide). Few aunties working in the “glass cage”; I myself do not like being watched during work…so do them I guessed…but sometimes it was just difficult to follow one’s will.

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Prisca and the big cow…moooooo. One could really milk this cow if I’m not wrong.

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Cuttlefish ink cheese samples. Uh-hmmm…I don’t quite fancy the odd taste ha-ha.

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My childhood cartoon character Heidi! Long time no see!

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Jerry and the cheese…where is Tom?

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Cheese steam boat? As I mentioned in my previous blog thread, I don’t really quite like steamboat; and adding cheese into it may sound awful to me ha-ha.

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Cuttlefish ink cheese Ramen…like to have a bowl?

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Cheese soup with potatoes for breakfast?

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Cheese fondue? Wow…an interesting idea.

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“Magical pot…magical pot…cook me some yummy porridge to fill my stomach…”

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This is a small hut beside the factory selling ice-creams.

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Prisca had chosen a grape flavour. “Prisca, you don’t like the taste? You look gloomy.”

Hokkaido Trip (Day 3) –Asahikawa Shopping Street

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DAY 3/ Part 5: Asahikawa Shopping Street/ Crescent Hotel

We were being droven to the Asahikawa Crescent Hotel to put down our luggage; and asked to assemble again for dinner and some shopping; before these shops closes at 7.30 P.M. (The night is still not that young in Hokkaido eh ha-ha…).

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This was the smallest hotel room within the whole trip. It was really ‘crampy’ after opening up the luggage boxes. As usual, Prisca liked to jump on any new bed when she stepped into the room ha-ha.

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Asahikawa Shopping Street scene 1 – It’s a chilling street.

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Asahikawa Shopping Street scene 2 – Nothing much to shop down here.

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Asahikawa Shopping Street scene 3 – A lonely street.

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Asahikawa Shopping Street scene 4 – ‘Zero’ hmm… I really don’t know what this shop really sells.

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Like to have a MOS burger? Noticed the signboard was green (different from the one in SG? It was red in SG?).

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A cat listener? Meow…

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This was the famous Ramen shop in Asahikawa that we had our dinner. We have forgotten to take any photos of the ramen as we took turns to eat our ramen (i.e. one have to carry our sleeping beauty).

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“Say Cheese” to the Ramen store staff who offered his kind help in taking this photo. Prisca was dogged-tired and slept throughout the dinner. She didn’t manage to taste the yummy ramen; and the thoughtful tour guide ordered a packet of fried rice for her to eat in the hotel.

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This Crescent Hotel really looked classy exteriorly but the room was below one’s expectation.

Hokkaido Trip (Day 3) – Otokoyama Sake Museum/ Asahikawa

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DAY 3/ Part 4: Otokoyama Sake Museum

After the super high fiber lunch as mentioned in the previous posting, we took a 3 hrs journey bus ride to our next destination – Asahikawa.

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Along the way we stopped at this “toilet-break” station at Sunagawa. It was just a convenient shop for light snacks and coffee.

Japanese cheese cake

This is one of the recommendations from the tour guide. It was the most wonderful cheesecake that we had ever eaten before in SG. It consisted of 3 layers of internal stuffs – white cream, cheese and grape jam at the most bottom. It must eat when cold. Prisca just love this icy cheese cake and ask for more! The price was ¥210 (S$3.20)/ piece (it was equivalent to a plate of chicken rice in SG yeah? Ha-ha).

Japan Childcare Centre

This was a child care center which caught my attention during a stop at traffic light. It had a very child-oriented, warming and “safe-feeling” kind of design which could really assure the parents to enroll their children in it.

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After long a super long ride, we arrived at this Otokoyama Sake Museum. This brand of sake is famous for producing of sake from pure underground water in the severe cold of Mt. Taisetsu area. It contains many valuable items spanning 330 years of the history plus their Sake brewing culture.

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Some displays of the porcelain and wooden bottles and sake cups.

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Different types of gourds for sake storage.

Frankly speaking this museum was not that big and had nothing much things to see. The most exciting thing to do in this place was to taste different types of sake ha-ha. The sale girl will tell you this sake has 18%…has 19% etc. of alcohol concentration. I smiled and told myself “I don’t have a taste bud that can sense 1 or 2% of alcohol content differences ha-ha…”

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We preferred the exterior part of this museum. This was a natural spring fountain. Everyone would queue up for this to refill their water bottles ha-ha. Prisca was testing out the scooping process.

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This was a straw-made “time ball” or rather “harvesting ball’? It was hung up during the start of a sake manufacturing batch. And when it dried up and turned brown/ yellow, it means that the sake manufacturing was near completion; a new ‘greeny’ ball will then be hung up for the next batch. I hoped that I had explained it correctly he-he.

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An ancient “sake-skating” transportation vehicle? Or for Santa C. to use it in Hokkaido possibly lol. Whatever…ha-ha…we enjoyed this garden area.

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A nice pond but beware not to fall into it. Hmm…where were the life-saving floats for emergency? Uh-ah…it failed the safety regulation…gotcha…ha-ha.

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An artistic wooden bridge that attracted lots of tourists for photo taking. Kung-fu film makers will surely like this sight.

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Dancing on the zigzag narrow bridge.

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What’s this? A big brewing furnace?


An antique water-wheel which converts water energy into mechanical energy for pounding purpose.
(Note: YouTube clips maybe blocked in some company’s server).

Hokkaido Trip (Day 3) – “Giant Bear” Restaurant

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DAY 3/ Part 3: Lunch at “Giant Bear” Restaurant

It was time for lunch. When the tour guide mentioned that we were be having steamboat lunch, I grinned miserably. (I just don’t like steamboat).

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The first impression of this seafood restaurant was a “Wow!” Look at the gigantic bear on the roof top.

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It had a “Big Crab” signage too next to the restaurant.

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One could hardly find any people here during lunch time except us, the tourists.

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Brown bears again! I missed Polar bears…

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Look how tall a bear was when it stands up straight! I’m 1.78m; you can roughly guess its height.

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These are the tuna salmon fish. Price ¥4500 (S$69).

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These are the Hokkaido crabs. They are costly beyond your imagination, the price will be revealed soon…

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These are the sea urchin in packets. Price ¥5500 (S$85).

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A display of octopus’s tentacles; one of the Japanese’s favourite’s dishes.

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Wow! These puffer fish are huge. These fish have potent nerve poison in ovaries and liver (it needs licensed chef to prepare them).

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I don’t know the exact name of these shell creatures.

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Alex, the tour guide was helping the staff to promote of having these crabs with our steamboat lunch. The price of one crab is ¥15,000! (S$231!) After pressing the calculator for the conversation rate, I stared at my wife and walked off ha-ha. The price was really ridiculous.

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This was our high fibre lunch ha-ha (there were additional of 3 halves of the normal crabs given to us for lunch. I dumped it into the pot before I realized that I need to capture the photo).

Hokkaido Trip (Day 3) – Mt Showa/ Bear Ranch

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DAY 3/ Part 2: Mt Showa/ Bear Ranch

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After eating of strawberries, we were being brought to the Mt. Showa volcano village.

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Mt. Showa is a landform that was raised from a farmland after 2 years of volcanic activities (i.e. it was being piled up layers by layers of the lava). It is still fuming with white volcano’s fumes as can see from the photo.

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This is the entrance to the Bear Ranch in this village.

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Let’s take a photo with these 3 little bears.

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“I’m the little bear…grrrr.”

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Is this brand looks familiar to you? Is it a friend of the puma? Ha-ha.


These are the hungry bears waiting for some bears biscuits (¥100) or apples (¥200) from the tourists. Please note that the background conversation was not me (it was from 2 Ah-Beng tourists)! Ha-ha.
(Note: YouTube movie clip may not be accessible in some company’s server).

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This shop is full of bear souvenirs.

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A puzzle of the whole of Hokkaido.

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Do you want to buy this big bear home? Guess how much it costs?
The price of this bear is ¥1280,000 (S$19,712)!!

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