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Friday, February 03, 2012

Mt. Moiwa (藻岩山)| Sapporo

Mt. Moiwa (531m) is one of the famous sightseeing spots in Sapporo! Let's go to the top of the mountain by ropeway and cable car!

This is Sanroku  (mountain foot) station! Here we go!

How beautiful the landscape from the station! The higher we climb the mountain, the more beautiful the cityscape become!

In order to go up to the top, first take a ropeway and then a mini-cable car like this↓

All the facilities on the mountain including this ropeway completed to be renovated on the 23rd of Dec., 2011. We were so excited with this new vehicle!

How smooth the ride is! (We felt great Japanese technology!!!)
Look at the city! We were so excited!

The white dagoba on the mountainside, which Sapporo citizens are very familiar with, holds Buddha's ashes.

This is Chufuku station.
It takes only about 5 minuets from Sanroku station to this area.

The facility has a souvenir shop and

we can buy (or see) special goods such as sweets and socks with Morris (a mascot of this mountain)↓, which are available only at this shop, and

popular Hokkaido snacks and drinks like this↓

On the second floor, there is an art gallery and

we can enjoy art works like this↓

Yes, this mountain is blessed with nature and we can easily encounter red squirrels. Morris, the mascot here, is named after this squirrel.

As the weather is perfect, we could fully enjoy the beautiful views from Chufuku station.

How wonderful the trees with snow are!

It takes 15 minutes to walk up to the mountain top from the station, but we took mini cable car named "Morris car (もーりすカー)" to the top, because all the new mountain facilities were renovated very recently and we wanted to experience all of them. Hahaha!

It takes only less than two minutes to the top!

Just for reference, this is "Morris Go (もーりす号)"↓
During the winter time only, we can use "Morris Go (もーりす号)", instead of "Morris car (もーりすカー)".

Exciting, isn't it?
We can feel snow on the carriage during 10-minute travel to the summit.

This is Sancho (mountain top) station!

The facility has a theater and we can enjoy planetarium, or 3D movies featruring Sapporo city or this mountain.

We've watched both of the 3D movies, which are free of charge and very informative! Wear the special glasses and enjoy the movies!

After the movies, the curtain and screen are rolled up and we can enjoy the scenery from the same room!

Let's go to the observatory on the top of this facility!
This is "Bell of Happiness"↓. Ring the bell and say a prayer!

Perfect weather!!!

We could see the Sea of Japan from the mountain!!!

Actually we could find all the famous places the panel introduces due to the ideal weather!

Everybody was also able to find the hotels they are staying near JR Sapporo station.

Toyohira river runs across this city like this↓

If you have time, please come here at night! The nigh view is so romantic that you must have a wonderful time here!

The sunset is also recommendable!!!

The facility has a recommendable restaurant, too!
This is "JEWELS"↓

We can enjoy the perfect views from every table!

This is the lunch menu. I really recommend pies here, which are very delicious!

They serve a lot of dishes using Hokkaido ingredients and we can fully enjoy Hokkaido from our tongue!

I ordered a B set.
Until the main dish comes, please enjoy the fantastic views from your table!

The staff here are so friendly that we can ask any questions about Sapporo to them.

How awesome! We can enjoy wonderful lunch and lovely view at the same time!

The lunch show will start soon!!

■Appetizer
It contains smoked chicken, salmon mousse, salad, raw ham, and pickles.
Yummy x 2!! I especially love this mousse. As I love it, I ordered extra bread and ate it on the bread! Hahaha!

■Seafood stew with pie
The pie on the top is very hot hot hot, fresh from the oven! Sounds yummy x 2, doesn't it??!

When I broke the delicious lid, the stew appeared!

The stew has seafood such as salmon and cod, and vegetables such as broccoli, carrot, pea, and cauliflower! I love it!

We can take out their delicious pies!

What should I choose????

Actually I picked up some for my family members! They must love their yummy pies!

The mountain view is more than perfect!

So romantic atmosphere!
I really recommend Mt. Moiwa!

There is a free shuttle bus service between Sanroku (mountain foot) station and the nearest streetcar station every 15 minutes.

Take a streetcar from Susukino or Nishi 4 chome, both of which are in the downtown area of Sapporo, and take off "Ropeway Iriguchi (ロープーウェイ入口)". The streetcars run every six minutes.


■Where is Mt. Moiwa? 

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Kinchan (欽ちゃん)| Horumon (Pork Guts) BBQ Restaurant | Sapporo

Today's my post is of the meat lovers, by the meat lovers, for the meat lovers! Hahaha!
If you want to enjoy BBQ at reasonable prices, I recommend "Kinchan (欽ちゃん)" near Tanuki koji 1 chome.

The izakaya is on the second floor! Let's go!!

Surprisingly, we have arrived here as the first costumers today! Lucky us! Usually after 6 o'clock a lot of horumon (pork guts) lovers flock to this popular BBQ restaurant!

I love BBQ on a charcoal stove♪

Cheers!

Look at the menu! They are sooooooooooooooooooooo reasonable!!!!

Have you ever heard kettle sake? This is sake in a kettle heated up on a charcoal stove after eating up meat and vegetables. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

They serve some unbelievably special pricing set menus, one of which includes three kinds of meat, a very large portion of cabbage, rice ball, and miso soup. Do you have any idea how much the set is?



A. It is only 1,380 yen! You must try it!!!

This is a message from the owner.

He said, "When he was a child, his father took him to a horumon BBQ restaurant in a mining town. As he grown up, he has never ever forgotten the wonderful taste and opened this izakaya.........."

■"Coal pit" horumon, or intestine
They use very fresh pork intestines and use special miso-based sauce.

Very juicy, delicious and inexpensive!!! How much is it? It is 290 yen only! Wow!

■Vegetable set (380 yen)
I also recommend okra for BBQ! Please try it!

■Heart and tongue set (400 yen)

I love this texture! Yummy x 2!! The marinated meat here are so delicious that we could drink like a fish♪

Don't forget their dumplings (480 yen), which are very appetizing!!!

Dipping sauce can be arranged by ourselves. We can mix their original sauce with red chili paste, garlic, and sesame.

■Beef ribs (600 yen)

They serve not only pork horumon but also lamb, chicken, beef, and "normal parts" of pork. The charcoal enhances the meat flavor and we cannot stop eating and drinking!

The cucumbers (280 yen) refreshes our month!

■Marucho or "inside-out pork intestines" (580 yen)
This is my favorite part. Pork intestines are turned inside out and cut them into chunks so that we can enjoy the juicy part fully!

See??? It looks wonderful, doesn't it? Yummy x 2!!!

■Yam (200 yen)
The izakaya serves a special local soy sauce named "shijimi say sauce" with yams, which is a little bit sweeter than normal soy sauce.

When yams are grilled, they become nice and soft

This is chochu and soda. I love yuzu cytrus flavor!

■Pork liver wrapped with crepine (380 yen)
This is perfect because I love both livers and crepine!!

Fire!!!!

Their pickles (380 yen) are also recommendable! We enjoyed this very homemade taste!

When we come here, we always eat ramen (290 yen) in closing!

Pan is placed on the charcoal stove and ramen noodles are warmed in the hot water!

Dip the noodles in the samen soup! Fantastic!

I really recommend this delicious and reasonable horumon izakara!!!!

■Where is "Kinchan (欽ちゃん)"?

View Larger Map


■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
I'll guide you! Plz click here!