Nijukkendouro

Nijukkendouro is noted for cherry blossoms. 

It is said that it was originally constructed as a royal pilgrimage road to inspect the ranch of the Imperial Household Ministry, which used to be in this area.

Ezoyama cherry  after spending their years from 1916, he transplanted  the neighboring mountains.

 At that time, the width of the road on the left and right was exactly twenty meters (about thirty-six meters), so it came to be called the twenty-meter road.
Nijukkendouro has over two thousand cherry blossoms now. 
Also, it is famous among a lot of visitors now.

Shizunai Cherry Blossom Festival

It is held during Golden Week from late April to early May every year.

Many people visit from all over the Japan every year.

Among the many cherry blossom viewing spots in Hokkaido such as Goryokaku and Maruyama Park, it is a particularly popular place.

During the festival, a special bus runs, and things are played at the venue.

In addition, the VIP houses and Ryuunkaku built in the Meiji period are open to the public. These are not usually open to the public.

<Recommended souvenirs>

There are many sweets related to cherry blossoms and specialties of Hidaka Town.

1.     Shizunai Sakura Yokan                 

2.  Sakuraba Manzyuu

3. Ginsei salmon                                                       

4.  Salmon roe

Shinhidaka city       

Nijukkandouro is in Shinhidaka city, so I will explain about Shinhidaka city.

Basic information

The population of Shinhidaka city is about twenty thousand, and the town flower is Ezoyamatutuji. Also, the town wood is Ezoyamazakura.

Shinidaka city is famous for cows and kelp.

Shinhidaka kelp is famous as a souvenir. Also, cows in Shinhidaka eat Hidaka kelp, so they are called Kobegyu.

Kobegyu

Hidaka kombu

 

I think Shinhidaka city is worth visiting city because if you go there, you can enjoy eating both delicious meat and seafood so let’s go Shinhidaka city right now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My recommended sweets in Hokkaido

 Hello, everybody! My name is Tomoyoshi Kanai.

Today, I am going to introduce three sweets I really love. I lived in Tokyo, so when I came to Hokkaido from Tokyo, I always bought what I am about to introduce.

 

1. Anbatasan (あんバタサン)

                         

This is “Anbatasan”. Have you ever eaten it before? I knew it because the main character ate it in my favorite drama on TV. It is a cookie sandwich with cream with red bean paste. This cookie is not too hard but it is crunchy. The cream also is not too sweet and very easy to eat. You should eat it when you want to eat something light. It is 600yen for a package of four.

 

2. Red Sairo(赤いサイロ)

                 

This is “red sairo” from the Seigetsu company in Kitami. Maybe you have already heard this name of cake. Do you know why? Because a member of the curling team, Loco Solare, ate it between matches in the Olympic games. At that time, this cake became so explosively popular that some people could not buy it. It is cheese cake. It is not large, so you can eat it by yourself. It tastes so rich and great! It is 840 yen for five packages. I think you will like it!

 

3.Haskap　Jewelry(ハスカップジュエリー)

      

This is “haskap jewelry”. It is my most favorite sweets. It is a cake with haskap jam sandwiched between cookies. In addition, it's coated with chocolate all around. Haskap is a specialty fruit in Hokkaido. It is refreshing and has a sweet taste. The　dough is so crunchy. Moreover, as you can see in the picture, there is a white chocolate version. It started about 44 years ago. Many people have loved it for a long time. It is 1110 yen for 6 pieces You should eat it as a reward.

 

 

Thank you for reading!

Hokkaido-only chain stores

Hi everyone!! We are Happy Puppies!!
Today, we are introducing Hokkaido-only chain stores.

The first is Miyoshino this is a gyoza shop!!

History:
In 1967, the first store, Miyoshino Sanjo store, opened near Tanukikoji, Sapporo. At that time, only-gyoza restaurants were rare. Ten years later, in 1977, curry and gyoza, which is now popular, went on sale! Miyoshino has now become a popular store with about 25 stores in Hokkaido, mainly in Sapporo!

Characteristics:
Miyoshino's gyoza are characterized by their thin, crispy skin. The taste of the ingredients stands out very much! And most of all, the price is good for students and families. And at Miyoshino, candy is given as a service at the time of payment. It was originally a gum service, but it has changed to candy in the last 20 years or so.
There is good news for those who don't have Miyoshino's store nearby!
Actually, Miyoshino's gyoza are also sold at supermarkets. It's easy to cook at home, and they taste good! Please try them :)

[writer: Konoha]


The second is Donguri!!

Donguri is a popular bakery in Sapporo.
Chikuwa bread is the most famous bread in this bakery. Do you know it?

There are currently 11 stores in Sapporo. Original bread is served at each store.
A wide variety of bread made from Hokkaido wheat is loved by local people.

Recommended store:
Of the 11 stores, I recommend the Oasa store.

It is easy to reach by car as the parking lot is large and faces a large street.
The warm atmosphere of the wooden structure, the eat-in space where you can relax, and the original bread of this store is the reason why I chose it.

Pizza is only sold here. You can eat it for 500 yen. It tastes authentic!
I want you to eat it in the eat-in space.

Recommended bread:



My reccomendation is “bacon and egg”.
The characteristic of Japanese bread is that it is soft and contains side dishes in the bread.
I think “bacon and egg” is an example of Japanese style.
Besides this, there are also sweet breads, such as anpan and melon bread.
There are many other types of food, so you will surely find your favorite.
Paste the menu below.
https://www.donguri-bake.co.jp/products/
The good thing about bakeries is that you can eat freshly baked bread unlike convenience stores and supermarkets. Donguri is a popular bakery, so freshly baked bread is served one after another.
The atomosphere, taste and price are all wonderful! Please check it out!

[writer: Shota]


The third is LeTAO!!

The year 1998: Opened at Melhen intersection in Otaru.

Now: It also has stores in Sapporo and New Chitose Airport, and is a popular place to buy souvenirs from Otaru and Hokkaido.

Origin of the name:
The shop was named “LeTAO” from the initials of the French word “La Tour Amitié Otaru”meaning of “Dear Otaru’s tower”. Also the name is able to be read Otaru from the bottom in Japanese.

History:
At first they specialized in chocolates, but then started to make a lot of sweets. Out of those, a cheesecake called “Double Fromage”soon became popular. Although it was a raw cake that was sold at store front only, many people who lived out of Hokkaido requested it to send to their homes, for this reason, the development of the technology to freeze Double Fromage was created in order to meet customer needs. Because the frozen cakes almost lose their taste when they are defrosted, staff had to review the ingredients and process. Surprisingly, it took three years until the frozen cake was finished! It’s so long!

Information:
There are six stores in Otaru alone, and the attraction is that each store has a different product and different view. Some of them also have cafes, and there are many products that you can only buy there. The main building has an all-you-can-eat event once a month, but it is so popular that it has a lottery system.

[writer: Asao]


Thank you for reading!!

Otaru

Hi everyone!! We are Happy Puppies!!

Today, we are introducing Otaru.

The first is Mt. Tengu!!

Mt.Tengu is 532.4 meters high, and it's the symbolic mountain of Otaru.

Mt. Tengu in summer:

In summer, we can ride the ropeway. We can see a beautiful panorama from the ropeway. Especially, the night view of Otaru from Mt. Tengu is wonderful!! The night view of Otaru is one of the three major night views in Hokkaido.

And we can climb in summer. There is the normal course and the Jizo course. There are a lot of Jizo along the road. There are many trees and it's a cool course, so why don't you go there?

    

Mt. Tengu in winter:

In winter, we can ski. There are 5 courses. It's a ski resort that can be enjoyed by beginners and advanced skiers! I skied with my grandfather when I was a child. I remember having a lot of fun!

[Writer: Konoha]

The second is Sakaimachi-dori!!

Where is it?

Sakaimachi-dori is located in Otaru, It’s very close to the Otaru canal and it takes fifteen minutes on foot from Otaru station. It’s the representative tourist destination of Otaru. The length of the street is about 900 meters, and there are about 90 shops!

Normally about 8 million tourists visit a year, but in 2020, it fell to 2.6 million because of the Covid-19. Because Otaru is my beloved home town so I hope more people will go there, if you are interested in this blog, please visit there!

 

The Attractiveness of Sakaimachi-dori:

 

1.     Great landscape

In Otaru, efforts are being made to preserve historic buildings. Those buildings are reused as shops at present. Since many of the buildings are from the Meiji period, the retro landscape is popular and attracts many tourists.

   

 

2.     Events

＝The festival of yukata and wind chime＝

This festival is held every summer in this street. Wind chimes made by professionals are lined up in rows, and you can hear a variety of sounds, it makes you feel so happy!

If you visit there put on a yukata, you can join the drawing lots and get a discount at the shops in the street. Also, a yukata contest is held every year and the people who win a prize can get luxury goods! The people who don’t wear a yukata also can enjoy the festival because there are many events, for example, a fast-eating competition and bingo.

   

＝Halloween＝

This was the event that held last year, and started with the hope that children who can’t go outside due to the Covid-19 would be able to have a little fun and it would brighten up their day. There were many events, for example, a costume contest, a mission games, live bands and a zombie walk. It sounds great! Also there was some special food at helloween.

 

My favorite shop:

“Music box hall”, it is my favorite one in the street. What a romantic atmosphere! It’s one of Japan’s largest music box stores, and they have more than 80,000 music boxes. They sell glass, wood, pottery music boxes, merry-go-rounds, stuffed toys, and other unique music boxes. Also you can make an original music box.

 

[Writer: Asao]

 

The third is the Otaru canal!!

Did you know that Otaru had a population that surpassed Sapporo for a while?

It developed as a commercial city and supported it by transporting coal from all over Hokkaido, trading with other countries such as Russia, and fishing for herring.

However, Japan lost Karafuto (Sakhalin) in World War Ⅱ, shifted from coal to oil in the Energy Revolution, and overcaught herring and ended the role of the canal.

After that, the debate over whether to keep the Otaru Canal or not continued for more than a dozen years. Ironically, the name “Otaru Canal” was known all over Japan at this time.

They ended up leaving it, and there are still old-fashioned stone warehouses lined up along the waterways.

The attraction is the beautiful scenery of good old, nostalgic canal buildings. The Otaru Canal in summer, with its beautiful blue sky and greenery, is a tribute to when it once prospered. The Otaru Canal in winter, where the light of the gas lamp shines white snow, is somewhat sad. You can feel the prosperity and decline of Otaru City. It’s a fascinating spot, full of historical value!

 

The total length of the Otaru Canal is 1,140 meters, and the stone warehouses along the canal have been left as they were at that time and are being reused for restaurants. I want you to take a photo that looks nice while walking slowly.

[Writer: Shota]

Thank you for reading!!