AS I stood on top of the hill that led to the Ice Village at Hoshino Ski Resort, I placed my phone inside my bag for the first time that day, just so I could take in the scenery—the sun slowly fading away to surrender to the darkness, giving me one last view of the snow-covered landscape, the cold bursts of wind on my face, and the feel and sound of the snow crystals crunching under my boots.
It was incredible. This was a moment I have been dreaming of ever since I first held shaved ice from my halo-halo. I stood there frozen for a minute or two, whispered a word of thanks to God for giving this overweight, out-of-shape tito a chance to marvel at His creation, sat down, pushed myself and screamed like a teenage girl as I slid down the frozen slide leading to the Ice Village.
WHITE VALENTINES
WE left on the eve of Valentine’s Day, and had our first taste of Japan at the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge. If you have access, make sure to sample their beef curry. They weren’t kidding when they told us they had the best; it was so good that I had to stop myself from getting a third serving! FYI: I hate curry (the Indian kind), but this was totally different. Besides curry, there’s also udon, miso soup, pastry, some snacks and all the drinks you want.
We took JAL’s new Manila-to-Tokyo, via Haneda route, which was the earliest flight to arrive in Tokyo. We then took another flight to Hokkaido, arriving at Memanbetsu at around 9 am. As soon as we got our luggage, everyone immediately changed into their winter clothes. I already had a sweater on, so I just put on the jacket I got from Bench (which I’m pretty sure wasn’t made for winter). Our guide warned us that it was going to be really cold outside, about minus 9 degrees Celsius, and asked me if I was sure about what I was wearing. “I think so,” I told her.
HOKKAIDO HIGHS AND WHOAs
OUR itinerary was prepared by the Japan Tourism Board, and since the theme of our trip was to #GetMoreJapan, we were able to visit some of the popular tourist sites and also some that you don’t usually read about. I have listed the HIGHS on why you should definitely give it a try and the WHOAs to make you think twice about adding it to your itinerary.
I’LL STOP THE WORLD AND SMELT WITH YOU. Our first stop was Lake Abashiri to try one of the most popular winter activities in the area—smelt fishing. When the lake freezes over, the place becomes a large campsite where tourists can do some ice fishing. They will drill a hole in the ice where you can fish for smelts—a kind of small fresh water fish. Once you’ve caught your smelts, you can have them fried into yummy tempura. HIGH: It’s an OK group activity, depending on your luck. I caught one during my first five minutes but that was also the last. It was a good thing they gave us a basket of smelt tempura to munch on, but I’m not sure if you could also order in case you don’t catch any fish. WHOA: This activity could take from one to three hours, and costs around P1,300. Instead of fishing, however, we actually spent more time enjoying the scenery and taking photos of the snow-covered trees and mountains.
OSHINKOSHIN WATERFALLS. The name Oshinkoshin originates from the Ainu language, meaning a place where many Ezo spruce grow. The waterfall consists of two separate flows. It is nicknamed soubi no taki, meaning beautiful forked waterfalls. HIGH: Our tour guide said it was one of the top 100 most beautiful waterfalls in Japan. WHOA: The area is steep and very slippery, and I wouldn’t risk going up unless you are wearing proper snow boots. The stair steps are hard to see and entirely covered in snow. Skip this if you are with older people as they might fall and hurt themselves; if they insist, just take photos near the entrance.
NOT SO FAST AND FURIOUS: HOKKAIDO DRIFT ICE WALKING. I both love and hate this activity at the same time. Love because it was a one-of-a-kind experience that I doubt I will be doing again; and hate it because I don’t have any photo to show for it. Well, I do have a couple: one was of me looking like a Power Ranger reject, and the other one was just partly showing my face because we were a bit far behind.
The area was really cold and unless you properly wrap your phone/camera I doubt it will survive, and, no, the dry suits don’t have pockets. Our guide Mr. Ogawa’s phone went dead a few minutes after he took it out for some photos. Make sure you read my tips on how you can winterproof your devices below. HIGH: It’s like being in the Ice Age! Once you reach your stop in the middle, lay down on your back and look up at the sky and imagine that during the summertime, you are actually in the middle of the sea. It’s an experience you definitely have to try. WHOA: It’s not for everyone because there is a height and age limit because of the dry suit. Children aged 0-5, seniors aged 74+, pregnant women and those who are less than 130 centimeters in height cannot join this activity. Depending on drift ice distribution, there are also times when the tour can be cancelled. It can also be quite tiring as you have to walk for almost an hour to and from your starting point. Best done in the early afternoon.
DAY 2
AINU VILLAGE. The place reminded me so much of Oaken’s Trading post in Disney’s Frozen, I was almost tempted to look for Kristoff and Sven. The quaint-looking village is home of the Ainu tribe and is one of the biggest kotans or “settlements” in Hokkaido. We had a wood-carving class that I enjoyed, and a surprise lunch I won’t forget anytime soon. HIGH: The place is so picturesque you just want to take a photo of every store and building. There are also a lot of souvenir shops that sell nice looking trinkets and Ainu handicrafts. WHOA: OMG, we ate Bambi! Follow Susan Roces’s advice “Huwag mahiyang magtanong.” We were served sweet potato pizza (good) rice with beans (OK) and vegetable soup with deer meat. It looked like nilaga and was hot, so I immediately ate a chunk of meat before I realized what it was. I wanted to run out and cry, but since I was so hungry I decided to finish the entire bowl, thinking happy thoughts and hopefully a buffet dinner.
DRIVING A SNOW MOBILE. This was easily my favorite activity of the entire trip. I wanted to drive real fast because the open field of snow was just too tempting, but I remembered that the last time I tried to show off, I flew off a bike, landed face first and chipped my front teeth. So I decided to take out my phone, shoot a video and drive slower, which turned out to be a better decision as you can only drive around the 2-kilometer course once. HIGH: Snowmobile driving is very affordable at just ¥1,500 per person (around P750) for a 2-km drive. You can also go for the longer 4-km, 7-km and 10-km routes but I think these are for more advanced riders. You can also ride a banana boat or do some smelt fishing at Lake Akan as well. WHOA: I can’t think of any negatives about this activity except that the 2-km drive ends too soon.
LAKE AKAN ICE FESTIVAL. Just a five-minute walk from our hotel, Hotel Akanko-So was the venue for Lake Akan Ice Festival where tourists and locals can celebrate the cold in the middle of the frozen landscape complete with fuyu-hanabi, or winter fireworks display. There are several highly Instagrammable installations like the one which shows the temperature in a heart shaped-ice sculpture, and a small shrine, among others. There’s also a mini ice hockey game, and you can even try sawing ice. HIGH: Its free, they give out hot milk and if you arrive early, you can try all the activities at the venue ahead of the crowd. Where else could you watch an amazing fireworks display amid the frozen backdrop?
WHOAs: It can get very very very cold so don’t be ashamed to pile on all those layers—get those thick gloves out, the scarves, neckwear, bonnet and you can even borrow an oversized windbreaker from the hotel.
DAY 3
BIRD WATCHING. The Japanese crane or tancho (featured on JAL’s logo) is the national bird of Japan and symbolizes longevity, luck and happiness. These birds are mostly found in the Hokkaido region and were it not for the efforts of the Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary, it would have become extinct decades ago. HIGH: Head over to the information center to learn more about the Japanese crane and their preservation. There is also a souvenir shop from which the proceeds help run this crane sanctuary. WHOA: There isn’t really much to do besides take photos and the front of the fence is usually packed with all these photographers and their gear.
IKEDA WINE CASTLE/MUSEUM. Although it’s really not a castle and the museum part is just some old barrels of wine in the lower floor, this was where we got the chance to sample rum ice cream, free wine tasting and have our steak lunch. HIGH: Although the steak is just a single-serve, there is a buffet of side dishes, vegetables and soup. You can also have all the drinks you want but dessert isn’t included. Good thing you can head over to the shop and get your soft served ice cream—which is a must-try in Hokkaido. WHOA: Price is around P2,000 for each. Just make sure to let them know how you like your steak cooked because I think they usually serve it medium rare.
ICE, ICE VILLAGE. If driving the snowmobile and drift ice walking were my favorite activities, this Ice Village was hands down the best destination of our entire trip.
Located 90 km from Ikeda (or 150 m away from Sapporo) the Hoshino Resort Tomamu is an upscale ski resort where you can find this ice town and enjoy a fantastical and magical experience of snow—just make sure to bundle up, since temperatures can go as low as minus 30 degrees Celcius.
Open from December to March, you can enter the Ice Village for just ¥500. It features several different “igloos,” including a cafe that sells ice cream and bingsu, and a library with actual books you can read, a fireplace in one corner, as well as seats, tables and shelves—all of which (except for the books) are made entirely out of ice. There is also an Ice Bar that serves more than 50 cocktails, all in ice glasses; and shops that sell winter jackets and souvenir items. And if you’re feeling romantic, the ice chapel is the perfect place to propose or even tie the knot. The Ice Village wouldn’t be complete without the Ice Hotel that you can rent and spend the night in. It has a living room, sofa, sunbathing chairs and, of course, a completely furnished bedroom all made of ice. HIGHS: If you’re going to ask me one reason to go to Hokkaido in the winter, this is it. Make sure to drop by the Church on the Water (if it is open) and try the buffet dinner in Nininupuri, a restaurant in the middle of Tomamu forest. WHOA: If you plan on spending the night at the nearby hotels, be ready to spend at least ¥40,000 for a room.
We spent our last day in Tokyo, but unfortunately we were only given a few hours which I spent mostly at Don Quixote and Uniqlo GU to shop for pasalubong. Definitely need to come back to Shinjuku and explore this shopping and entertainment district and get a photo at Shibuya crossing.
Japan Airlines now flies from Manila to Tokyo via Haneda, with the earliest morning arrival allowing travelers to easily connect with other flights throughout JAL’s domestic network. For information, visit www.ph.jal.co.jp or www.jal.co.jp. Arigato gozaimasu!
Now that you have an idea of the best places to visit and how to prepare yourself for a winter trip to Japan, as promised I’m also going to share a few tips I learned on how to make sure that your smartphone and your photos (don’t forget to back it up on the cloud) survive the freezing cold.
HOW TO WINTERPROOF YOUR SMARTPHONE
WE all know that extreme temperatures can do massive damage on your phones, but since there’s no sense in doing any of these activities without having photo evidence, here are some tips to make sure your smartphone still functions during those most Instagrammable moments.
Get a real protective case. Yes, your phone will get thicker, but traveling with a protective case will protect your precious phone from accidental drops (it will happen!) should you slip or slide while walking in the snow.
Keep them warm. When temperatures are below zero, don’t keep your phone exposed all the time. Keep it inside your pocket when not in use, or better put it inside a pouch as your pockets can also be damp from the cold.
Keep it fully charged always: Battery drain is a common side effect of cold weather. Make sure that your phone is fully charged before heading out into freezing temperatures to combat the possible rapid decrease of battery power. It’s also best to bring a backup power source, like a powerbank for those emergencies.
Don’t panic if your phone shuts down: Should your phone shut off by itself, do not restart it immediately as it might even lead to more damage. Instead, keep it in a warm place (like your pocket or bag) and let it warm up for a few minutes before turning it on again.
Turn it off. In really freezing temperatures, like the time we went ice walking, it’s best to just turn your phone off than let it shut down because of the cold. Our guide kept his phone wrapped inside his dry suit and only turned it on when it was time to take our photos and it worked.