So I recently did a very large trip around Hokkaido, basically circumnavigating the entire island by car. I’m a Tokyoite of 17 years, so there were a few things about Hokkaido that stood out to me, and I’m curious if anyone has genuine insight into any of my observations:
1. ***SeicoMart + ワイン***. SeicoMarts advertise “ワイン” specifically on their exterior signage. Is there a historical or Hokkaido-specific reason for this? (in contrast to other conbini that advertise 酒). Further reinforced by SeicoMarts always having a dedicated wine & sparking wine fridge. Is Hokkaido just all about their bubbly?
2. ***Speed cameras.*** From what I can tell there are a good number of speed cameras around Hokkaido, however according to my NaviTime app (which up until now has reliably noted locations of speed cameras everywhere I drive), there are many cameras that look *exactly* speed cameras (the ones up on poles), but aren’t listed as such on the app. Furthermore there are rarely – if ever – warning signs about upcoming speed cameras (at least like I see in Tokyo). That includes actual speed cameras that both existed on my app, and IRL. Are these just dummy cameras to scare people or what?
3. ***Driving habits.*** Hokkaido’s roads are a freak of Japanese nature; so many are just straight as arrows, sometimes going on for dozens of kms. However I saw some of the absolute worst driving habits I’ve come across in Japan up there. I would say 50% of the cars I encountered struggled to drive a straight line, on a straight road. Meanwhile on *at least* half a dozen occasions I saw people take right-hand turns from the straight-thru lane, despite there being a dedicated right-hand turn lane. My only working theory is that roads are generally so empty that it’s just a case of “who cares”. If there’s rarely anyone around, why stick to the rules?
3. ***Parking habits.*** Front first. Always. With almost zero exceptions. Stores, conbini, parking spots – front first baby. Is there a reason for this? It’s generally accepted that reversing into a spot is the overall safer approach, as it gives you the best visibility when you inevitably have to pull out. Somehow I feel like this is to do with winter/snow… but can’t put my finger on it.
5. ***Kitaca IC card.*** I just always wanted one of those Kitaca IC cards for the flying squirrel, but then discovered that they can only be bought/used/charged in a TINY area of Hokkaido. ***edit 1:*** *Clarifying that I’m saying within Hokkaido, Kitaca can only be used within a small area, meanwhile that same card can be used almost anywhere else in Japan*. Buh? There are trains all over the island, but somehow these cards can only be used in and around Sapporo. Ironic that their JR IC card can be used all over Japan’s other islands, but only a small part of Hokkaido where it originates. I mean, there are other Hokkaido-specific IC cards that can be used on those train lines – so do they just hate JR? Everywhere else in Japan you can use Suica etc on almost any other company’s train line – what gives with Hokkaido?
***edit 2:*** *Oh here’s one more observation that just popped in to my head!*
6. ***Headlight flash warning for cops.*** Admittedly this only happened once, but it genuinely surprised me. Driving along as I pass a car coming the opposite way, the old fella driving gives me the hi-beam flash warning (which at least in NZ where I come from, means “watch out for the po-po”). And sure enough, 2km down the road was a sneaky cop car hiding in some bushes, waiting to pounce. In my 17 years of driving Honshu I have ***never*** seen this behaviour – and I chalked it up to something that just wasn’t done in Japan. Perhaps it *is* practiced on the mainland too and I’ve just never lucky enough to see it? Or perhaps it’s just done very infrequently? Either way, old mate was a total bro, and left me feeling that Hokkaido was way more friendly.
Any genuine answers, or even good theories welcome!
6 comments
This was a pretty funny insight into things. I have no objectively accurate or correct answers here in the fucking slightest, but I never let that stop me before so why stop now. Here’s a *stab* at things to get things started.
1. Hokkaido grows a lot of grapes for wine and the like, and is considered (by fuck knows who though) a “wine growing region”. They’re quite proud of it. We don’t have the heart to tell them it’s mostly horse-piss. Seicomart is born-in-Hokkaido as all fuck, so it’s likely just on that bandwagon.
2. You know what? I’ve never stopped to think about this – they’re definitely announced on the highways with the signs, and there *are* cops out with their portable speed traps to watch for.
3. Pretty much spot on. Necessity is the mother of invention and there’s not much in the way of necessity. It’s also hard to steer with your knees when consuming all that Hokkaido wine, you know?
4. You’ve gone native, and like other Mainlanders have a hard-on for backing in – it’s always been a head scratcher for me. I’m originally from NZ where, similarly to Hokkaido, there’s not much traffic and you kinda just do *whatevs*. When driving in those more populated places these rules of backing in seem to be more strongly encouraged – as I’m guessing backing out into heavier traffic is probably more dangerous and the lesser of two evils of slowing down the flow by backing IN to carspots.
Is it something to do with the snow? I’d say so? Backing is a precision manoeuvre – which is way harder to do in snow. So saving that for *leaving* a spot (where presumably you’re moving into a space where there aren’t cars right up next to you) is safter than forcing people to thread the needle in back on a sheet of fucking ice. It IS easier to just inch forward into a snowy spot than back in. And with less traffic to back out in to…that’s *likely* it???
5. Kitaca can be USED nationwide just like any other IC card. No issues there. Same with charging.
I’m not sure who told you otherwise, but they were probably a little Wine-d up. Do excuse them. It’s sold only locally like….all that other 名産 stuff. That’s just how it is, and I’m sure you don’t take offence at that.
My guess is that you’re confusing the whole “Can’t ride between IC districts” thing that some (all?) IC cards have. Like if you’re in the Suica area and you ride into the Manaca area you will encounter issues.
But if you get on in a region and stay within that region, it’ll work just like any other IC card.
Edit: Yeah, I found the web page and can [see the confusion.](https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/ticket/kitaca/kitaca02.html) It’s not clear at all and COULD be interpreted as only working in the Sapporo area. Not the case. Just don’t ride from, say, Sapporo up to Wakkanai and use it, and you’d be fine.
Not sure why, but Seicomart has always had a decent wine section, for a convenience store.
As for driving, Sapporo drivers are good to cyclists. I was cycling in Chitose the other day and the drivers were noticably less patient with cyclists.
There are no longer any fixed speed cameras in Hokkaido except for one on the Doo expressway heading toward Asahikawa between Ebetsu and Iwamizawa. The old system they used on national highways started breaking down and the manufacturer no longer supported it. The cameras you saw were probably traffic management cameras or “Nシステム” which are automated licence plate readers for tracking people/criminals.
Instead of fixed speed cameras Hokkaido police now use portable cameras that can pop-up anywhere and anytime.
Not a Hokkaido expert but a frequent traveller there.
1. Secoma or Seikoma as the natives like to call it, was originaly a liquor store. They have strong ties to distributors and even have a dedicated wine storage facility. Why the focus on wines? I’m not sure, but Hokkaido does have a somewhat thriving wine industry and Secoma is just doing their part. But Sekoma has always been promoting wines in general and they often sales and campaigns pushing wines from around the world. (They’re generally cheap supermarket wines and not really for experienced drinkers.)
2. Hokkaido changed their ORBIS system recently (last year?) and have changed over from radar to a new laser system. The ones you’re seeing or not picking up are probably the old ones that have yet to be removed.
3. No comment. Haven’t really noticed that many more bad drivers than in other areas.
4. Although there are more cars parking head first, I certainly wouldn’t say there aren’t many that don’t back in especially in ciites like Sapporo.
5. Although I don’t have a Kitaca, they certainly can be used anywhere in Japan that complies with the ic transportation network system.
2 and 3. Didn’t see any outside of the cities. I grew up in North Jersey so didn’t think anything about driving all over but I wasn’t near Sapporo.
3. Can’t compare to down in Honshu, but compared to my experience in America, drivers here for the most part are really good. My biggest complaint would be 3-4 cars that go through after the light has turned red. Eastern Hokkaido is a bit different though. Lots of very fast drivers who tailgate and pass on turns. Obihiro is especially bad. Whenever I see Obihiro plates i know they about to do some crazy shit.
4. I’m in the Sapporo area but drive around Hokkaido a lot. Only time I’ve seen front parking is at convenience stores, otherwise people always back in. Winter time you might see more front but I don’t think it changes much.
6. I never thought about it. I learned to do it back home, and people have always done it since I’ve been here. The one habit that I picked up here is flashing your hazards very briefly to say “thanks”.