More flowers, then 3 days in Asahikawa
More flowers, waterfalls and gorges.
After Furano, we get up early to hike into the woods to try a local public hot spring. Hiking through the foggy misty forest is quite an experience. We find three naked men in the onsen. I’m not sure what the etiquette would be in Japan re nakedness. In Europe, men and women would be naked together. But here in Japan the men and women have separate onsens where everyone is naked because they view bathing suits as “unclean” for the onsen. This onsen is technically clothing optional. Not sure which way to go, I asked Papa Bear if HE would feel more comfortable with me naked or with a bathing suit. He opted for the later, so I went with it.
After our outdoor soak, we head out to see more flowers in Biei area. This time it has paid entry, so it’s much larger. It takes us 1.5 hours to hike the perimeter, slowly of course. They do offer a tractor ride which we didn’t take. And they have this very iconic flower heart on the hill. It’s no surprise that we run into a couple taking wedding photos there.
Finally we check into our apartment in Asahikawa for three nights. This place has a tatami living room with a Kimono on the wall. We later found a whole bucket of free Hokkaido rice too! It’s the most well-stocked place we’ve stayed at this trip.
With a private parking spot and a comfortable space to unwind after our daily adventures, it is the perfect base for a few days of work, and exploring the surroundings.
Shirahige Falls
Shirahige Falls is a breathtaking waterfall cascading down the rugged cliffs into the Biei River. The white "beard" of water, which gives the falls its name (Shirahige means white beard in Japanese), contrasts beautifully with the cobalt-blue river below, which is similar to the striking color of the Blue Pond that we will later visit.
Turns out it’s a huge tourist attraction, there are at least 15 tour busses there, and the viewing bridge is packed with Chinese tourists.
The Blue Pond – A Surreal Experience
Nearby is the famous Blue Pond (Aoiike) in Biei, about an hour's drive from Asahikawa. I’d seen pictures online, but nothing quite prepares you for the stunning blue hues of the pond. The Blue Pond owes its existence to a manmade effort, it was part of a flood control project in the late 1980s to protect the nearby town of Biei from volcanic mudflows after an eruption of Mount Tokachi. A dam is constructed along the Biei River, and the pond naturally accumulates behind it.
While the pond itself is manmade, the vivid blue color comes from natural processes. Aluminum hydroxide particles, washed down from the nearby Shirahige Falls, interact with sunlight, scattering blue light and giving the water its remarkable hue. The Blue Pond is a perfect blend of human intervention and natural beauty!
And of course, in Japan the right attraction specialty is soft serve, and they serve a turqoise blue soft serve that you can only get here. The flavor is probably soda, we didn’t try to line up for it.
The Mysterious Sounkyo Gorge
The next day we visit Sounkyo Gorge, about 1.5 hours from Asahikawa, and totally worth the drive. This valley is famous for its unusual rock formations, reminiscent of the Devil’s Postpile in the U.S. The basalt columns, formed from volcanic activity millions of years ago, are tall and striking, creating an otherworldly landscape as they rise high above both sides of the river. There is a spot (first picture) where you can see the basalt columns, but most of the way they are covered by green foliage. The locals call this formation Obako, and it’s one of the most impressive natural sights I’ve seen in Japan.
The gorge itself is located in Daisetsuzan National Park, which is a treasure trove of hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic views. We don’t have time for a long hike, but we explore the area around Ginga no Taki (Milky Way Waterfall) and Ryusei no Taki (Shooting Star Waterfall), two waterfalls that tumble down the cliffs of Sounkyo. Seeing them side by side is a beautiful contrast—the thin, graceful streams of Ginga no Taki and the powerful rush of Ryusei no Taki.
The visitor center here is awesome, with lots of interactive exhibits and even stuffed bears!
Kaiseki
I’ve wanted to have Kaiseki all trip. Kaiseki an expensive multi-course dinner. So for my birthday Papa Bear books a Kaiseki in Asahikawa for us. Most are tiny restaurants that require speaking Japanese to make a reservation, this one had online booking so it was easiest.
Just before dinner, we stumble upon a local dance parade in the heart of Asahikawa. Groups of people, dressed in traditional attire, are walking down the street, performing a rhythmic and lively dance. As bears do, we learn the steps and join in, clapping our hands, and moving next to the dancing parade. The energy is infectious, and for a moment, we feel like locals, swept up in the joyous march. As we dance along towards our dinner place, we pass it by a block.
Turning back, we arrive at the Kaiseki place, the place is almost empty except for a few tables. Still, I’m excited for the experience.
The food is, without a doubt, fresh and luxurious—there’s an abundance of uni (sea urchin), and we’re served all the classic expensive ingredients. However, the kaiseki here feels very traditional. Unlike the fusion-style kaiseki I had back in California, which was inventive and full of surprises, this one is more about showcasing premium ingredients in their purest form. It’s like we’re eating the luxury version of every dish, but it lacks the creativity I was hoping for.
It’s a reminder that expensive doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes, it’s the inventiveness or a personal touch that makes a meal unforgettable. Still, the evening is wonderful, and we enjoy our quiet, romantic date night in Asahikawa.
After dinner, we follow the music down the street to discover a night festival happening. Around 10 blocks are packed with young people, and we walk through the crowds to soak in the atmosphere.
The 2 hour line for Sushi
I find a conveyor sushi place on the map called Toriten 回転寿しトリトン 旭神店. Without a Kura in this town, I want to try it. There seems to be a big line, so we give up and go to the supermarket next door to find dinner. I am in the mood for skewered meat. And magically, there is a food truck selling just that in front of the supermarket!
So we buy some and finish our appetizer before we head into the supermarket. And we have a nice homemade dinner at home.
The next day we return early to get in Toriten for dinner. We sign up on the waitlist, expecting a 1 hour so wait. That’s perfect, because there’s a 100 yen store called Watts next door. So I go wander, while Eric checks his phone in the car.
I keep walking over to check the sushi place’s tablet every 10-15 minutes. It’s close to the Watts but it’s still really annoying. Luckily at around 45 minutes I discovered how to check my status on the phone.
At the end it turns out to be 2 hour wait for a table! This sushi is just really tiny. It’s really time for this town to get a Kura! During the wait, I spent time shopping at the supermarket, and another 1.5 hours at the 100 yen store. Turns out I can spend a lot of time at the 100 yen store! I love it so much I’m making plans to go again when we’re in Sapporo.
The meal is ok. It’s not a real conveyor belt like Kura. We order on the tablet. But we’re sitting next to the sushi chefs who actually hand us the food. The conveyor belt is only used to transport ingredients from the kitchen to the chefs. And also to advertise what they have. But no food actually shows up on the conveyor belt.
However there is one redeeming quality. It is here that I get to try octopus roe for the first time! The shape of the eggs are oblong, see the middle picture below. They’re similar texture to Ikura but even softer. And has a unique flavor that I love!! Lukily Papa and Baby Bear don’t like it, so I get to eat all of it!
Asahikawa Zoo
On the coolest of the hot days in Asahikawa we decide to hit the zoo. Today it will be 96F high. But the other option is 98F high. So we took it.
Little did we know this zoo is situated on a hill, and Papa Bear is a bit sick this week, so it is quite difficult to walk the whole park. We take a slow and try to hit the top of the hill first. With Baby Bear acting as Turbo and pushing us, we successfully made it up to mid point of the hill to see all the animals there. And we skip going to the top where there’s a visitors center and second entrance.
We later discover that there’s actually a shuttle that continuously takes people from the bottom of the main hill to the top. Too late!
This zoo has some of the best exhibit designs that I’ve seen.
The penguin exhibit is the most unique that I’ve seen. There a water tunnel like at an aquarium where you can see the penguins swim around. Unfortunately the penguins are taking a break today.
Papa Bear has many favorites at this zoo. The first is hippos of course. We go to see their feeding. The poor smaller hippo, the zookeeper feeds it one cabbage leaf at a time, that’s like feeding a human one noodle at a time. The speed at which the hippo reopens it’s mouth wide, as if to say “hurry up, put more in, c’mon” is so funny.
His other favorite is the red panda, as always. They have 4 at this zoo, and their exhibit has a bridge over the human pathway, so you can see them from below. They’re very fuzzy and cute.
His third favorite is the Polar bear! The polar bear has a nice habitat. It is two stories, and you can go see it at both levels. The lower level is eye level to the water, where it actively takes swims. The higher level is the land level, and at both the very large polar bear they have majestically looks down on you. It’s a very grand bear indeed.
We walk into the information area of the exhibit, and when we exit the other side we find out that there’s another attached exhibit with a smaller polar bear. Likely a female. There’s a few “pop up” spots where you can pop your head up from below the exhibit to get close to the polar bear, similar to ones they have for penguins at other exhibits. It’s very cool that they have it for the polar bear here. We get lucky and see it next to us when we pop up!
My favorite is petting their rabbits, because we miss our own back home, and I get to pet one that looks like a larger version of our rabbit Kiwi who passed away this year. I also loved the local deer that they have, shorter and stouter, with beautiful spots when they’re adults, like big bambis.
Thanks Asahikawa!