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Japan March 2025

March 2025
  • Island Marilyn
Hokkaido, Kyoto, Nara - snowboarding, adventuring, scenery, history, culture, friends and haiku.... Read more
  • Island Marilyn

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  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    2We landed! A world different from SB :-)

    On our way!

    March 4 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 25 °F

    Amazing grace! Three bags and two hand carries between us. It's a record low! With less gear snowboarding than foiling, Kevin is able to manage with one long, large bag and a normal sized bag. Yay! JetAir full flat is not first class but for the cost it's a great deal. The seating and allocated space are good but you have to order your food ahead of time and the choices are limited. I was happy to bring my own sandwiches, nothing that I could eat on the menu.Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025

    Otaru, Hokkaido

    March 5 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 28 °F

    We've arrived! Long, long day. 11 1/2 hour flight to Narita, then change to domestic flight to Hokkaido, then train to Otaru. 9:40pm on March 5 after leaving 4am on March 4th! Hungry, tired and ready for bed.Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    This is the beginning of the breakfast buffet; quite the variety of seafood & super fresh!
    Powder day!Famous Otaru canal, they offer boat cruises but it felt too cold to sit out in the semi open.Fish jerky, the circular racks are spinning; fish jerky in the making. You can buy it inside.The train station and a local ski hill in the background.They take sweets seriously! This is a specialty sweet store, branches all over.Outside of the famous sweets store, LeTao. Yes, they give free samples, they looked good.

    Otaru

    March 6 in Japan ⋅ ❄️ 30 °F

    Good first day! Got up early because Kevin booked his bus to the slopes for snowboarding at 7:40am and they are punctual if not early. Dashed down to breakfast and then he zoomed off. Great powder day and it was not crowded. I explored the coastal fishing town and found lots of fascinating things to see and follow up on the next days. I should mention breakfast is a huge deal at the hotel - being a famous seafood area, the buffet offers all the specialties. Sadly I abstain from most of them, most people are gobbling them down! Kevin tried most of them and he thinks that they are of excellent quality and taste. They have lots of choices for me too.Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    4Yeah, he's a happy guy in the powdery white stuff :-)
    Ryugu Shrine. A sweet connection, a nursery school is their closet neighbor!Otaru Triangle Market aka Otaru's Kitchen. Packed with people & shops selling live seafood & food!Our restaurant for our seafood/vegetables adventure.Note the name of the most expensive item on the menu, horse dung sea urchin. No, we didn't order it.Vegetables! On the menu, the salad is for 3-4 people, (this is 1/2 of one); we ordered & ate two!4After dinner. It was snowing hard with the wind blowing the graupel into our faces, time to go home.Outdoor big pool of the onsen, there are smaller tubs and big indoors ones too.

    Otaru snow and adventures

    March 7 in Japan ⋅ ❄️ 30 °F

    Learning more about Otaru - lots to do, see and learn! Snow. Beautiful and yeah, cold :-) Kevin had a great day playing in the powder, a small complaint - the powder is piling up when they carve the turns! Hah.
    I visited a small Shinto Shrine, peaceful place to enjoy the quiet and beauty during snowfall. Serene and restorative.
    As a radical counterpoint I visited the bustling seafood market/restaurants, Otaru Triangle Market nearby. They open early and people start eating sushi and sashimi early in the morning! The whole market, including the places that serve food close by latest 3pm! The fishermen go fishing early in the morning and shut down early.
    Kevin wanted to try more of the famous seafood so we went to one of the few seafood restaurants that open in the evening. It worked out nicely even though I was looking for vegetables and he wanted cooked seafood - both rarities here! We were going to see the lights on the main canal but it started snowing heavily and blowing, so we wisely trotted carefully back to our cozy Inn. Oh, one lovely detail, we've been enjoying the onsens in our hotel daily! Natural hot springs and soothing settings. Upon comparing notes the male and female onsens are mirror images of each other. Nice.    Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    Another fresh powder day, and for a Saturday it was not crowded once you got not eh slopes!
    1On the way to Mt Tenuyama, the local ski Mt, I didn't go to the top, detoured to Sumiyoshi Shrine.Mt Tenguyama, translates to Heavenly Dog Mt in kanji, protective mountains & forests spirits.Inspiring steps to Sumiyoshi Shrine, the fresh snow made it even more special.Sumiyoshi Shrine main building.You can see the ocean from the Shrine! Panoramic views on such a clear day.Plant based Omakase dinner. We ordered 3!

    Snow, fun in Otaru & Kiroro Snow World

    March 8 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 25 °F

    Another great day! Kevin is enjoying the fresh powder everyday and pushing himself really hard. He came back, laid down and started snoring! Somehow he roused himself enough to go to the onsen after I convinced him that I'm fine with not going on a bus ride to check out the local ski area since I walked there earlier in the day already.
    More interesting was the lovely Sumiyoshi Shrine I walked to on the edge of the town and overlooking the ocean. Serene, beautiful and peaceful. Yesterday's snow fall made it even more special looking.
    We went to a small 2nd fl restaurant run by a lady who makes Omakase plant based meals. Yummy! We each had one dinner and ordered one more to share! Yeah, I guess we were hungry! It delighted the chef/owner, she invited us to come back, so I guess we were ok!    Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    Nitori Museum of Art, Japanese & Western art including Tiffany stained glass windows.Nitori Museum, prized swordNitori Museum, traditional painting Old man of Longevity.Four seasons2March Chagall, Lovers with flowersJapanese artist, painting done in ParisKannon, Quan YinYummy curry soup dinner with customizable options. Kevin and seafood & I had veggies.Otaru canal, people were going on night cruises, a bit cold for us!

    Otaru museums, food and canals

    March 9 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    Each day has been fascinating and different, at least for me! Kevin is happily snowboarding in the powder and wearing himself out, onsen to recover, dinner, sleep and repeat. This day I braved the snowfall to visit two of the four museums in the area, didn't have time for more!
    We walked to Otaru Canal and I gave Kevin a tiny tour of Otaru before we leave for Furano. Formerly one of the biggest fishing & richest towns, Otaru is now reestablishing itself as a regional attraction with many ski areas close by. It has much to offer.    Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    Bus & train station we can see right from our room, easy to travel.
    On the first leg of our journey to Furano.Snow next to the ocean and mountains also close by, similar to SB except for the snow!Huge room with a splendid view of one of the many mountains around Furano.Private onsen! You can get 30 minutes use, no reservations. The men's & women's are lovely too..Sundown view from our room!Shabu shabu, we ordered 6 servings of veggies, just have to be resourceful to get what you want....View from the elevator area, another mountain view, lots of snow recreational opportunities here!

    Otaru - Furano ocean to the center

    March 10 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    A travel day. Train and bus from the oceanside to the middle of the island, good thing public transport is so efficient here. They inform you if the transport is a minute late! Scenic journey with kilometers of snowy farmland and mountains, I saw three deer!
    We arrived, checked in, Kevin was commenting how expensive the room was; it turned out he booked a huge room, by Japanese standards! Spectacular views from our room and the elevator area.    Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    Kevin's loving another mtn to slide down!2Look at the small skate like thing next to her boot, that's a ski! New technology 😉Kounin TempleTaiho/Daihoji TempleMen's onsen at our hotel, mirror image of the women's. Nice.Robata, a historic izakaya style restaurant, great ambience, good food.The owner is 77 years old. He's scooping out a pickled mtn. leek dish.

    Furano - snowboarding, temples, food & +

    March 11 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    We can find more fun things to do everyday! Amazing :-)
    Kevin likes the slopes here but because they face into the sun, it makes for a short day with slushiness by noon. Good thing! He's pretty sore from snowboarding over 16 days straight aside for the one travel day to Japan! No worries, he's up and at the slopes before the lifts open everyday.
    I visited two temples that I visited last year, still as lovely as before. Walked close to the ski mtn nearby and enjoyed the scenery.
    Onsen was soothing and relaxing as usual.
    Dinner at a traditional historic izakaya style restaurant run by a father, mother & son. Cozy and packed with history! They have been operating for 60 years. Tasty.
    A short walk to help the food go down and another fine day is done.    Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    Sorachi River
    2In a small residential area, a house with my departed adventure buddy's last name shows up. :-(Local ski Mtn, one of several.Asahigaoka Park1Welcome to Furano!1Owner/chef preparing our dinner, yummy!Kevin doing his version of the chef's cooking. :-)Yummy! Vegetables Yakisoba, Obonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes)2

    Furano - rain day, fun day

    March 12 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    It rained a bit this morning so no snow time for Kevin. Instead we walked to Asahigoaoka Park, one of the top 100 most scenic areas of Japan. It's famous for its cherry trees, and also the new Shikoku stone Buddhas. In winter, it's a top cross-country ski spot, although no one was around when we went.
    The soft rain eased and the snow didn't start till night time so it was a lovely day.
    We tried our hand at cooking our own dinner, with the help of the chef/owner. Kevin didn't impress him with his spatula skills as he came over to instruct us :-) Food was very good in spite our bungling...    Read more

  • Island MarilynTravelerJapan March 2025
    The trendy look for young girls here - fluffy coat, short skirt, tights, trinkets on bag, & boots.2Buddhist temple, with extensive grounds and school.Simple delicious soup curry dinner, with lots of veggies!Second soup curry dinner to share - with chicken for Kevin. Yummy.

    Furano, more fun!

    March 13 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Feeling grateful and happy. Kevin had another marvelous day on the slopes.
    I had a fun day exploring Furano and being out in nature. It's easy to do as long as you don't mind getting lost! I get turned around easily because there's ski mtns almost any direction I look... and google is really confusing here, it tells me to turn SW and then SE within 3 or 4 steps! Ah well, keeps my brain working :-)
    We had a light dinner, well it started out light until we reordered the same meal twice! Yummy.
    Good day! Again. Thankful.    Read more

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