Trip Prep

What we do to get ready

Luggage Services in Japan

This was an interesting trip to pack for, not only is it long (almost 5 weeks), we also had to be ready for a variety of weather; Hokkaido was much more autumn like than our stops on Honshu. Traveling around the country with three large bags via train is not appealing so we brought along two packable travel bags and utilized the luggage forwarding services available in Japan. Known as Takuhaibin, you can move your luggage from hotel to hotel for a moderate cost. We took advantage of this service, as an example when we first left Tokyo we packed our travel bags for a few days in Hakone and forwarded our luggage to Kyoto. We continued this the entire trip and it worked out quite well. All our luggage have Apple Airtags in them so we could monitor their progress and this made our travels in Japan much easier. In a sense our main luggage had their own vacation.

Our three main bags packed for their own vacation.
The travel set ready for the Shinkansen

Hakodate (Pronounced hah koh dah teh)

At the bottom of the Oshima Peninsula is the city of Hakodate, our next destination. We had few plans in this stop, it was time for some relaxation and a city with hotsprings, seafood and a water view sounded perfect. Unfortunately our plans in the city went from little to very little, one of our activities, a trip to the top of Mt. Hakodate we canceled due to the ropeway being closed for legal inspection. I believe this means mandatory service and inspection which makes sense with winter coming on. We could have taken a bus to the top however the thought of a 24 minute ride up a winding road vs a 7 minute gondola ride appealed to neither of us. So just a quick visit to the town the back to our ryokan for more down time.

Pardon me boys, is that the Hakodate Choo Choo? (Hai, Hai)
Heading south
Heading south
Hakodate Station
Hakodate Station
Hakodate Harbor
The missed Mount Hakodate
The missed Mount Hakodate
Entertaining the tourists...
Entertaining the tourists…
The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse in Hakodate
The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse in Hakodate
Lucky Pierrot, a popular local fast food chain.
Lucky Pierrot, a popular local fast food chain.

Our abode for this stay was Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu, located about 15 minutes from central Hakodate, A traditional ryokan, we were told their motto is “An ocean view with warm hospitality” and this was an accurate description. It has a beautiful wood interior and a very attentive staff. Meals are served in a traditional setting featuring seasonal food. A nice stay.

A view of Hakodate from Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu
A view of Hakodate from Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu
There are sliding wood screens in front of each door.
A futon with a view at Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu
A futon with a view at Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu
Waiting for dinner at Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu
Waiting for dinner at Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu
Squid. Its whats for dinner.
Squid. Its whats for dinner. Well, at least one course was.
A reflection on dinner
A reflection on dinner
Squid fishermen in the Tsugaru Straits.