Wandering Through Hakodate π―π΅ | HOKKAIDO TRIP VLOG 04
Hi guys, this vlog is more like a travel journal of my days at Hakodate, a charming pot city in Hokkaido filled with history, good food, and peaceful views. I didn’t know what to expect when I came here. I just knew I wanted to experience it my way. And my way indeed. This was supposed to be a full day of exploration in Hakodate, but the day started with fatigue. Like really bad fatigue. I have to force myself out of bed because this hotel is famous for its breakfast. Morning, Ohio. This is my outfit of the day. I’m not sure if uh this is a bit odd, but that’s what I’m wearing today. We first heard of Goryokaku because my husband read about it from a comic book. Yep. This starship fort is unlike anything I’ve seen in Japan. Apparently, the starship was meant to eliminate blind spots so enemies had nowhere to hide. Built to guard against foreign threats, though ironically, no foreign army ever attacked it. Instead, it became the last stand of a samurai warrior who fought for what he believed in until the very end. That man is Hijigata Toshizo, a name I hadn’t known before this trip. I guess that’s the thing about time. No matter what we’re holding on to, it just moves on. We’ll meet you. We came after golden week to avoid the crowd. I knew we were passura season, but I still hope to see them. And there they were. Not many, but enough to make my heart flutter. Hello. The end. Thank you. The souvenir shop. Oh, you know, I had to go in. Japanese souvenirs are always so thoughtfully presented. Pretty packaging, unique items. It’s hard to walk out empty-handed. Buying this for my dad. Guess what this is? Tada. This is for coraling one. I don’t know what it’s called in English. It’s a samurai sword, but inside is the coringa thing. ice cream. Okay, that’s okay. Oh, come on. I got these. All right. Oh my god. So cute. Yes. Can you help? Jing Great. Okay. Perhaps. How pushing too? This is how I fool you. To my surprise, I found a Sakura willow tree. It’s something I read about before this trip. Seeing it in person felt like a personal gift from the city. there. Hello. The night view of Haku. So cute. How minion throw the Uh just now we actually came in. I got to just now we did come into this restaurant but we have to wait for quite a bit. So what I was saying here is we actually came to this restaurant earlier. It’s right next to our hotel but the queue was really long so we decided to look elsewhere. What we were really craving for was grilled crab legs, but most of the nearby places were already closed and the ones that are still open were mostly western cuisine. After wandering around the Bay Area for a bit, we circle back here hoping the line will be shorter. And luckiest, it was. So now here we are. We don’t flavor. A lot of So big girl. Oh my god. Hi. We’re heading now to Kane Mori, the red grape houses. Uh we just checked out actually just added our luggage. We left it at the hotel. They will look after it for us. So now we’re going to shopping before heading to Sakuro tonight. And that’s the hotel that we stayed this past two nights. It’s really good. I recommend you guys to come and stay here if you’re coming to Hakodate. Kanye Mori Red Brick Warehouse isn’t just one building. It’s actually a commercial complex with four different sections. Our first stop, De Hakodate. We didn’t include Otaro in our Hopedo itinerary. So seeing these music boxes and glass crafts from there felt like getting a small glimpse of what it’s like. I’m the kind of person who likes to take it slow when shopping, just enjoying whatever catches my eye. So, I make sure to give myself enough time here. There is this shop that use squid ink as dye for clothing. Yes, squid ink. Didn’t know that was even a thing. Hakodate indeed is a squid city. These are Hokkaido cheesecake made with local Hokkaido produce. The peticier kindly offered me a taste sample. It was milky, smooth, not too sweet, not too cheesy, just perfect. Got it here. Hey. Hey. Hey. I got my hair. So, let’s go. How cute. How cute. I love me. Oh god. So darn cute. Oh, there are boxes for cats. And this one also. Oh my god. I want to buy one. Put my soft toys that you found. I’ll buy for my sister. All the friends the tree. Okay. Again, I’m a cat fanatic. Cat and mushroom is my favorite. Oh my goodness. Got to buy a puppy. I bought a postcard. I’m going to mail it to myself and receive it on Christmas day because there’s a post box that is dedicated for Christmas delivery. Who she is? That sexy. Yeah. Okay. Six of them. I love shops that invite you to feel, try, and explore. There is this handmade chopstick shop that let you try out the grip so that you can find what’s best for you. You get to experience not just browse. There are a variety of choices handmade with creativity. Every detail full of personality. Wow. Last one. Not this also. Ta. I got this. Looks like my cat. It’s a chopstick. Kane Mori Hall was closed that day. No events, just us and a chili breeze. Before leaving, we bought dinner from a local fast food chain known only in Hakodate. Each branch has a different team. Ours had an all Americana vibe. Since dining in comes with extra text, we chose to get our food to go instead. Their best seller, the Chinese chicken burger. It was juicy, flavorful, like karaj in a burger form. Surprisingly, there was a vacant bench outside on the deck. So, we sat there and it actually turned out to be a really pleasant experience. We got to enjoy the view and quietly people watched as we ate. It wasn’t planned, but it felt just right. A day didn’t go the way I originally planned, but honestly, it turned out even better than I expected. This city, its people, food, and that sunset left a strong impression on me. Somehow, the trip still gave me the experiences I quitly wish for, just not in the ways I thought it would be. Like, I had planned to walk down the famous slope street during the day, but we stumbled upon it at night instead. I was hoping to see Sakura in full bloom from above, but I realized that admiring them up close is even more lovely. and also planning to dine in at the famous burger joint, but ended up on the deck where I got to enjoy my meal with a really beautiful view. So yeah, it all still happened just differently. I like to think that this might be Hakodate magic doing its thing. Like it knew what I needed better than I did. And maybe that’s what made it so special. Although I had to skip a few places like the roadway, but it gives me a good reason to come back one day. Slowing down helped me notice and appreciate all the little things I probably would have missed if we rushed through it all. This whole experience reshaped my mindset and in a way gently prepared me for the rest of my Hokkaido journey. Just like how the day we arrived, we left during sunset. A full circle with bittersweet feelings, we boarded the super hokuto train bound for Sappuro, a 4-hour journey through mountains and along the sea. But that’s a story for the next video. Thank you for following my journey in Hakodate. Next stop, Saporro.
Spent a slow, peaceful day exploring Hakodate β from the star-shaped beauty of Goryokaku Park to the charming red bricks of Kanemori Warehouse by the bay. Just walking, taking it all in, and enjoying the little moments πΈπ§±
P.s.: I tried to make this more like a travel journal style kinda of vlog. Always experimenting as usual. So just bear with me as I try to find my style along the way.
π΅Music credit:
“Music Box Waltz” by Mr_B_Music_Studio
“Beautiful Wild Nature” by Simon Armitage
π· Filmed with DJI Osmo Pocket 3 & iPhone 14 Pro
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