Today we transited from Tokyo to the northern island of Hokkaido. We departed the capsule hotel at 10:20am and took the subway to the domestic airport (Haneda) which took about an hour. Once at the airport we checked in and ate some lunch (which was not bad, and not too expensive) before boarding our flight at around 1pm.
Arrival in Sapporo | On the bus to Hiraku
The flight took about two hours and we landed without incident. The ascent into Sapporo afforded us a unique view as the plane (767) was equipped with a nose camera and we watched as the pilot effortlessly touched down. Sapporo has been covered with a thick coating of fine white powder snow, and the landscape is sublime.
We located the bus to Hirafu, and boarded the 3:30pm coach. The journey took three hours, with a short rest stop on the way. The little village is literally nestled on the snow fields, the place is more like a cosy hamlet with a small, but decent size community. We arrived at 6:30pm and the chalet we’re staying in picked us up.
Rest stop area | Dinner with Pizza
As we arrived, we stowed our gear and then were met at the front by a shuttle to the ski hire place, where we were driven up to hire our snow gear. Once we’d returned we dropped our gear and headed up for an evening of pizza and beer. We’re almost ready to turn in for the night!
Tomorrow brings the pain! Check back!