A last-minute Sapporo business trip turned into a five-day stay when I could not get a flight home
I had to travel to Sapporo for work, but one delay after another meant I could not book my flight until almost the last minute.
To make matters worse, a concert by Johnny’s artists was taking place in Sapporo that weekend. Flights home were completely sold out, and so were the hotels in Sapporo, extending my stay in Hokkaido well beyond what I had planned.
I had come for work, but I also ended up drinking with a friend in Sapporo, watching baseball at ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO, and attending my daughter’s school wind ensemble’s annual concert. Here is a look back at those five days, July 8 through 12.
Table of Contents
- July 8: Reduced service and an aircraft change kicked off my Sapporo business trip
- July 9: Bar-hopping with a friend in Sapporo after work
- July 10: Moving to Chitose for a baseball game at ES CON FIELD
- July 11: An annual concert and Hokkaido food
- July 12: Grilled corn ramen, then back to Tokyo
- Wrap-up
July 8: Reduced service and an aircraft change kicked off my Sapporo business trip
From Musashi-Kosugi to Haneda Airport
When I travel from my home in Musashi-Kosugi to Haneda Airport, I always take the airport shuttle bus. It is convenient because I do not have to transfer while carrying my luggage.
Naturally, I planned to take the bus this time too, but when I checked the schedule, I found that service had been reduced to mornings only. It was no longer running by the time I would be leaving after work. With no other choice, I headed to Haneda Airport by train instead.
A scheduled meeting was canceled, though, so I was able to leave before evening. Just when I thought I had arrived at the airport a little early, the aircraft was changed. The departure was delayed by about an hour, and I spent the whole time working near the gate.
First stop at New Chitose Airport: SORACHI
I arrived at New Chitose Airport right around dinnertime. I was sure the airport’s Ramen Dojo would be packed at that hour, so I went to BEER STAND SORACHI New Chitose Airport first.
SORACHI beer is as good as ever. I had stopped only to wait out the crowds, but that glass made it feel like I had truly arrived in Hokkaido.
A hotel near Sapporo Station and Yoshiyama Shoten
After the beer, I headed to Sapporo Station. This time, I stayed at a hotel near the station that I had never used before. The hotel I usually stay at was already full because I had booked so late.
Still, staying near Sapporo Station made it easy to leave my luggage along the way and get to my work appointments. For a business trip with a schedule as unpredictable as this one, it turned out to be a convenient location.
I was really craving ramen for dinner, so I ordered roasted sesame miso ramen and green onion pork rice at Yoshiyama Shoten Sapporo Stellar Place.
Before returning to the hotel, I also stopped at a nearby Seicomart. I picked up Summer Classic beer and several foods that felt distinctly Hokkaido. The salt ramen with mountain wasabi is especially, genuinely incredible.
July 9: Bar-hopping with a friend in Sapporo after work
Working at the hotel, then heading out for soup curry
I had a light convenience-store breakfast and spent the morning working at the hotel.
For lunch, I went to Rojiura Curry SAMURAI. Sapporo Station APIA. I expected a long line at lunchtime, but only about three people were ahead of me. I got in after a short wait.
Realizing I had forgotten my wallet at Minatomachi no Monkichi
I had a meeting at a client’s office in the afternoon. Afterward, a friend from Sapporo and I went to Minatomachi no Monkichi.
The appetizer alone was a hand roll topped with shelled crab and salmon roe. It was incredibly good. The sashimi was delicious too, and the gratin croquette piled high with shelled crab was fantastic.
Then I had a problem.
Somehow, I had come out for drinks and left my wallet at the hotel. Thankfully, I had one credit card with me. That was a close call.
We decided on one more stop and went to Aji Hyakusen. We even had plenty of sake and enjoyed the night in Sapporo.
July 10: Moving to Chitose for a baseball game at ES CON FIELD
Checking out of my Sapporo hotel and moving to Chitose
I had breakfast at Starbucks and went straight to a meeting at a client’s office. When work was over, I checked out of the hotel and had lunch at Pomme no Ki Sapporo Stellar Place.
From that day on, I stayed in Chitose.
Every hotel in Sapporo was full. I could not get a flight home, and I did not even have a place to stay in Sapporo. It was a pretty miserable situation. I checked in early and got straight back to work in my room.
From Kita-Hiroshima Station to ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO
After work, I went to watch baseball at ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO.
Flags featuring Fighters players line the route from Kita-Hiroshima Station to ES CON FIELD. The closer I got to the ballpark, the more excited I became.
Once I reached the front of the ballpark, the sheer presence of ES CON FIELD was striking. It looks great from the outside, and it is the kind of building that makes you want to take pictures before you even go in.
Murals and craft beer brewed inside the ballpark
One of the coolest things at ES CON FIELD was the art covering entire walls. It depicts not only generations of Fighters players, but also the fans cheering them on. The ballpark’s history and energy come through across the whole wall.
TOWER 11 also has a mural of Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani, both wearing number 11. Beyond watching the game, it is fun to walk around the ballpark and look for places like this.
Another interesting feature is the craft beer brewing equipment inside the ballpark. At soratoshiba by Yona Yona Ale, you can see the brewing process illustrated on the glass and the brewing tanks beyond it. Having a real brewery inside a baseball stadium feels perfectly suited to ES CON FIELD.
The game begins with Ito and Takeuchi on the mound
ES CON FIELD has an incredible range of places to buy food. Even deciding what to eat at the ballpark is fun. I had gyoza and beer that day and spent the game taking photo after photo.
The starting pitchers were Hiromi Ito for the Fighters and Natsuki Takeuchi for the Lions.
Daiki Narama skillfully avoided the tag as he scored the game’s first run. I was happy to capture everything from his run toward home to the moment he slid across the plate.
Here are the game highlights.
In the end, the Fighters lost after Masashi Kuwahara of the Lions hit a home run. Still, I got to see the fox dance and take plenty of photos of Ito pitching, so I had a great time.
ES CON FIELD also looked impressive when I stepped outside and looked up after the game. Unlike during the day, the ballpark lights and flow of people were visible through the glass. It was a view that kept me taking photos until the very end.
Through the long line and on to Kushidori in Chitose
I kept taking pictures of ES CON FIELD after the game, so a huge crowd had formed by the time I headed for the station. The line stretched all the way to Kita-Hiroshima Station.
Even at the station, trains toward Sapporo were extremely crowded, but those toward Chitose were relatively quiet. Staying in Chitose had caused plenty of inconvenience, but for the trip back that night, it helped a little.
I had barely eaten anything besides gyoza and beer at the ballpark because I was so busy taking photos. By the time I reached Chitose Station, I was starving, so I went to Kushidori Chitose Ekimae.
July 11: An annual concert and Hokkaido food
Breakfast at Kita no Gurume-tei
That day was my daughter’s school wind ensemble’s annual concert. Getting around from Chitose using only public transportation would have been difficult, so I decided to drive.
Since I had a car, I went to Kita no Gurume-tei for breakfast.
The roughscale sole sashimi was incredibly good. Unusually for me, I also ordered a seafood rice bowl and crab soup. I normally get grilled hokke, but seeing crabs and octopuses for sale on the way into the restaurant made me crave a seafood bowl.
From a pork rice bowl at Ippin to my daughter’s annual concert
After breakfast, I worked for a while at Starbucks, then went to Tokachi Butadon Ippin Sapporo Hiraoka for lunch.
Ippin also has a location at Stellar Place near Sapporo Station. I had wanted to try its pork rice bowl for a long time, but my timing was always bad, and I gave up whenever I saw the enormous line. This time, I could drive to the suburban location and finally have the pork rice bowl and pork miso soup.
After that, I listened to my daughter’s school wind ensemble perform its annual concert. The business trip’s unexpected extension at least meant I was able to attend.
Dinner with my daughter at Nagoyakatei
After the concert, my daughter and I had dinner at Nagoyakatei Kitano.
The most memorable dish was a sushi roll with an entire asparagus spear sticking straight out of it. It made quite a visual impact.
My daughter, as usual, still eats nothing but tuna.
July 12: Grilled corn ramen, then back to Tokyo
All I had to do on the final day was return to Tokyo.
I woke up, a little later than planned, and headed straight to New Chitose Airport. For my last meal, I chose the grilled corn ramen at Ramen Sora New Chitose Airport.
After the grilled corn ramen, I boarded my flight and returned to Tokyo.
Wrap-up
Work delays left me booking my flight at the last minute. The flights home were sold out because they coincided with a weekend concert, the Sapporo hotels were full, and I ended up staying in Chitose.
Hardly anything went according to plan, but I got to drink with a friend in Sapporo, watch baseball at ES CON FIELD, and attend my daughter’s annual concert. Looking back, I spent the trip in ways that an ordinary business visit would rarely allow.
Even so, this may have been the first time I stayed around Sapporo for so long without going out for drinks in the Susukino area.