The best part of this Hokkaido day trip is the jump from a gondola high above the autumn forest to close views of polar bears and penguins at Asahiyama Zoo. You get two very different sides of northern Japan in one outing, with a hot bowl of local ramen in between. I like that the … Read more
The day’s big prize is the GARINKO GO III icebreaker, whose powerful propellers push through the Sea of Okhotsk’s drift ice. The ship lets you feel the ice crack and rise beside the hull, then turns the return view into a sunset scene of snow and orange light. Earlier, Asahiyama Zoo gives you close views … Read more
Asahiyama Zoo gives this Hokkaido day trip its spark. You can watch penguins move through a glass tunnel, then see polar bears, wolves, big cats, apes, and other animals before heading into Biei for the calm blue water of Shirogane Blue Pond and nearby Shirahige Falls. It is a big day, but the route links … Read more
