Kon’nichiwa Nihon

Caught the 8.48 bound for Sapporo. This one is a limited express (ordinary train). The journey takes four hours to travel 254kms - bit slower than the bullet trains.

On arrival in Sapporo, we went straight to lunch, and afterwards we were given a coach tour of the CBD.

The capital city of Hokkaido, Sapporo is a modern looking city of three million people. It is known as a winter destination, becoming well known after hosting the 1972 winter olympics. It is famous for its Snow Festival held each year in February.

In winter, the top temperature can still be a minus degree figure, while in summer temperatures reach into the thirties.

We stopped at Odori Park and took the opportunity to pose for a group photo. We then walked a couple of blocks to see the Sapporo Clock Tower. The building was constructed as a gymnasium for the Sapporo Agricultural College. Today it is a museum with displays showing the building's history.Läs mer