Hokkaido

My company has a bi-annual tradition of honoring schools that met their financial goals with a mandatory company trip. This mandatory company trip involves a day of speeches and a day of "free time."

In December we went to DisneySea. This past May we went to Hokkaido.

I'd been dreading this trip since I'd found out about it. Every person I asked about Hokkaido knew alarmingly little about it and didn't have any suggestions as to what a tourist could do there so it already seemed like a wasted weekend. Plus, being around the big bosses makes everyone uneasy.

I woke up early the day of the trip and made my way to Hiroshima airport (which is about an hour from where I live). Our flight was supposed to leave around ten. We got there an hour early. We met up with all of the other Hiroshima schools and the one manager in charge handed out our boarding passes. I never went up to the check-in counter. I got a randomly assigned seat. I didn't have to check in myself nor did I have to show ID. The airline had no idea that I was actually me and not some crazy (ok, I know some of you might think I'm crazy but that's besides the point… haha). They would have no record that I would actually be on this flight.

I was so surprised because all of the other airports I've ever been to around the world have had some level of security but this seemed to be the absence of it.

Even when I passed through the security checkpoint with my shoes on like everyone else and the sensor beeped I got a lot of bowsand apologies as they asked if they could put my shoes through the baggage scanner. They even gave me slippers so I didn't have to go barefoot. And when my shoes cleared I got another apology. I'm not used to airports being so accommodating.

Anyway, when we arrived at the Sapporo airport we had to take a bus to the actual city. Based on the view of dairy cows, trees, and lots of open land I did not have high hopes for Sapporo but once we got into the actual city it was really nice. It was a real city. That night we had our company dinner.

AMAZING seafood and none of it tasted fishy. I've had raw shrimp before and never liked it but that night, the shrimp was probably the best part of the meal.

The next day we went on a bus tour and it was freezing. There was even a little snow coming down on us. Apparently once in 100 years the weather is like that so far into spring. We were just lucky enough to experience that day.

Our first stop was a cookie factory and my first impression was that it was like Disneyland on steroids. Beyond that I'm not really sure how to describe it so let me just show you.

There was even a train.

Hmm… Splash Mountain anyone?

Once you cross over that bridge there's no turning back.

Even the owls get in on the fun!

And there's a show!

How sweet.

We got to decorate cookies :)

Isn't it cute? (I know, I'm really bad at drawing).

Through The Chocolate Time Tunnel? Well, let's go! Actually it wasn't as cool so much as it was educational. I learned about the history of chocolate. No psychedelic journeys here.

On the other end of The Chocolate Time Tunnel we saw the conditions the factory workers have to endure. All day with those obnoxious, colorful characters staring at you. Festive gone too far.

Please don't leave us here!! There was this little mini house complete with a tiny bed, table and chairs. Obviously going inside was a bad idea, haha.

Next was Sapporo beer factory where we tried lots of beer. With our bosses. They take the enjoyment of their days off just as seriously as we do.

Those were pretty much the highlights of the trip. It wasn't as bad as I thought.

On the bus heading to Sapporo.

First meal in Sapporo: curry soup.

We went to a park with this famous statue. Um, boys be ambitious? Girls, you be ambitious too.

Heehee, the toilet wants you to talk to the hand.

This lil bowl of seafood was super expensive but it was soooooooo delicious! Completely worth it. There's the raw shrimp again. Yum!

And that's all for Hokkaido. See you in the next post :).