Relax - Winter Wonderland

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I always had the impression that Hokkaido was a cold, wintry outpost of Japan with nothing much to see or do other than to indulge in seafood the monster crabs you see on Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. I was half-correct.

Fresh food from the sea is one of Hokkaido's many attractions, but that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Breathtaking scenery, great weather, and unparalleled hospitality unparalleled makes this island one of Japan's most popular travel destinations.

Because of its geography, Japan's biggest and northernmost island has a cooler climate compared to the rest of the country. At the time of my visit in March, the temperature hovered around freezing and the snow-covered panorama made me want to take my camera out everywhere I went.

I did find out that Hokkaido is famous for its crabs (it can even be bought from the glorious specialty food shops at the airport). However, through my recent trip across Furano, Biei, Asahikawa and Sapporo, I realised that it also offers a lot more than just jumbo crustaceans and a place for you to put on stylish winter wear.

Quintessential Japan

The journey to Hokkaido was my second foray into Japan. The first visit was nearly 20 years ago, when I went to Tokyo and Osaka as an 11-year-old. I realised that some things never change, like the frugally-spaced hotel rooms. After getting off the plane at Hokkaido late in the evening, I checked into the Hotel Com's New Chitose Airport. As I opened the room door, the showers and washroom, complete with the electronic bidet, were to the immediate right. A couple of steps ahead was the sleeping area with just enough space for a table, the vanity desk and television. Even though the room was tiny, it never felt inadequate as everything that is needed for a good nights' rest was there. In my opinion, it really typifies modern Japan - efficient, functional and smart.

Into The Wild

The next morning, I met up with Risa Nishimura, Managing Director from Prime Travel and Tour, who was to be my gracious guide in Hokkaido. Risa-san works fervently for her family-run travel agency and she has spent the majority of her life bridging cultures between Singapore and Japan. She was accompanied by Saito Nobumichi, Director at the Furano Tourism Association, a misleadingly stern-looking man whose rye humour and one-liners had me laughing in stitches throughout the trip.

Rounding up our quartet of travellers through Hokkaido was Simon Tan, partner at a law firm and one very serious photographer. If his eye for detail when taking pictures is any indication, I wouldn't want to go up against him in court.

The first day was spent mostly in Furano, a very popular area for skiers. Simon, an avid student of the snow-covered slopes, ranks the central Hokkaido town much higher than Nagano, venue of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games because of the quality of the snow. Unfortunately, time constraints made skiing impossible, but we had the chance to check out a quaint boutique hotel there.

Natulux Hotel is designed by the multiple award-winning Yasuo Kondo, who is also the brainchild behind the stylish Yoji Yamamoto boutiques, as well as many iconic interiors in Japan. The symmetrical and minimalistic facade of the building places it in complete harmony with its environment. Its earth-toned rooms have neat lines and exude a sense of calm. Everything seems to be placed in correct aesthetical proportions. This place is truly a work of art.

Yoji Ishihira, President of Natulux Hotel, hosted us with a fabulous dinner that was prepared mostly using ingredients farmed around the hotel's vicinity. A simple basket of steamed vegetables typifies the hotel's "less is more" approach. The mushrooms, cabbage and radish were all so fresh and sweet on their own there was no need for seasoning of any kind.

Seeing Colours

After an excellent nights' rest at Natulux, our first stop was the Kaleidoscope Museum of Furano.

The place was converted from an old primary school that was initially slated for demolition.

Mitsui-san, curator of the museum, could not bear to let the authorities tear the place down so he bought it to display his grand collection of kaleidoscopes. It ranged from simple ones that you twist manually, to elaborate creations powered by industrial actuators. Some of them are donated by winners of the Kaleidoscope Grand Prix (yes, there is one). I peered into every single peephole with amazement. The uncomplicated concept of a kaleidoscope and the old-world charms of the school compounds certainly brought out the inner-child in me.

Psychedelic displays at the Kaleidoscope Museum of Furano.

Hokkaido being one of Japan's celebrated centres of food, not much time passes before we hit another culinary stop celebrating one of the island's specialities of dairy products, beef and potatoes. We tried our hand at ice cream making at the Furano Cheese Factory.

The ingredients are very simple - milk, sugar, heavy cream and powdered skimmed milk. Mix them up in appropriate quantities, put it into the spinning freezer machine and voila! The result was a light, yet creamy delight that kept me wanting seconds. Risa-san said that the secret lies with the milk, which was as fresh as it gets.

As for the potatoes and beef, we tried them at the restaurant in Chiyoda Farm. The fried potato wedges were earthily sweet and creamy, and it went really well with my main course of steak. I prefer my beef to contain a bit more fat but nevertheless, the lean cut I had was bursting with full flavours.

The day ended with a trek across the Biei's beautiful wilderness. The carbs that I loaded up on during lunch certainly came in useful, as I found out how intense a workout one can get walking across knee-high snow in snowshoes. The reward for the tough physical exercise was incredible sights of dramatic ravines, frozen rivers and snow-tipped evergreens. I read that Biei, a small town north of Furano, is famous for its nature and scenery. Now, I understand why.

To The Zoo

From Biei, we drove up further north towards Asahikawa, Hokkaido's second largest city. Saito-san was racing through the slick roads. When quizzed, he simply replied, "We're going to the Asahiyama Zoo." Even after the turnstiles, he walked at a furious pace, looking back occasionally only to check if we followed. Then finally, I realised that the rush was to be in time for the Penguin Walk. Accompanied by their keepers, the flightless birds waddled awkwardly along their designated path, oblivious to the hordes of people who were shrieking "kawaii neh!" The polar bears also drew plenty of crowds. Obviously, they were kept within their enclosure.

The Penguin Walk

Culture vultures will probably find the nearby Yukaraori Museum interesting. Japanese tapestries with patterns inspired by Hokkaido's natural environment were all displayed proudly within its hallways. Like most things traditional, the intricate craft of Japanese cloth weaving is slowly losing its appeal in the face of modernity. A small piece of hand-woven cloth requires many man-hours of tedious work.

Furthermore, only a small group of people are still passionate about operating the traditional loom. These are reasons why the souvenirs at the gift shop come, rather appropriately, with sizeable price tags.

The Yukaraori Nuseum displays tapestry inspirted by Hokkaido's natural environment.

The Snow Crystal Museum is situated across the Yukaraori Museum (the entire place, along with the International Dying and Weaving Art Museum, is collectively known as the Hokkaido Folk Arts and Crafts Village). Apparently, the owner has a fascination with the white stuff and he immortalised it in a museum for everyone to see all year round. The architecture is somewhat palatial, and it wouldn't look out of place in a Disney fairytale cartoon. There, you can learn everything about snow via the huge collection of books, videos and images. There is even an underground ice chamber where you can admire solidified water up close.

The medieval architecture of the Hokkaido Folk Arts and Crafts Village is an attraction by itself.

I love ice as well, particularly when mixed with whisky, which we had amply at a cocktail bar in Asahikawa City. Google translated the Japanese name as "Wine & Cocktail Smoke a Pipe", which pretty much sums up quite succinctly what is available there. The English-inspired bar has a mahogany counter, along with vintage movie posters decorating its wood-panelled walls. The ambience was really charming and laid-back, presenting an ideal nocturnal chill-out joint for the working class or the coincidental tourist. Noafumi Sasaki, the distinguished owner of the bar, prepared all our drinks with Japanese-like precision, and they were all downed with good spirits, so to speak.

Bright Lights, Big City

Finally, we rounded up the circuit with a visit to Sapporo, the capitol of Hokkaido. It has everything that you would expect from a modern Japanese city. Sapporo is clean, organised and efficient, with shopping centres at nearly every corner. According to Risa-san, people who had to chance to experience Sapporo either through work or holiday fall instantly in love with it. "The air is unpolluted, the people are beautiful and the produce is so fresh, almost everything that is served here tastes great!" she said. I couldn't agree more.

The night life in Sapporo is as colourful as it gets.

From the JR Tower Hotel Nikko, Risa-san took us for a walk to Susukino, centre of Sapporo's nightlife. Along the way, I noticed that the city is laid out in a grid, making navigation pretty easy even for a newcomer. The people, just like what Risa-san mentioned, are indeed beautiful. The cold climate and clean air in Hokkaido probably attributed to their luminescent complexions.

As we turned into Susukino's cross-junction, the gigantic neon display of the buildings greeted us in magnificent fashion. Sapporo Beer, Suntory Whiskey and McDonald's screamed for our attention. If you are drawn to city lights like that in New York's Times Square or London's Picadilly Circus, then Sapporo's Susukino is a must-visit. Nearby, the Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade allows you a peek into the quirky preferences of the Japanese consumer through the 200 shops there. And naturally, you don't want to miss the chance to savour a bowl of authentic Sapporo ramen at Ramen Yokocho, an alley with a plethora of stalls selling you-know-what.

Endless rows of shops await at Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade in Sapporo.

Sometimes, itineraries that are planned kamikaze-styled result in the best trips. Often, unexpected surprises allow you to experience things out of the ordinary. This time round, though, the well-scripted schedule crafted by Risa-san and Saito-san allowed me to enjoy the multiple facets of Japan's largest prefecture within a short time.

From the picturesque landscapes of Furano and Biei, to the snapshots of urban life of in Asahikawa City and Sapporo, this unique sampler plate of Hokkaido's many allures proved irresistible. If there was one thing I took away from this trip was that it whet my appetite to come back for more. And oh, by the way, the crabs from Hokkaido are really good.

For more information on Furano, visit Furano Tourism Association (www.furano-kankou.com). Follow Me Japan Pte Ltd (www.followmejapan.com.sg) provides tours, golf packages and customised itineraries to Japan and around the world. For reservations and more info, call +65-6221-4250 or email enquiry@followmejapan.com.sg.

Tee-off in Hokkaido

Anyone who has played golf in Japan can attest that a round here is special - even more so under clear blue skies and cool temperatures of Hokkaido. There are over a hundred courses in Japan's largest prefecture so there's a place to tee it up no matter where you visit. Here are a few to check out.

Niseko Tokyu Golf Course

Situated next to the Hanazono ski resort in Niseko, with excellent views of Mount Yotei from the fairways (picture above)

1, Hanazono, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun Hokkaido 044-0084 +81-136-23-0109 www.niseko-tokyu.co.jp

Niseko Village Golf Course

One of the few courses in the world that has a par-six hole - the 720-yard 10th.

Higashiyama Onsen, Niseko-cho, Abuta-gun Hokkaido 048-1592 +81-136-44-1111 www.niseko-village.com

Niseko Golf & Resort

Reputed to have snow peaked mountains accompanying you at every tee-off.

46-1, Sakae, Rankoshi-cho, Isoya-gun Hokkaido 048-1325 +81-136-56-2121

Rusutsu

A highland resort offering many leisure facilities in addition to its four golf courses. The development recently opened a theme park.

13, Aza Izumikawa, Rusutsu-mura, Abuta-gun Hokkaido 048-1711 +81-136-46-3111 www.rusutsu.co.jp

Hokkaido Classic Golf Club

A course that is very conveniently located near New Chitose Airport.

406, Tomioka, Hayakita-cho, Yufutsu-gun Hokkaido 059-1434 +81-145-22-4101 www.hcgc.jp

Happy Valley Golf Club

Three nine-hole courses designed by Ronald Fream, about 45 minutes north of Sapporo. 3382, Moheizawa, Tobetsu-cho, Ishikari-gun

Hokkaido 061-0202 +81-133-22-0220 www.happyvalleygc.jp/en/

NisekoGolf.com (www.nisekogolf.com) offers customised golf packages to courses in and around Niseko. Call +81 136 21 2500 or email for bookings and more information.