[Hotkaido’s bike riding trip 3 times] Every moment of riding that will be remembered forever, not the best or the worst. Hokkaido’s abdomen to the south, Wakanai-Hakodate 800km journey…keep pedaling
After five days of sweet rest in Sapporo, a city of snow, beer and greenery, I pedaled again. However, on the first day of the second half of the Hokkaido Bike Tour, we faced a crisis. On the first night of camping again, the place where the tent was set up was a campsite in the village where the recent appearance of bears had occurred. He faced the best and worst moments while running on Route 235, where danger lurks.
사진 확대 At the end of Japan’s long national highway 235, I finally found a side road.
Riding to Sapporo…The road is everywhere.
It was already a decade ago that I ran a bicycle race from Seoul to Busan and from Busan to Seoul via the East Coast. It is the first time since then that I ride a bike all day and for a long time. In addition, it is my first overseas bicycle trip. When I managed to find a side road and take a breather on the busy national road leading to Sapporo and the number of vehicles increasing exponentially, I suddenly remembered the Korean bicycle path. It’s a blessing to have a road where only bicycles can pass. Would it have been easier to ride a bicycle in Jongju if you had known this 10 years ago? Was it possible to enjoy a bicycle trip without regret at every moment? As I entered the side road, there was no separate bicycle path. The owner of the road is all over me. The fact that the city is a short distance can be seen from the busy road conditions and the intertwined map of several roads.
사진 확대 a sign announcing Sapporo’s city center We’ve arrived at our destination.
The short and long side streets connecting several national roads, including National Route 275, form a dense urban environment. The road is everywhere. The key is to find out which path is necessary and suitable for me in the current situation. If you find it, don’t look back and believe in the path and go straight. Even if it is not a shortcut, or even if the choice is wrong, there is only one result anyway. That there is a destination at the end of the road. Paths only realize the reasons and objectives that are never right or wrong of choice. Accidental discoveries encountered in the process add joy to the two pedals. I briefly forgot to move to the city while relaxing a cup of coffee at a cafe I found while passing by. I feel with my five senses that there is romance instead of speed on the side road. ‘Happiness’ is not far away.
사진 확대 Sapporo city center view, Hokkaido’s largest city, a mixture of bright lighting lights and colorful neon signs
A city is a city. Long after arriving in downtown Sapporo just before sunset, the pitch-black night showed no sign of beginning. Bright illumination lights that are blinding, neon signs with colorful colors and decorations are mixed up to reveal the city’s path. Only then did the moment and experience of riding turn on a bright light. I was impressed by the fact that I completed the 400km ride, starting from Soyagot, the northernmost part of Hokkaido. This ended the first half of the Hokkaido bicycle tour.
Sapporo, a city of snow, beer, and greenery
When I opened my eyes naturally while sleeping, it was still dark around the bed. Looking at the clock, it’s sunrise time. The window is tightly covered with curtains, so they must have mistaken it for midnight. The next thing the body remembers would be to organize and pack sleeping bags, mattresses, and tents straight away, but things have changed in Sapporo. It’s been eight days since I slept in bed. Rather than the grand meaning of numbers, it felt like luxury that I did not have to organize my luggage such as tents right after waking up. Even if it’s a holiday, you can’t stop riding a bicycle. In exploring the city center and suburbs of Sapporo, Hokkaido’s largest city, there is no better means of transportation than bicycles.
When I think of Sapporo, ‘snow’ and ‘beer’ come to mind first. It is a city of snow and a city of beer. After the first snow falls in late October every year, snow does not melt until thawing in the following spring, and there is a lot of snowfall, so an annual average of about 500cm is observed. In Sapporo, snow falls for an average of 143.5 days a year. The total population of Hokkaido is about 5 million, of which about 2 million people, or 40% of them, live in Sapporo. Sapporo has the fifth largest population in Japan, and it is also unusual in the world for a large city with more than 2 million people to exist in a snowfall area.
사진 확대 a beer bottle used in Sapporo Brewery in its early days
Founded in 1876, Sapporo Beer is the oldest beer brand in Japan. Beer production was made by Seibei Nakagawa, who founded Japan’s first German brewery. Seibei Nakagawa, who was full of adventurous spirit, left Japan at the age of 17 and traveled to Germany, and became Sapporo’s first brewery owner after returning home based on the brewing skills he learned there. Sapporo Beer is made with 100% malt, so it is characterized by a sweet and rich taste. There are five Sapporo beer farms across Japan, including Sapporo. As a city of beer, the Sapporo Beer Museum is considered one of the city’s leading tourist attractions, and inside the museum, you can see interesting information from the history of Sapporo Beer to raw materials, manufacturing processes, and package design changes. It is also the only beer museum in Japan.
사진 확대 Sapporo is a forested city, a panoramic view of the Sapporo Factory, which transformed an old beer factory into a shopping mall, and a panoramic view of the Sapporo Beer Museum.
Another characteristic of Sapporo is that, unlike many large urban environments in Japan, the entire city is filled with greenery, boasting dense and vast forests. Odori Park and Maruyama Park are one of the best green areas, and the city is divided into north and south, centering on the park. Odori Park is also the place where the Sapporo Snow Festival is held every February. Hokkaido Shrine, adjacent to Maruyama Park, is surrounded by forest with surrounding scenery, so you can clearly feel the characteristics of Sapporo. That’s because about 1,400 cherry blossoms and about 250 plum blossoms bloom at the same time in spring, creating a spectacular scenery. The Hokkaido Shrine was established by Emperor Meiji in 1869 to honor the guardian deity of Hokkaido’s development and development. This is a representative place where you can feel the changes in nature throughout the four seasons, and it is a popular spot for many visitors from all over Japan as well as Hokkaido.
After five days, I pedaled again. on the East Coast Road
Due to the rapidly changing weather, the schedule in Sapporo continued for several more days than planned. It rained all day and then showed the temperature of early winter the next day, and in this situation, I didn’t dare to camp out, second to the bicycle. The abnormal climate phenomenon brought the temperature back to its original state overnight.
After so many days of waiting, I packed again. In the morning when I leave the hotel, I only stayed for five days, but I feel like I’m leaving my old house. After saying goodbye to the cozy bed, I asked myself why I was going back to life on the street again and again. I have mixed feelings. I’m just confused because I’m mixed with regret and excitement, questions and answers. Then the ending reached is ‘no reason’, just going. If you just pedal, the reasons for uncertainty will become clear at some point.
사진 확대 The first day of the second half of the Hokkaido Bicycle Tour, which began with clear weather.
The first day of the second half of the Hokkaido Bike Tour. First, it starts from Sapporo and goes east.
It will reach Tomakomai, about 70 kilometers southeast of Sapporo, and then follow the eastern coastal road to its final destination, Hakodate. In contrast to riding along the west coast road in Watkhanai at the beginning of the bike trip, this time I ride the east coast road. In fact, the optimal riding route guided by the map app is to follow Route 230, which extends inland from Sapporo to Toyah Lake. However, I have to pass through the winding mountain path again and again, and I am worried about the night cold to camp because of the high sea level.
Thus, he chose the East Coast Road instead of a shortcut. In addition, the idea of visiting Novoribetsu, a hot spring village not far from the eastern coastal road, boosted the choice. The first day’s planned ride to Tomakomai had to stop in the town of Uena, a point about 20 km away. After running about 50km in five days, my physical limit came. There was a free campsite in the village.
사진 확대 Camping on the first night of the second half, a beautiful sunset moment I want to remember forever.
Most of Hokkaido’s free camping sites are equipped with only facilities, but there are no operators. The situation is the same with the campsite in Uena. Judgment becomes easier if there are signs and facilities placed at the entrance, or if there are traces of travelers who have already set up tents. After greeting the motorcycle traveler, who was already seated on one side of the lawn, he quickly takes out his tent and builds a house. Then, after finishing the evening, the sun goes down and the body first notices that it is bedtime.
Before long, when I was ready to sleep, a car stopped at the entrance of the campsite, and two men in uniform appeared. As it turned out, they were working to announce the dangers of the bear attack. The gist of the conversation using a translator was this. There was a recent incident in which a bear appeared near the town of Uena. Those who said, “Be extra careful because bears can appear at any time at these campsites that are not in the deep forest in the mountains,” sounded like a threat, not a request. But you can’t move your tent anywhere else right away…. In this case, it’s better not to know! Anyway, once I learned of the bear’s appearance, I had to plan to defeat it. Bedtime is gone and sleep is gone.
Worried and dangerous, Route 235.
First of all, there was no appearance of a bear. It is a fortunate result, but compared to staying up all night with almost open eyes, I also felt a sense of regret that if I had met a bear, I would have had a useless story to use for the rest of my life. While planning a bike trip and camping in Hokkaido, I expected at least once that bear-related happening would occur. That’s because if I searched Hokkaido-related travel information on the portal site, I could see an article titled “Bear Attack.” As winter in Hokkaido becomes warmer and shorter than usual due to climate change, the number of wild bears coming down to private homes in search of food has increased rapidly in recent years.
It’s not like I actually encountered a bear, but after last night’s happening, I was worried if I could continue camping in the future. Worries add to mental and physical fatigue by biting their tails rather than not sleeping. As has been the case with the journey so far, at times like this, we have no choice but to pedal vigorously and move forward.
사진 확대 4-lane road, overflowing large trucks, and dangerous National Route 235.
Finally, I ride the east coast road. Starting from the Uenae camping site, it ran about 20km to reach the eastern coastal city of Tomakomai, and the plan of the day is to travel about 50km along the coastal road from here to Novoribetsu, famous for its hot spring village. At the beginning of the journey, I finally faced the eastern coastal road, recalling the brilliant memories of driving 250 kilometers of the western coastal road from Watkainai to Lumoy.
However, I was speechless by the crowded scenery. The four-lane road, which we encountered for the first time since the start of the journey, has a large number of vehicles, and the noise of engine, exhaust sound, and tire friction caused by driving a car exceeds the roar. In addition, more than half of the vehicles on the road were large trucks. The Tomakomai Ferry Terminal is a major dock linking Hokkaido and the main island, and a large truck that escaped from it has dominated the road. Can’t even find a side street around, there’s only Plan A.
As a result, Route 235 was the worst experience with potential danger, but it was also a valuable experience when looking back over time. This is because the worst that threatens cyclists will continue to emerge in the future. If you pass just one head, you will see another head, so every moment you step on the pedal is the best and worst experience.
※ Hokkaido Bike Riding Tour 3 itinerary
사진 확대
☞View Hokkaido Bike Travel Series Article
Bike trip to Hokkaido, Japan①: https://www.mk.co.kr/news/culture/11159731
Bike Tour to Hokkaido, Japan ②: https://www.mk.co.kr/news/culture/11168285
[Writing and photography] [Choo Hyojung (travel writer)]
[This article is Maeil Economy City Life Article 957]
AloJapan.com