| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 20:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0134-21-5000 http://www.wingbay-otaru.co.jp/ |
| Notes | Supermarket, clothing stores, restaurants, fast food stores, entertainment areas, movie theatre, furniture stores, 5000 parking, swimming pool, wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | Wing Bay Otaru is right across from Otaruchikko Train Station on the JR Otaru line. 25 minute train ride from Sapporo station 〒047-0008 11 Chikko, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido |
The JR train line on the way to Otaru passes some great coastline. Along this JR line there are various stops before the final destination of Otaru. Two stations before the Otaru train station, you can find the Wing Bay Otaru department store. Opened in 1999, this huge department is about 1.5km long. It is one of the largest shopping complexes in Japan. The centre is 4 stories and has ample parking. In terms of shopping there are plenty of outlet shops, including mens, womens, and kids clothing stores. There is also a Nittori which is a huge furniture and home furnishing store.
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Apart from all these shops, Wing Bay Otaru shops has a huge hotel overlooking the marina. There is a cinema, a swimming pool, a bowling alley and a sports club, plus a large play centre for the kids. To fuel the body for shopping and all these activities there are about thirty different restaurants ranging from Mos Burger to gourmet dining. There is also a supermarket to pick up some fresh food. It is here you can get some boxed lunches. Why not grab one and head out to the park overlooking the water or eat outside along the boardwalk.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1500 - ¥2000 |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 20:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0136-23-2220 http://www.nacadventures.jp/jojos-restaurant |
| Notes | Coffee shop & restaurant, seating 100, party plan available, jungle gym for kids, indoor climbing |
| Location / Getting There | Located centrally, in the resort town of Niseko in the NAC Adventure 179-53 Yamada, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0081 |
NAC Niseko Adventure is a hugely popular outdoor adventure company. Their main building can be found in the centre of Niseko and it is here where you can find JoJo’s. JoJo’s is a restaurant and coffee shop that is a great place to sit down and enjoy a lunch, or dinner, with friends and family after a days activities whether it be summer or winter. On the menu they have some truly juicy hamburgers. They have an original, bacon & cheese, or a salsa burger to wrap your teeth around! They also have a taco & rice to try.
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Of course, if you just want to relax, then take a seat and enjoy the coffees and teas. During the warmer months they have outside seating where you can take in the surrounding views. If you are in a group, JoJo’s has a course meals that are perfect for parties and gatherings (reservations required). These group plans include a seasonal course menu, a buffet style, an outdoor BBQ (from June to September 15), or an all you can drink plan that has beers and cocktails. If you have kids, they can enjoy the jungle gym, plus there is rock climbing and bouldering to try!
| Admission | – |
| Opening Hours | 10AM - 7PM |
| Closed | Mondays |
| Contact | shugakuso.com +81 11-726-1235 |
| Notes | - |
| Location / Getting There | N12, Chuo Ku. Japan, 〒001-0012 Hokkaido Prefecture, Sapporo, 北区北１２条西３丁目２−１５ |
Entering paradise
Just walking through the doors of the Shugakusou (秀岳荘) in N12, Chuo Ku, Sapporo makes you feel you’re headed for adventure. For Hokkaido outdoor enthusiasts this store is the one-stop supplier, its floors replete with everything needed to explore paradise Earth. Be it a day hike or month-long alpine mission, this compact, densely stocked home store (Hokudai-ten, 北大店) is the best spot on the island to sherpa up. It is a gearhead’s nirvana.
Enter into a thicket of hiking poles, headlamps and gas camp stoves. A long glass display counter to the left displays the newest gizmos for tracking outdoor metrics and location. GPS systems and watches segue into more primitive multi-tools, knives and axes. Beyond that tower stacks of literature, from magazines to guidebooks to topographic maps. Cups and pans, Dutch-ovens and thermoses, freeze-dried dinners and back-packing coffee grinders – it’s all there. No less than 100 bags hang along the back wall, from 70 + liter expedition monsters all the way down to svelte trail running belts.
All the major outdoor brands are carried here.
Leave camping and ascend to the second floor for a full selection of mountaineering gear. Boulder crushing alpine boots to toe crushing climbing shoes stock the shelves. Gaze and be reminded that winter here is a protracted, freezing affair. As one who’s been to countless outfitters, the collection of snow boots and ice studs here rivals much bigger stores. For those who really embrace the cold, Shugakusou carries snowshoes and snow shovels, ice axes and crampons. Rock-climbing supplies are available year round, while a corner of the floor is devoted to skiers from November to April. If only they covered snowboarders as well…
The entire store is festooned with the trappings of world exploration. Take a moment to look at the many maps, paintings and framed photographs adorning the walls. Pat the sea-lion head as you climb the stairs to floor three. Next stop – clothing.
Anyone who’s hiked around Hokkaido knows the locals dress well on the mountain. One could easily drop $500 here – indeed many shoppers spend much more. Most major outdoor brands are featured, ensuring that nature lovers will pitch their tents and shred pow in style. If there’s any place to rationalize spending stupid money on clothes, it’s here. Hypothermia? Sunstroke? Can’t risk it. We all know matching proper attire to the occasion is crucial. So if dropping $140 bucks on a pair of lined pants makes you balk, just tell yourself it could mean the difference between life and death.
Boom! Goodbye guilt.
Top floor!
It’s bad, but I’ve got to default to a cake metaphor now, because the fourth floor can only be described as icing. Bouldering crash pads and jidohanbaiki (自動販売機, vending machine) drinks are the only items for sale up here are. The rest is a space of utility and sport. Bathrooms and the office designate the former, while a no nonsense bouldering room indicates the latter. Set by real climbers, the problems bolted onto the walls of this modest gym range from first timer fun to badass rock ninja. Shugakusou’s commitment to providing a quality training room for climbers has had me coming here for years.
And that’s the crux of it – commitment. For 40 years the company has been committed to providing the best outdoor gear the world has to offer. The staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, both in the store and on the trail. Even if you’re not shopping, drop in and get a feel for Hokkaido outdoor culture and history. One of the only real outfitters in a city of upscale shops, it’s the rough in the diamond.
Two other Shugakusou stores exist, one in Shiroishi, Sapporo (白石店) and Asahikawa (旭川店). Link to their homepage for details regarding business hours and merchandise.
