It is a beautiful day in Sapporo. Being on Hokkaido, the weather is more moderate than what we experienced on Honshu and that is just what we wanted. Today we want to get out and ride, explore some of the covered shopping areas and also visit the Sapporo Beer Museum.
We really enjoy these covered shopping areas as the variety of shops is amazing…everything from traditional shops to coffee shops, ice cream regular shops….it is all here. It is also a great gathering place for locals to go for a stroll.
Capsule toy shops are an interesting phenomenon which we see everywhere. They attract people of all ages. The nice thing is that you never finish empty handed…you are always rewarded with something.
We couldn’t find a place where we wanted to eat, so we went below ground to another shopping area. We are so glad we did as we found this Tonkatsu restaurant with food that was made from scratch by this fellow.
We both ordered the same set meal. It included miso soup, a yummy savoury custard with mushroom shoots and chives, pickled garnishes, a variety of tonkatsu and mochis for dessert.
The underground is a bustling place and the shopping and eating areas stretch in all directions. The subway is part of this underground shopping area. It is cooler down here in the summer and a welcome break from the heavy snow and cold of a Hokkaido winter.
Sometimes parking our trikes can be a challenge in shopping areas like this. Most people are on foot which means no cars or parking areas. When we first arrived he told us that we couldn’t park our trikes on the street and we felt badly as we could see he struggled with telling us this. In the end he found us and said it would be ok and that he would watch them for us. When we returned to our trikes, rushed over to give us an origami crane that he had made for us.
Our origami crane…we were touched by his kindness. His need to make us feel welcome is typical of our experience in Japan. I was reading that Japanese people never want to put you in an awkward position and as a result, they will never ask you a question in such a way that would require you to say no. In Japan, our experience interacting with locals is a lesson in consideration and civility.
This river runs through Sapporo. It is a very busy place as on both sides of the river there are walking and cycling paths as well as playing fields all along. We see groups playing soccer, ground golf, frisbees, baseball…
One can take a paid tour but we chose to tour on our own. It was well organized for non Japanese speaking visitors. Each exhibit had lamainated information in various languages, including English. The focus of the museum is on the history of the Sapporo brand of beer and how it grew to become loved around the world within the context of the history of the city’s history. The original building dates back to 1890. The first brewery in Japan was built here in Sapporo in 1876. Hokkaido's cooler weather was ideal for beer production.
This photo shows the Sapporo building when not under construction.
The Official Opening in 1876 shows beer barrels with the inscription “The production of barley and hop leads to an alcoholic drink called beer.” As well the photo shows the original brewery and staff.
Below are photos of the posters for Sapporo Beer that date back to 1910. Japanese Poster production became popular about this time. The posters, which were released annually attracted attention. Looking back over time, it is interesting to see how the world changes. For example, children depicted holding beer, the change of style of dress for women, etc.
At the end of the tour you can taste some Sapporo beer. Unlike most brewery tours, where the beer is complimentary, here you have to pay for the beer. The signage is clear…if you are riding a bicycle or driving a car, you will not be served beer, only non alcoholic beverages.
We spent some time at the Sapporo Beer Museum and Factory. It is quite impressive, very busy and free. We learned a great deal about Sapporo, the beer and the city. Barry read about a restaurant nearby, that has been around for a long time and makes traditional Japanese food. we’ll ride over for,some lunch.
As you can see, this restaurant dates back to the Showa Period, 1968. It must be good!
