Our first stop in our 'Around the World in 60 Days' tour was Japan.
This was William's top choice when we made our list of where we wanted to travel, and I am so glad he did!
Japan is similar to New Zealand in that it is comprised of multiple narrow but long islands. The area of Japan is about the size of Montana, but with a population of about 125 million (compared to 1 million in MT). The length of Japan from North to South is about the length of the eastern US, and similar in latitude. This graphic was fascinating, as it overlays Japan with the US, showing the relative position in latitude.
The main northern island is called Hokkaido, and the main southern island is called Honshu. I say the 'main' islands because there are over 14,000 islands in the Japanese archipelago, although only 430 islands are inhabited.
We flew from Auckland to Tokyo, followed by a flight to Chitose (the main airport in Hokkaido). We stayed the night near the airport, and the next morning we started our Hokkaido adventures. First, we took a train to Otaru, a small seaside town in western Hokkaido. We were fortunate to stumble upon a local fair, where we sampled Japanese street food.
William realized he was the tallest there by a foot :)
Bellies full, we headed back to Sapporo for the night. The next morning, we rented a car and drove into the countryside, including the small towns of Furano and Biei. These areas are known for flower farms and lavender fields. So beautiful!
The next day we traveled from Sapporo to Lake Toya, a resort town in Southern Hokkaido. We took a boat (shaped like a castle) out to the island in the middle of the lake and did a short hike. The water was so clear, and it was a beautiful day! I also got to experience my first Onsen, or public thermal bath. So nice.
After Lake Toya, we went to another resort town called Hakodate. Our hotel was on a small lake, and the view was incredible. Another common thing in Japan is for a resort to provide clothes that you can wear throughout your stay. One size fits all :)
Breakfast at the hotel:
After Hakodate, we said goodbye to Hokkaido and took our first Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo.
A map of our travels so far:
We have loved our experience in Japan so far. Everyone has been incredibly kind, even with our complete lack of the Japanese language. The food is amazing. The public transportation is top notch. We can't wait to explore the rest of the country!
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