[Trip Report] 13 days in December (Tokyo, Sapporo)

Hello! Just flew back from Japan a couple days ago, ending my 5th trip overall. I have no words, my heart (and my stomach) is full, and I really can’t wait to be back next year.

For context, I’m a 24 year old dude from Southeast Asia, travelling solo, can read and speak a bit of Japanese. I was able to do most of the things I wanted to do in Tokyo, unfortunately can’t say the same for Sapporo.

I posted my itinerary a couple of months ago [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/y8c4ak/itinerary_check_13_days_in_december_tokyo_sapporo/). Was with a friend in Tokyo but outside of eating together a couple of times, we did our own thing.

Just transcribing a few notes I had when I was there, maybe it’d help somebody out.

**General:**

* For money, the ATMs are really handy with withdrawing yen. I particularly love 7/11 ATMs since you can withdraw ¥10,000 either as one big bill or broken down into 10 ¥1,000 bills
* Debit and Credit Cards are now more widely accepted in big stores, but cash is still king in most restaurants/stores.
* I used my Suica a LOT. Train fares, vending machines, konbini purchases, etc. It was incredibly convenient.
* A lot of the shops and attractions open up at either 10AM or 11AM, except for some restaurants that open earlier.
* Be prepared to walk. Each of my trips to Japan had me rack up an average of 20,000 steps daily, and this trip was no different. The Ultraboosts I had were perfect for all the walking I did. Incredible for weight loss, I lost like 2kg lol.
* Ate 2-3x a day with drinks and yakitori in the evening. Was consistently spending ~¥4,000 a day for that.

**Tokyo:**

* If landing in Narita, the Skyliner is incredibly fast and efficient. Before you know it you’ll be in Nippori/Ueno (or sadly, Narita’s International Terminal) already. Ordered my tickets off of Klook for $19 one way, which was cheaper than buying it at the ticket counter/machine.
* Most shops at Narita Airport close down at 5PM due to the pandemic.
* Ueno Park is a great place for a run or for people watching, was there nearly every morning to work out.
* Shimokitazawa is probably the coolest neighbourhood I’ve been to. So much roasters, restaurants, izakayas, second-hand clothes shops. The music scene is incredibly lively, too. Has a very nice local vibe.
* The walk to Meiji Jingu is quite a long distance, even from Harajuku Station.
* Golden Gai in Shinjuku is really nice for a night out, especially if you speak a bit of Japanese. Omoide Yokocho is also nearby and I found that the people there speak more English. The Japanese get really social and talkative after a couple of drinks, made many new friends from my nights out going to these areas.
* Stayed in Ueno and Asakusa. Both had good night life, but I will definitely stay in Shibuya or Shinjuku the next time I come back.
* If buying kitkats to bring back home, the mini ones in packs (11-12 pieces) in Ueno at Ameyoko are cheaper by ¥100 than at Don Quijote.

**Kamakura:**

* When anybody says that Kamakura needs at least two days, they’re right. I wish I listened. I promise to be back next year.
* Fujisawa is laid-back af.
* Hasedera Temple is amazing and well worth the fee to go inside. I paid for it using my Suica.
* If you surf, the water gets chilly this time of the year (I think it was around 14°C?). Tons of longboarders and a couple of people on SUPs. There’s shops that rent out boards and wetsuits. It was my first time surfing in another country and it was pretty awesome.
* The beach right outside Enoshima Aquarium, Katase Nishihama, gave me a core memory. Mount Fuji silhouetted in the distance while the sky turns from bright gold, to orange, to salmon to a muted gold during the sunset. I’m Filipino so I’m pretty spoiled with beautiful sunsets, but I think that was on par with any sunset I’ve seen here in the Philippines and the pictures and the words will never do it any justice. There’s a ton of shops and cafes, too. I just sat down there for a couple of hours, enjoying the weather with a couple of onigiris, a Chu-hi, and a bottle of Royal Milk Tea.

**Sapporo:**

* If the Japan Meteorological Agency puts out a warning for heavy snowfall, heed it. I looked like a yeti after 5 minutes out in the snow in Sapporo. A transparent umbrella from any konbini is cheap and it helps a ton. Just be aware that you might not be able to bring it back to your country without checking it in (which happened in my case).
* I stayed there for 4 days and I only saw the sun for a total of like 3 hours lol.
* The Sapporo Shiden (the Sapporo Streetcar, like the Muni in San Francisco) gets quite packed and the exit is at the front while you enter in the middle/near the rear. If you stop at the station and think you can’t get out in time, say “orimasu” (降ります) out loud to notify the driver (and others) that you’re getting off. Then keep saying sumimasen while you try to haul ass to the exit. If you don’t get out, you’re out of luck and you’ll have to walk a couple blocks more in the bitter cold to reach your destination.
* Mount Moiwa blew all my expectations away. I was up there at 4PM, just as it was getting dark, and it was magical at night.
* I bought the JR Sapporo-Noboribetsu Area Pass, which allowed me to have free round trip train rides on the JR Lines to Otaru, Noboribetsu, and New Chitose International Airport. With it you could also purchase a reserved seat online. They give you a postcard which you could post on social media with a certain hashtag. Once done, show it to the JR Information Desk and they’ll give you a free admission ticket to the JR Tower 38 Observatory above Sapporo Station with a voucher to a complimentary coffee and cake. Make sure to bring the papers they give you at the Information Desk.
* If you want to eat jingisukan at a well known restaurant, be prepared for to wait for a considerable bit (>30 minutes in some cases). I was lucky to wait less.
* Soup Curry is amazing
* There were a ton of people lining up what looked like a confectionery/pastry shop in the basement at Sapporo Station. I wonder what they were lining up for? I should’ve asked.
* If you aren’t wearing boots, there are shops that sell spikes that you can attach to your shoes. Still best to wear boots that are waterproof and comfy for walking around.
* Shiroi Koibito is a great snack to eat and bring back home, and they’re kinda cheap, too.

**Otaru**:

* Otaru had way heavier snowfall than Sapporo.
* Some shops in Otaru are closed on certain days, be sure to check out the details on that before you go. This also applies to some of the attractions — some were closed because of the weather
* The Nikka Distillery is nearby, and closes quite early in the afternoon. Guided tours are in Japanese only.
* The soft serve ice cream you can get anywhere is amazing. I appreciated them even if it was snowing and bitterly cold outside lol.
* The walk from Otaru Station to the Canals is about 10 minutes. Be prepared to trudge through the snow.
* Do not miss out on the seafood, it’s incredibly good but it is expensive (¥3000 was the cheapest bowl of unagi/sashimi that I found).

**Noboribetsu:**

* Noboribetsu is bitterly cold. Way colder than Sapporo and Otaru. If you’re visiting Jigokudani (Hell Valley), the wind chill will give you problems if you aren’t prepared although you could say that for most of Hokkaido.
* Most of the hiking trails are closed in winter.
* The onsens are amazing, for a fee you could go soak in them if doing a daytrip. Practically cured my eczema this way.
* Book reserved seats on the train going back. You’ll have seats going to Noboribetsu since the train starts in Sapporo Station, but the train going back is usually full with people coming in from Hakodate. If you don’t get a seat be prepared to stand for the hour long train ride going back.
* There were a ton of Chinese tourists in Hokkaido. You’d see them in groups of 10-30 all following around a tour guide with a flag or a sign, I thought it was adorable.

That’s pretty much it. Thanks for reading and I hope it helps somebody out!

Edit: typos