Sapporo Heading South - Can't keep the Idiot Out

[Noel Mugavin]

Huge relief to get off this bridge and on to solid ground




Walk back to the hotel to check out and continue on my way. Able t get a closer look at some of the abandoned buildings

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Bit surreal walking past these abandoned buildings with the tune of edelweiss playing through the town's speakers.

















Restaurant from the night before

 

[Noel Mugavin]

When booking hotels, some are pre-paid and some are paid at the hotel. I don;t really keep much of a track on what hotel is what, if I'm asked for payment at a hotel on arrival I pay, if not, I assume I've already paid .
On arrival at this one, I wasn't asked for payment, so assumed I had pre-paid. On checkout, dropped the key off and walked out. Had a lady run after me with the bill, calling me to come back inside and pay. Little bit embarrassing for me, but no huge drama.
Walked to the station intending to take the train back to Shimo-Imaichi, however was a bus parked at the stop I scoped out the day previous. Quick confirmation with the driver that I was on the right bus and off we went, me being the only passenger.
Intention was to walk from Shimo-Imaichi to Imaichi, however a stroke of luck, the bus turned and headed to Imaichi Station. On getting off, the driver asked me if I had the right station, answer in the affirmative and off I went.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Transfer to the shinkansen at Utsunomiya Station.






Best konbini coffee out there

Made it to Tokyo Station, and relief to be able to walk without the threat of falling on my backside




Up to the Kitte building for an elevated view






Time to get back on foot, through the less visited Otemachi area

 

[billmurray]

Keep em coming

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Continued on my way to Ochanomizu Station, hoping to get some decent photos from an iconic spot








Time to get to the Yamonote Line and to Shinjuku, decided to walk to see what I could see


Walked through the area around Kanda Station






To Nihonbashi and the redevelopment in full swing. Diverted around the bridge due to works going on

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Walked to Tokyo Station, Yamanote to Shinjuku and again on foot to my hotel in Kabukicho

Eventually found the right APA. There's about 6 of them in close proximity to each other, but eventually worked it out.
Checked in, and despite being alerted when I sent my luggage from Yamagate that it may not get to Tokyo by the time I did due to the snow, it was there at check-in for me to collect



The room


The view


Bit of a rest, then out and about after the sun went down

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Dinner at CoCo Curry


A walk through Omoide Yokocho






Back into Shinjuku Station then to Ikebukuro Station for the transfer to the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the one stop to Shiinamachi Station for another photo spot




Up to the overpass


Like the spot, however all reports suggest the best photos at this spot are taken when it's raining

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Back to Ikebukuro and the Yamanote Line and on to Shimbashi

 

[Noel Mugavin]

I was just about done, 39 000 steps on the garmin, so back on the Yamanote and to Shinjuku

 

[Noel Mugavin]

An uneventful walk back to the hotel, highlight being a sizeable rat running across a girls foot in the group in front of me. Other than that, back to the hotel and another ticked off.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Crisp Monday morning as I made my way to Shinjuku station to drop off and forward my bag to my hotel to pick up on Wednesday



Sagawa have an storage/forwarding centre at the Tokyo Tourist Information Centre in Busta Shinjuku.


I had the previous day booked tickets for the 8.30 Kaiji train to Kawaguchiko, however changed my mind and wanted to go a little later. Fortunately had a JR Pass so was able to board a later train


Search for a coffee, not before I was stopped by a TV crew and an interview regards my trip in Japan. Able to converse in bits and pieces of Japanese, so a little bit proud of myself.



Redevelopment of the west side of Shinjuku Station, huge open space where the Odakyu Department store once stood


Reason why I wanted to leave later was to browse a few golf stores for a new driver. Had hit the sweet spot with the exchange rate, as well as the release of a new season;s driver the previous week. Result was, previous season;s driver were cut by more than half, and still about $400 cheaper than what they were in Australia.
Found what I wanted, earmarked for my return on Wednesday.
To the station and to the next Kaiji service. Conductor told me that the train was an all reserved affair, went to the ticket machine, unfortunately couldn't get another ticket as I had booked one the previous day.
No problems, just jumped on the train anyway. Turns out, each seat has a light above it, if it's green, all good to sit in it, red, no go (or vice versa)
Nice, comfortable train




First sighting of Fuji


Off at Otsuki and on to the Fujikyu line

 

[Noel Mugavin]

They certainly run with a theme










Local at one of the stations





Kawaguchiko Station

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Station from the front

Spot that was causing a hell of a lot of attention re badly behaved tourists a few months ago


Walk down to the lake and to my hotel

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

I thought they put up barriers so you couldn't take photos at that Lawson anymore??

Did you go to Fuji-Q?! It was without doubt the best amusement park I've ever been to.
Also Fujiyama Onsen has one of the most diverse range of bathing options I've ever seen.

 

[DC3]

I thought they put up barriers so you couldn't take photos at that Lawson anymore??

Yes, we want to see the big ugly screen that blocks out Mount Fuji, and not the photos that actually show beautiful Mount Fuji.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

I thought they put up barriers so you couldn't take photos at that Lawson anymore??

Did you go to Fuji-Q?! It was without doubt the best amusement park I've ever been to.
Also Fujiyama Onsen has one of the most diverse range of bathing options I've ever seen.

Barrier was taken down without much fanfare a few months ago

 

[rbjhan]

Ha I see you made the same mistake as I reading those lights....red light means available, green -> taken.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Ha I see you made the same mistake as I reading those lights....red light means available, green -> taken.

No mistake made at the time, mistake made in my recall 2 months later. Information posted on the seats telling what light meant what.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

When I planned my trip I included Kawaguchiko due to the snow covered winter wonderland I experienced in my first trip to Japan in 2016.
Alas, not so much in 2025


Compared to same time 2016





Hotel in the distance


There's going to be a lot of shots of Fuji




Still a little bit of time before I could check in, so a stop at a baseball batting cage a couple of hundred metres from the hotel. Not much success with the horizontal strokes, so a couple of steps back and started punching back foot drives through the covers. Hit them well, little Japanese kid watching was a little bewildered.
Time to head to the hotel and check in.
Another time lapse




The hotel