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A March Trip to Hokkaido: Work in Sapporo, Hakodate Towers, and My Daughter's Graduation Concert

Published 2026-03-08

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A March Trip to Hokkaido: Work in Sapporo, Hakodate Towers, and My Daughter's Graduation Concert

A work trip was taking me to Sapporo.

Since I was going all the way to Hokkaido, I also wanted to make some progress on the All-Japan Towers Federation stamp rally. Instead of stopping with Sapporo TV Tower, I decided to go all the way to Goryokaku Tower in Hakodate too.

My daughter’s brass band also had its graduation concert on the final day. Here is a look back at March 4 through 8, when I worked in Sapporo, made a side trip to Hakodate, enjoyed plenty of Hokkaido food and beer, and watched my daughter’s final elementary-school performance.

March 4: Arriving in Sapporo Early and Collecting a TV Tower Stamp
March 5: Work, Craft Beer, and a Final Bowl at Kifu
March 6: Zangi Between Meetings and Italian Food at Night
March 7: A Day Trip to Hakodate, Goryokaku Tower, and the Winter City
March 8: My Daughter’s Graduation Concert
Wrap-up

March 4: Arriving in Sapporo Early and Collecting a TV Tower Stamp

Grilled Corn Ramen at New Chitose Airport

I was able to start traveling that afternoon, so I went straight to Hokkaido a day early.

I arrived at New Chitose Airport in the evening. I was hungry, so I had grilled corn ramen at Ramen Sora in Hokkaido Ramen Dojo.

Grilled corn ramen topped with corn and nori at Ramen Sora — My first bowl after arriving in Hokkaido: grilled corn ramen

After moving on to Sapporo Station, I had a beer at BEER STAND SORACHI inside the ticket gates. I like being able to casually stop there in the middle of a trip.

A glass of SORACHI 1984 on the counter at BEER STAND SORACHI — SORACHI 1984 inside the Sapporo Station ticket gates

My First Stamp at Sapporo TV Tower

After checking in at the hotel, I headed to Sapporo TV Tower, one of the goals of this trip. I looked up at the tower illuminated at night, went up to the observation deck, and got my stamp.

Sapporo TV Tower illuminated beneath the night sky — Getting my stamp at Sapporo TV Tower at night

Odori Park at night viewed from the Sapporo TV Tower observation deck — Odori Park stretching straight into the night from the observation deck

After that, I went out for jingisukan, Hokkaido’s grilled mutton dish. It is hard to skip on my first night in Sapporo.

Back at the hotel, I had another can of the spring edition of Sapporo Classic. It is still delicious this year. From day one in Hokkaido, I made the most of the ramen, beer, and jingisukan.

Jingisukan grilling in a pan with onions and bean sprouts — Jingisukan on my first night in Hokkaido

A spring-edition can of Sapporo Classic on a hotel table — This year’s spring Classic was delicious too

March 5: Work, Craft Beer, and a Final Bowl at Kifu

I worked at the hotel in the morning and had a meeting with a client in the afternoon.

The meeting time was awkwardly placed, though. I missed my chance to eat and ended up skipping lunch.

That evening, I went to Tsuki to Taiyo BREWING Main Store and started with a craft beer. Then I met up with the client and went out drinking at two more places.

A craft beer on the counter at Tsuki to Taiyo BREWING Main Store — My first drink at Tsuki to Taiyo BREWING after skipping lunch

I finished the night with ramen at Sapporo Ramen Kifu Susukino. Since I had skipped lunch, that late-night bowl really hit the spot.

Ramen topped with a seasoned egg, chashu, and green onions at Sapporo Ramen Kifu — Kifu ramen to finish the night after drinking

March 6: Zangi Between Meetings and Italian Food at Night

I had meetings at client offices both in the morning and the afternoon that day.

For lunch, I planned to go to Soup Curry Hige Danshaku, but it was crowded, so I changed plans. I had a zangi set meal at Sumikushiyaki Nakanaka. Zangi is Hokkaido-style fried chicken.

The place had the unfussy feel of a neighborhood diner, and the food was just plain good. That kind of “just plain good” was exactly right for lunch between work meetings.

A set meal with several large pieces of zangi at Sumikushiyaki Nakanaka — The zangi set meal at Nakanaka after my change of plans

That evening, I went to Kushidori and then Otoko no Italian Yatai suEzou. I had a rich pasta dish and even stopped by a cigar shop afterward.

Pasta covered with tomato sauce and grated cheese at suEzou — Pasta at Otoko no Italian Yatai suEzou

March 7: A Day Trip to Hakodate, Goryokaku Tower, and the Winter City

An Early-Morning Limited Express from Sapporo to Hakodate

I went to Sapporo Station while it was still dark and boarded a limited express bound for Hakodate.

I was hungry, so I bought an ekiben, but there was much less food than its appearance suggested, and it was nowhere near enough. I had picked the kind that heats up with quicklime, which meant the container itself was large. I was completely fooled by its size.

A Limited Express Hokuto bound for Hakodate stopped at a Sapporo Station platform — Taking the Limited Express Hokuto from Sapporo Station to Hakodate

A Second Breakfast at Hakodate Morning Market

Once I arrived in Hakodate, breakfast came first. I had just eaten the ekiben, but it had not been enough, so there was no problem at all.

I had a seafood rice bowl at Hakodate Asaichi Bukkake.

A seafood rice bowl topped with shrimp, tuna, salmon roe, white fish, and other seafood at Hakodate Morning Market — The seafood rice bowl I needed after the ekiben came up short

Was the morning market always this polished?

I could not remember when I had last visited Hakodate. Eating at the morning market also felt like something I had not done in ages. Back when I lived in Hokkaido, the market was where I wandered around sampling crab.

Getting My Stamp at Goryokaku Tower

The main reason I had come all the way to Hakodate was to get a stamp at Goryokaku Tower. After looking out over Goryokaku from the observation deck, I successfully collected the stamp I had come for.

Goryokaku Tower standing beyond leafless winter trees — Goryokaku Tower, the main reason I came to Hakodate

Snow remaining across Goryokaku as seen from the Goryokaku Tower observation deck — Snow still covering parts of Goryokaku below the observation deck

A bronze statue of Toshizo Hijikata on the Goryokaku Tower observation deck — Toshizo Hijikata on the observation deck

The observation deck offered a view not only of Goryokaku but also of the Hakodate cityscape. The chain of cloud-covered snowy mountains beyond the city was striking too.

Hakodate's cityscape and cloud-covered snowy mountains viewed from Goryokaku Tower — Hakodate from the Goryokaku Tower observation deck

The cherry blossoms around Goryokaku Tower are beautiful if you visit around Golden Week. It was still a snowy landscape this time, but looking down at the star-shaped moat is always fun.

There was also a bronze statue of Toshizo Hijikata on the observation deck. I happened to be watching Golden Kamuy around then, so it felt a little like making a pilgrimage to a place from the story.

Chinese Chicken Curry at Lucky Pierrot

For lunch, I went to Lucky Pierrot Goryokaku Koen-mae.

I always picture Lucky Pierrot as being unbelievably crowded, so I had not originally planned to go at lunchtime. It was not as busy as I expected that day, though, so I went right in.

Walls covered with posters and colorful decorations inside Lucky Pierrot Goryokaku Koen-mae — Even the walls are fun to look at inside Lucky Pierrot

Curry rice topped with large pieces of Chinese Chicken — I prefer the Chinese Chicken Curry to the burger

Lucky Pierrot is strongly associated with its Chinese Chicken Burger, but I am on team Chinese Chicken Curry.

Wandering the City and Photographing Streetcars and Slopes

I was tired from walking and did not feel like I was going to find any particularly photogenic shots, so I got in the car and went looking for places to photograph.

First, I headed to Yachigashira to photograph the Hakodate City Tram. But that day, I just could not picture the kind of shot I wanted.

A blue Hakodate streetcar approaching head-on along rain-wet tracks — A Hakodate streetcar running along tracks wet from the rain

Still, for some reason I was in the mood for slopes. Looking up from the bottom, I could see the road rising in layer after layer, making it clear just how steep Hakodate’s hills are. After that, I went to Hachiman-zaka and photographed the winter view descending straight toward the harbor.

A series of steep roads in Hakodate viewed from the bottom of a slope — Hakodate’s steep slopes make more sense when seen from below

Hakodate Harbor viewed down snow-lined Hachiman-zaka — Winter at Hachiman-zaka suited my mood that day

I went to the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse after that, but I still could not get into the mood to take pictures, so I left the city and drove toward Onuma Park.

The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse buildings lining a canal — Walking through the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse under cloudy skies

Frozen Onuma and a Limited Express Out of Nowhere

I made it to Onuma Park, but the weather was bad and it was already dark around me, so I gave up soon after taking a few photos.

Even so, the overlapping mountain ridges beyond the mist and the frozen white surface of the lake looked otherworldly. With only the trees standing on the pure white lake, it was a scene unique to winter.

Trees standing on frozen Onuma with mist-covered mountain ridges beyond them — The mountain ridges layered through the mist at Onuma

Trees standing on the white, snow- and ice-covered surface of Onuma — The weather was gloomy, but frozen Onuma looked otherworldly

A Limited Express Hokuto running on snowy tracks near Onuma Park — The Limited Express Hokuto arrived when I was completely unprepared

Then a limited express came by at the exact moment I was completely unprepared to photograph it. These chances always seem to appear out of nowhere.

Shio Wonton Ramen and Yakitori Bento on the Way Back to Sapporo

When I returned to Hakodate Station, I still had some time before the limited express to Sapporo departed. I went into Hakodate Men Chubo Ajisai JR Hakodate Station and ordered shio wonton ramen.

Ramen with wontons, chashu, and a seasoned egg in a clear salt-based broth — Ajisai’s shio wonton ramen at Hakodate Station

It was light and incredibly delicious. That day’s ramen was a real winner.

On the limited express back to Sapporo, I enjoyed a yakitori bento from Hasegawa Store Hakodate Station along with a craft beer I had bought in Hakodate.

The Hakodate Station location lets you reserve a pickup time, which makes it really convenient to get a freshly made yakitori bento. Despite the name, its skewers are pork. Hakodate’s official tourism site even describes it as a local favorite that “GLAY also loved.”

A Hasegawa Store yakitori bento with pork and vegetable skewers arranged over rice — A freshly made yakitori bento from Hasegawa Store

A can of Hakodate craft beer on a limited express seat-back table — Heading back to Sapporo with a craft beer from Hakodate

There were an unbelievable number of deer that day.

First, the limited express ahead of us hit a deer and caused a delay. Then the train I was riding also hit a deer, and I arrived in Sapporo about two hours behind schedule.

Back in Sapporo for Beer and Kashiwa Soba

When I got back from Hakodate, I was a little hungry again. I started with a beer at HUB COCONO SUSUKINO.

After that, I had a hot bowl of kashiwa soba, or soba with chicken, at Sobadokoro Maruyama Main Store. The warm soba felt wonderful after being out in the cold. The soba here is genuinely delicious.

A beer on the counter at HUB — Back in Sapporo two hours late, starting with a beer

A hot bowl of soba with chicken and green onions — Maruyama’s kashiwa soba at the end of a long day

March 8: My Daughter’s Graduation Concert

Zangi and Mapo Tofu at Hotei

For lunch, I went to Chinese Cuisine Hotei Akarenga Terrace. I went with the set that included both mapo tofu and zangi.

A Hotei set meal with mapo tofu, zangi, rice, and soup — Hotei’s set with both mapo tofu and zangi

It was a huge meal, and I was completely full.

Her Final Elementary-School Brass-Band Performance

That afternoon was my daughter’s graduation concert, her final brass-band performance as an elementary-school student.

The timing had never worked out before, so this was the first time I had been able to see one of her concerts. Just seeing her work hard and perform with everyone else moved me deeply.

I was glad I could be there to see her bring this part of elementary school to a close.

Beef Tongue and a Beer I Had Been Curious About at Rikyu

For dinner, I went to Sendai Tanya Rikyu Sapporo Stellar Place.

I had actually been curious about Rikyu’s beer for a long time, so I ordered one with a beef tongue set meal.

A Rikyu set meal with grilled beef tongue, barley rice, tail soup, and side dishes — Rikyu’s beef tongue set meal after the concert

A can and glass of craft beer on the counter at Rikyu — The Rikyu beer I had wanted to try for a long time

A skillet dish with a fried egg, potatoes, and bell peppers — The beef tongue stew I added after my appetite took over

Even though I had eaten a lot at lunch, something somehow kicked my appetite into high gear. I added the beef tongue stew and finished every bit of it.

Wrap-up

On this Hokkaido trip, I worked in Sapporo and enjoyed the city at night, made a same-day round trip to Hakodate on Saturday, and attended my daughter’s concert on the final day. It was a very full five days.

I collected stamps at Sapporo TV Tower and Goryokaku Tower, and in Hakodate I photographed streetcars, slopes, and frozen Onuma. I never expected two deer collisions involving limited express trains to delay my return so badly, but even that made the trip feel somehow very Hokkaido.

More than anything, being able to see my daughter’s final elementary-school concert is what stayed with me most. Work, towers, photography, food, beer, and family all came together in an unforgettable March trip to Hokkaido.