Hokkaido Day 16
Asahikawa, here we are again.
Day 16 of Hokkaido - the last full day. Tomorrow I move by way of Shinkansen down to Tokyo where I’ll be staying in Shinjuku for the rest of the week. I cannot imagine a better end to my time in Hokkaido - Asahikawa.
Today I moved from Otaru through Sapporo to Asahikawa. While in Sapporo, I stopped by Hokkaido University and got to see the beautiful campus in the snow and stop by the University Museum! After this, I headed out to Asahikawa where their 67th Winter Festival is being held.
To end the trip with the same place I started - and to visit the Asahikawa festival as my last Hokkaido festival has been a very meaningful experience for me. Instead of slipping and sliding around the streets, amazed by the sights, sounds and smells of the city, I confidently paced through semi-familiar scenes to arrive at a moment of coalescence for the people of Asahikawa, their winter festival. It is not as big or crowded as the Sapporo festival - nor does it seem to have all of the same sponsorship mechanisms or large sponsored displays on the level Sapporo did. There are far fewer people from abroad at the Asahikawa festival than in the Sapporo festival. But even so - or because of the relative “local” feel, it has a warmth and beauty to it that’s difficult to put into words. It’s a boost that this festival was partially Pokemon themed - which brings me a nostalgia even in the dead of Winter.
Another very interesting aspect of this event is that it had a fully-programmed stage that had constant activity from local idols, rappers and other musicians. It was a delight to listen to and watch such performances atop a stage in the snow, with the lit backdrop of a gigantic Pokemon snow sculpture. I do wonder how the logistics of this event compare to the other events which didn’t have so much of a “run-of-show” vibe to them. The festival food here too was top-notch, with everything you’d expect and then some!
I love Asahikawa, and I’ll miss it - but I’ll be back some day, for sure.
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