It’s a long journey to meet them snow monkeys in Jigokudani Park. The Shinkansen ride took 1.5 hours from Tokyo to Nagano where a Snow Monkey Pass can be bought to cover the nearly one-hour bus trip and entrance fee to the park. That’s not bad but you need to walk from the bus stop to the park. Should have ordinarily taken about 30 minutes of walking 2kilometers but the narrow paths are slippery with last night’s snow. Icy by the time we got there and our rubber shoes are no longer good to go. We rented snow boots and finally started walking — for a good hour! No way you can go faster as we eyed the edge of the paths that showed drops I dare not even imagine. Here and there, we dropped to our knees as we slipped and our weights carried us down the paths. At one point, our hands “burned” as we slid hanging by the ropes. It was tempting to give up but having wasted 2.5 hours on a train and bus, we decided to wing it.
Lonely walk towards the park, Snow all around!
The hot springs serve as haven for these macaques during winter. The heat keeps them warm as they frolic between the mountain slopes and the pond. Never aggressive, but it’s wise to keep a distance. On a few occasions, a couple of macaques squirrelled past me. Every now and then, there’d be “quarrels” among them — I guess claiming their onsen spots — but nothing so dramatic, nor threatening. After a while, you get used to the snarling sounds. It’s just magical just watching them have a good time.
Almost there. Finally there.
The snow monkeys are having a good life here. An onsen life in the wilds. While we stood watching, Mama Monkey and her babies are soaking warm in the pond. The park sits close to many nearby onsens catering to humans. Same hot springs, I bet, but nothing beats how these snow monkeys are enjoying their own brand of onsen-dipping. The peace and quiet is only broken by camera shutters busily snapping shots, and humans doing what they do worst — being noisy. If these monkeys aren’t quarrelling, they just sit quietly with eyes closed, seemingly meditating. You can say they behave better in onsens than many humans. 🤣
These snow monkeys are having a good life. Mommy and Baby enjoying the onsen as Papa dozes.
I’m glad we came. It’s best visited in winter when the macaques are drawn to the hot springs. But I should have remembered to wear snow boots to keep me from slipping, and a beanie to keep my head and ears warm. Well, hard lessons learned. For those of you making plans to visit this winter, pay heed. So there.
This 2022 is a better year judging by how the pandemic woes have eased and how international borders have opened up. Soon after we returned from our Nile cruise early in 2020, we survived a lockdown which saw us cancelling as many as 3 international trips in 2020 and staying in for much of the time throughout 2020-21. Sad news from family and friends we haven’t, couldn’t visit reached us and all we could do was pray and try to stay healthy. My annual visits to my family in Sydney was put on hold until OZ borders opened up in February 2022. I wasted no time and secured a visa to visit Sydney last May 2022. Stayed a good 6 weeks and felt gratitude seeping in that our family is well and in good health.
La Familia. OZ Chapter. It was winter that mid year in Sydney. Lovely to bond with family again, especially since there are just 2 of us sisters in the original branch of the family.
Soon after, it was time to visit a niece now based in Guam. Renewed my US visa to visit this territory in the Northern Pacific and spent a month, thinking there isn’t much to do in this tiny island. I was prepared to get bored and promised not to whinge. Well, I must have done whatever there is to do in Guam from hotel staycations, duty-free shopping, watching a musical, binging on movies in the nearby cinema, trying Chamorro meals, driving and touring around the island, swimming and other water adventures. There were a number of family friends to meet up so there’s aplenty to do and catch up on. Besides, there was a birthday to celebrate!
A day excursion to Bikini IslandAnd a birthday to celebrate!
In between these visits, I made 2 domestic trips. One to holiday in Boracay with dear friends who are my extended family, and another to Cagayan de Oro in Southern Philippines to celebrate a friend’s retirement and birthday. My relationship with these extended families makes me feel so very thankful for their friendship and the bond that ties us forever. Their children are all my godchildren — from baptism to wedding — and our friendship counts decades with the younger members forging an equally strong bond among themselves. This relationship will last beyond our lifetimes!
And then there’s our Fukuoka trip this last month of the year. Not our first time to Kyushu Island in the southern part of Japan, but we were just too eager to travel again as a group. Who cared who was guiding us or where we were going? Destinations hardly mattered. There were just 3 major sights: a garden in autumn foliage, an active volcano and a gorge, and a canal cruise. And onsens and kaiseki in between. Enough. In the company of these travel buddies, we’re good. Fun as always. More fond memories. We are blessed.
Typically, I prefer independent travels. But when you’re a big group, and with bebes, escorted tours suit best. We had a big bus for our group, and kaiseki meals were pre-arranged and looked forward to. As expected, we had what the area offers fresh and best. We may have issues with our Japanese guide on communication and all, but the food department is nothing to complain about. What a relief!
All 9 courses for our first kaiseki. That Aso beef!
In Arden Hotel Aso, we had 2 kaiseki dinners. We grilled our Aso beef the first time, and had it shabu-shabu a second time. The 2nd kaiseki was more filling as we stepped out of the dining hall with our garments bursting at the seams. No wonder the yukatas are preferred wardrobes for this ritual! Wagyu fans can celebrate but in my book, that sea bream carpaccio is tops! Also, that was the best ebi tempura I’ve eaten. The batter is simply too good, way crispier than the usual.
Sea bream carpaccio Everything on this tray is GOOOOOD! Even the pickles.
When we visited Takachiho Gorge, we had a “simple lunch” in this tiny izakaya accessible through 3 flights of stairs. If your bladder bothers you, better do it before climbing up. But I thought the tray presented an attractive meal which we all enjoyed. After all, I was almost nearing my quota for Aso beef (or any beef) and craving for other proteins.
The “hut” lid covered the yummy dish. Cute! How do they do these eggs?
When we headed to Yanagawa, we lunched in this seafood place just before boarding our river boat. What a delight to see them fish out our lunch fresh from the water tanks! I confess I was hoping for an eel lunch but I’m not complaining about the fish we had.
It’s a rather flat no-name fish. Can you tell? I wouldn’t mind those clams and oysters too!
By the time we reached the city and on our own in the dining department, I knew what to eat. Those excursions exploring geological wonders hyped up my appetite for unagi (eels) and more shellfish. Found an unagi place and an oysters bar at the rooftop of Hakata Train Station. Well, on the top 2 floors actually. Cravings satisfied!
Unagi for my last lunch before flying out. Oysters, sardines and zucchini with prosciutto for our last dinner before heading home. Best with beer.
Not to forget, we did partake of that Ichiran ramen too. Not to be missed. You don’t leave Fukuoka without eating this noodle dish in this rich broth. Plus a wagyu lunch somewhere along the route deep down in the island of Kyushu. Sayonara!
When we reached Arden Hotel Aso in Minami-Aso, we didn’t have any high expectations. Lying in a village in Kyushu, Japan, the onsen hotel must have been neglected much throughout the pandemic judging by its peeling wall paint along the corridors. But its vast garden was well-kept and the resident rabbits look well-taken care of. The rooms are very clean though, and the food superb. The kitchen crew must have stayed along with the garden staff. This you can tell by the quality of its kaiseki dinners. As for the onsen and hot spring baths, we had the area nearly all to ourselves. A choice of indoor and outdoor onsen, as the mood dictates. Swell!
Arden Hotel AsoThe Garden is perfect for strolls and meditative breaks. Be prepared to meet the resident rabbits!
In winter, it’s agonizing to decide whether to try the outdoor onsen and hot spring baths or to simply check out the indoor onsen. Just walking from the hotel in yukatas to the spas within the complex — a very short walk, actually — can be an ordeal because of the freezing weather. But the indoor onsen is far from being a poor choice. My only complaint is that I could hardly tolerate the hot temps as I dipped in. That is why the outdoor onsen makes so much sense!
No cams allowed inside so these are photos from the hotel website.
We all enjoyed the onsen prior to dinners and breakfasts while we were here. And in the afternoons soon after our day excursions, the gardens provided some perfect breaks for meditation or just me-times. Our spacious rooms looked out to these gardens and the autumn foliage added much to the garden’s charm. In spring and summer, these gardens seem perfect for weddings. I can imagine round tables littering the beautiful rock garden, the food and cocktails served under the maple trees, a string quartet just around the garden rocks and many rabbits jumping around the lawn.
These are the covered corridors towards the outdoor onsen. Used by both humans and rabbits. Cocktails in spring/summer temps should be good here. This looks out to the garden.
And yes, I mentioned kaiseki dinners. The breakfasts were good too! If one’s skipping the day excursions, staying in for these meals could even be a treat! Our first was topped by Aso beef, a kind of wagyu that may not be of the same quality as your Kobe or Matsusaka beef, but Aso comes from Akaushi cattle raised in this area. You’ve just got to try it!
Aso Beef is this omakase’s highlight! While the Aso beef shabu shabu is good, I was drawn more to the sea bream carpaccio here. And that tempura is really gooooooood!
Takachiho Gorge is one beautiful consequence of an ugly, devastating tragedy that occurred some 90,000 years ago. This natural beauty was formed when Mount Aso erupted, leaving volcanic basalt columns lining the narrow chasm cutting across the Gokase river. The river waters eroded the lava where the rock formation resembles the scales of a dragon and from where a 17- meter high Minainotaki waterfall further enhance this beauty in the Kyushu mountains.
Takachiho GorgeTakachiho Gorge
Mount Aso lies in the middle of the Kyushu Island in Southern Japan. It has five peaks of which Takadake is the massif’s tallest at 1,592 m (5,223 ft) in elevation. This is best viewed from the Mt. Aso National Park. Dotted with several craters, the Mount Aso caldera claims to be the largest in the world, spanning 25 kilometers in length and 18 kilometers in width. Laced with many trails, the area provides several hiking options. Interestingly, there are a few villages and towns within the caldera where one also finds Akaushi cattle and horses. Life here revolves around the Shinto Shrine where festivals are held to honor the volcano.
Aso CalderaA Shinto Shrine
While here, we witnessed a procession of sports cars driven by car aficionados. So many Porsches in a few minutes parked side by side near the Visitors Center. Couldn’t resist having a photo taken. Don’t judge us 🤣
My last trip with these travel buddies was in 2020, returning back home just a mere week before a lockdown was declared. The idea of traveling together again gave us a high and by the time we were ready to go, our number has grown to 23 adults, 4 teens and 2 babies. A whole bus of happy travelers. It didn’t matter much where we were headed but Japan has always been a good idea. Besides, our last trip to Fukuoka in 2017 had a different itinerary.
Our Growing “Family”
On this trip, the abuelas fussed over the bebes while the abuelos trained the teens how to drink smartly. Cocktail hours were longer and more adventurous as the group now includes an award-winning barista who concocted cocktail drinks for the senior, middle-aged and young adults. As always, we enjoyed the company, the private jokes, the food and the onsen. The autumn colors provide good visuals but then again, Japan is good no matter which season.
Da BoysDa Gels
The temps are dropping so we made sure to wrap ourselves good. The ryokan we are staying in now has an outdoor onsen and we made good use of that before our kaiseki dinner. Post dinner cocktails followed before we called it a night. It’d be a long next day with a long drive towards Takachiho Gorge plus a visit to a shrine where Shinto was born. So there. With the drop in temperature, wish us luck.
This is one trip packed with so much adventure. Judging by the itinerary, our giddiness was rightly justified. There was an element of fear especially for some adventures unfamiliar to us. Like winter sports. Like water sports. Make that ICE water sports. But here we are, still grinning from ear to ear, happy that we survived this trip without mishaps and with so many happy memories. This is our story.
And should you need a local tour operator for your Hokkaido trips, here’s one we’ve tried 3x and highly recommend. This coming from a satisfied customer.
Care for unlimitted lamb and unlimited beer? There are other jingisukan in Sapporo but what’s unlimited lamb without unlimited freshly-brewed Sapporo draft beer? Six types of draft beer at that! Housed right inside the red brick building with a towering chimney that was built in 1890 as a sugar factory before it became a malting plant (until 1963), it has since operated as the Sapporo Beer Garden. Dining here combines history, tradition and mugs and jugs and steins of good Sapporo beer.
Late February and the place still looks Christmas-y complete with a lighted pine tree. By itself, the red brick building is a tourist attraction. Genghis Khan (or jingisukan) is what they call that famed Hokkaido dish of lamb grilled on a dome-shaped metal skillet that drains off excess fat down to the side. A cube of fat is provided to grease the grill that somehow resembles the helmet of Mongolian warriors back when the preferred meat was lamb or mutton. The story goes that these warriors used to cook their meats using their helmets. The special sauce here has traces of apple and lemon, and goes perfectly well with the tender meat and an assortment of veggies.
I’m not a big fan of lamb and one jug of beer is all I can handle. But our boys were all happy diners. In fact, very serious diners. After all, the “unli” feature holds for only 100 minutes , so they were quick to grill their meats and just as quick to down their golden liquids. Yeah, stuff them good. Mow them down. Drink away! Cheers. Enjoy! 🍺🍺🍺
P.S. When they hand you a plastic bag, it’s a cue for you to take off your jackets, coats, gloves, mufflers, etc to stuff inside including your bag. Hopefully, the smell of grilled meat won’t reach them 😜
In the tiny village of Tsurui, we took a break from our everyday sashimi, sushi, sukiyaki, yakitori meals and settled for some home cooked non-Japanese midday meal. Nestled on a small hill, the tiny cottage was big enough to accommodate us 20 pax, but likely not more. The atmosphere was more Provençal than Oriental, def more sophisticated than your normal bar chow. We liked the place even before we even began to savour those starters.
How about a pet goat as your welcome mascot? Very friendly, very fine, smooth fur. Almost like that of a Labrador, except that he tried to eat my scarf 😂 The salad plate came with a quiche, some yam, mashed squash, homemade cheese, radish and the sweetest carrots! We ate every morsel. We tried nearly everything we found atop our table. Every dip, sauce, oils, dressing, every condiment. You’d feel cheated not to try. The bread was served freshly-baked. The pizza just off the oven. I was full even before the main pork dish was served.
Walked out of the cottage for fresh, nippy air and some banter before heading back inside. It was all snow outside the cottage where a small kiosk stands behind a tree where hangs a birdhouse. Little details that set the mood. It must be pretty in spring here. Back inside, we settled for the last chapter of our lunch. The cheese and honey were a dream. And I couldn’t ask for a cup of better coffee to pair with a slice of the finest cheesecake. Using only ingredients sourced locally like the shiawase milk from Hishinuma Farm and the Tsurui natural cheese, that cheesecake is truly unforgettable. Well, if I must break away from Hokkaido’s fine seafood meals, this meal makes it a perfect break.
Trivia: Shiawase means happy! 😊
Our Travel Planner here in Hokkaido certainly knows her craft. Near that point where the finest seafood meals may seem repetitive and a tad cloying, she introduces this surprise break. Home cooked and elegant without seeming formal and stiff. It’s like we were welcomed to a local’s home. A local whose French parent made sure she can whip up French dishes with a slight Japanese touch. And that extends to the home decor.
My first encounter with a horse was a short ride around a park in our country’s summer capital. That horse was short, thin, and looked lazy and sad. Then I met Donnie, my friend’s retired racehorse which he used to breed more racehorses back in Dallas, Texas. I still remember how Donnie went galloping to meet us from the stable to the entrance of the stud farm. He reminded me of pet dogs eager to be cuddled by its masters. I was “properly introduced” to Donnie and my friend kept reminding him to be gentle as I mounted the retired racehorse. I was excited but a tad scared. But the experience changed my whole attitude towards these elegant animals.
📸 Megumi Takeda
📸 Megumi Takeda
Here in Ikoro Forest, we learned Camping 101. Oh ok, it’s really not hardcore camping. More like glamcamping 101. We met the friendliest horses and learned how to sap a maple tree for its syrup. The same syrup we used for the pancakes cooked in the open, crisp air of Hokkaido’s winter. A table of sliced fruits was set up, ready to be skewered with a twig to roast in an open fire, along with marshmallows. The coffee was boiling, and the big boys engaged in snowball games while the little boy built a snowman that’s really more like a bear. Still others tried chopping wood or carving little receptacles out of wood. All that in this winterland forest where temps rose just slightly higher than zero.
The time spent in Ikoro was just what we needed to “wind down” after all the adrenaline-pumping winter adventures we engaged in. The friendly horses 🐎 tempered our moods and the “back to basic” activities kept us amused in a low-key way. After all, it is not your everyday thing to go into a forest in the dead of winter. The staff we met here were so accommodating, eager to teach us basic camping skills without imposing. Chopping wood for the men; woodcarving and cooking for the ladies. The little boy can throw snowballs and sled!
Pancakes with Fruit Compote?
Families with small children should do this. We’re a mixed group of “milleniors” and enjoyed this camping experience. But I’m sure the youngest in our group had the best time. I loved the forest walk towards the horse farm. Such a delight to see horses eager to be pet. And those pancakes with fruits and marshmallows? Love it. This time being winter, we left just when the sun was prepping to set. The sun rays filtering through the bare forest trees should be any photography nut’s delight. I only have a phone cam but I’m quite happy for this memory keeper to remind me of this Hokkaido hangover. Truly, Hokkaido surprises all the time no matter how many visits you make.
And should you plan a trip here, try Hokkaido Treasure Island, Inc. We found this local operator and used them 3x — each time, our Travel Planner Megumi Takeda outdid herself. From 2 pax minimum to an entire squad. This is NOT a paid advert. Just a thumbs up from one satisfied customer. No, make that a bus-ful of happy customers! 😊
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