| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3822-0862 |
| Notes | Buddhist temple, no parking |
| Location / Getting There | Located at the central Hokkaido. It is a 2 minute walk from Matsukaze Cho street car station. It is directly across from Hakodate Promote Hotel. 15-17 Matsukazechō, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0035 |
Kankanji is a large Buddhist temple in the central city of Hakodate. The temple is a short walk from many of the central hotels in the area and can be easily found off the main road. Throughout the year, (as with other temples of the same religious beliefs) special events and festivals are held. This temple is part of the Omotoyama Naritasan Shinshoji. There are eight other temples of the same sect and these can be found in Fukugawa (Tokyo), Kawagoe (Saitama), Sapporo (Hokkaido), Yokohama (Kanagawa), Osaka (Osaka), Nagoya (Aichi) and Fukui (Fukui prefecture).
The Founding Memorial Festival is on the 27th and 28th of July every year. Besides this festival, there are numerous events throughout the year. The main events can be seen on January 1, February 3 brings the Setsubun festival, March 20 (Vernal Equinox Day) Spring equinox memorial service, April 8 is the Flower Festival, June 15 is the Aoba Festival, September 18 (Autumn equinox day) Autumn equinox memorial service. The longest event is from October 1 to November 30 and sees the Shichigosan special prayer meeting. Trinkets, amulets, and beads can be bought at this temple.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0138-24-0033 |
| Notes | Park, events space, available to rent for events |
| Location / Getting There | This long park is located in central Hakodate. It is just a 5 minute walk from Hakodate Station. It is also a quick 3 minute walk from Matsukaze-Cho Tram Station. 2-23, Matsukaze-cho, Hakodate 10-62 16-8 |
The Hakodate Green Plaza is a long and narrow space that covers five blocks. It is located in the Daimon district in front of Hakodate Station. The park was established back in 1973 and was created as a place where people can relax and enjoy themselves. It was redeveloped from 2001 to 2003. This space is also used as an event space and can even be rented out, by calling and getting the appropriate forms. The park is also by many of the hotels and restaurants in the area so it is easily accessed.
The best time to visit the park would be during the spring as there are many cherry blossom trees planted along its central path. You can enjoy these blossoms with a casual walk or by taking a seat on one of the many benches. During the year, there are some events held at the park. These include the “Hakodate Shio Ramen Summit”, the “Daimon Festival”, and the “Hakodate Gourmet Circus”. In the middle of the park is a statue of ‘Gekko Kamen’ also known as Moonlight Mask, champion of justice. This masked hero became popular in Japan in 1958 and was idolized by many young boys. Hakodate is the hometown of the original author.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 20:00 (last order 19:30) |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-206-0631 |
| Notes | Coffee shop, wifi, English menu, seating 70, no smoking, wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo in the Le Trois shopping centre. It is across from Odori Park and is a quick walk from Odori subway station, only 3 minutes. 1 Chome-13 Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042 |
Located in the Le Trois shopping centre on the 3rd floor, Kurami Coffee is a popular coffee shop. It is a large space with nice views overlooking Odori Park across the road. Kurami has free wifi which is definitely handy for those traveling. The staff here are also very good. With a lot of seating, this is a popular spot for shoppers in the Le Trois building. Here, in the spacious surroundings you can enjoy a nice coffee or tea and have a bite to eat for lunch or a quick dinner.
Kurami is part of a chain of restaurants and cafes that can be found throughout all of Japan. All these restaurants/cafes are all run with an Italian style menu. Kurami is no exception The menu has a selection of sandwiches, a couple of salads, and a few pastas from which to choose from. The price here too is very reasonable and you can have a coffee and a sandwich for around ¥1000. Le Trois has other restaurants on higher floors up for bigger meals, but if you are looking for a nice spot to enjoy a coffee with friends, Kurami is a nice choice.
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 12:00 13:00 - 16:00 |
| Closed | Weekends and public holidays |
| Contact | 011-261-7502 http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/about/region/sapporo/index.html |
| Notes | Free parking |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo by Odori Park on west 11. It is an easy walk from Nishi juitchome Station subway station (Tozai Line). Take exit 1 and walk diagonally across the park, past the fountain. The immigration bureau is on the 7th floor. 12 Chome Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042 |
For all foreigners living in Japan, you will inevitably come to the immigration bureau at some point. The main immigration bureau is in Sapporo but there are also immigration offices in Asahikawa, the New Chitose Airport, Tomakomai, and Kushiro. For visas it is juts a matter of checking off what’s needed and can take a few trips back and forth. It can either be an easy or difficult experience. In Sapporo, upon entering the building, you will need to sign in, get a badge and go through the security gate. Immigration is on the 7th floor. The staff here generally speak little English which can make things a little more difficult. There is a small help desk on the left hand side of the door and is manned by two old Japanese guys. They too, speak very little English but will help you with forms. All the visa forms here are here; student, work, spousal, permanent residence, and specialist visas.
The immigration bureau can get busy so be prepared to wait. They do close for lunch as well so early mornings are usually best to get there. Once you have all your forms ready take a ticket and wait (don’t forget to bring your passport and alien registration card). One convenient thing about the immigration building is that it is a short walk from the central city hall (if you live in the area) so any extra forms you may need, are a quick walk away. When picking up a new visa you need to pay for it. There is a convenience store on the B1 basement floor and it is here you will buy a stamp equivalent to your visa cost (usually from ¥3000 to ¥6000). Take the stamp back to the 7th floor and you are done. For more information on types of visas, click here.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 23:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3822-6772 |
| Notes | Chinese restaurant, Japanese menu only |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Hakodate. It is only a 4 minute walk south east from Hakodate station. It can be found near many of the hotels along route 278. 19-1 Wakamatsucho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0063 |
Hakodate is a popular destination for many sightseers. Dotted between the hotels, you can find Hakodate Menya Yumin. This is a Chinese restaurant and has a solid menu of noodles, rice dishes and meat dishes to name a few. The menu only comes in Japanese but that isn’t a big problem as the dishes are all pictured so its easy to find what you want. This restaurants main dish is a bowl of steaming ramen. These Chinese noodles with pork will satisfy any hungry guest.
Hakodate Menya Yumin was established in 1946 and seems to be a well known restaurant among the locals. The entrance is adorned with signatures from well known people. Being only a short walk from Hakodate station is an added bonus. Apart from the ramen on the menu, they have a lot of other well known Chinese dishes to choose. These include sweet and sour pork, fried rice, spicy tofu, gyoza (steam-fried dumplings), and garlic shrimp. At Yumin, they also serve beer, whiskeys, and soft drinks.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥400 - ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | Monday to Friday 11:00 - 15:00 (LO 14:30) Lunch Monday to Friday 17:00 - 22:00 (LO 21: 30) Dinner Weekends 11:00 - 22: 00 (LO 21: 30) |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 090-5983-8746 |
| Notes | Restaurant, seating 8, no smoking |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo in the Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade on the 5th block. It's a 4 minute walk from Susukino subway station or a 5 minute walk from Odori subway station. 5-chome, Minami 2- jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido (5-chome, Tanukikoji ) Sapporo Plaza 2.5 Building 1F 〒060-0062 |
Dai Tonpaku, which literally translates to ‘Big White Pig’, is a small restaurant in the food arcade ‘Hug’. Hug can be found on the fifth block of the Tanuki Koji shopping street. It is one of about half a dozen restaurants in Hug. Dai Tonpaku is a small restaurant with only seating for six people, though the meals can be had in the extra seating just outside the restaurant in ‘Hug’. Though the space is small the lunches and set meals are quite big, as well as being quite cheap. The food here has a mainly Chinese flair, that can be washed down with some good Japanese beer.
The menu, which is only in Japanese, has a special set menu as well as its standard menu. Each day of the week has a special main dish. This main dish comes with a side of rice, a soup and a small pickled dish. These affordable dishes include a stir fired pork, a mapo tofu, and fried chicken. You can enjoy the food here for lunch and dinner. To accompany your meal, you can savor some bottled Japanese beer. They have Kirin, Sapporo, and Asahi beers. There is also a bottled lemon Chu-hai to check out as well. If you are in the area, the Hug restaurant area is a nice spot to grab some lunch or dinner.
