As predicted, the sun is shining again. It’s a good day to head out with our new tent and sleeping bags, stop when we like and camp wild if needed.
In researching for this trip, Barry sourced a number of good sites, but for Hokkaido he found this one very helpful. It is hokkaidowilds.org. The site is founded by a Hokkaido resident from New Zealand. This is where Barry discovered info about Outdoor Stores in Sapporo and also about the dedicated cycle path, the Shiroishi Cycling Road that takes you out of central Sapporo for about 26 Km to Kitahiroshima. This awesome cycle path cuts north to south from the Sapporo Convention Centre to Kitahiroshima Train Station and you never encounter motorized vehicles nor deal with any intersections. When Barry was talking to the fellow who sold us our tent, he also recommended this route. He liked that this route is completely car free, which is pretty rare here. Another tip from the Hokkaido Wilds site is a recommendation of a bike shop called Sam’s Bikes in the Shiroishi area (as in the route name) and it is a great resource for cycle touring gear and assistance. Anyway, do check out the Hokkaido Wilds site as the founder is a passionate cyclist who shares his first hand knowledge of bike routes and all things cycling in Hokkaido.
Well, despite being well researched and raring to go, good plans can be undone pretty quickly when you encounter a full on Japanese festival taking place, blocking your way on the streets of Sapporo.
We knew something was happening when we met this group on a street corner. This also explains the groups of young women we saw similarly attired walking and dancing on the streets last night.
Sapporo in June is all about the Yosakoi Soran Festival. It is held in Odori Park over 5 days. The food festival we attended yesterday is part of this event. Visitors come from all over Japan, with over 2 million from around the world. This has grown to be an international event with over 30,000 dancers from around the world competing with their dance troupes. This explains the large groups we met at our hotel from other countries in Asia. The festival is inspired by the Hokkaido Fishermen’s folk song, Soran and it features dance performances by teams of dancers dressed in vibrant costumes using traditional Japanese fans and Naruto - wooden clappers. They are accompanied by drums, recorded music, hip hop.a live singer….
The group below were exceptional. It is a high cardio workout in a highly choreographed, fast paced, exacting performance. Bleachers lined the streets with crowds standing wherever they could. The downtown core was hopping and it was electrifying to be part of this energy.
We could hear the festival long before we got there. As is customary in Japan, the bedlam was well controlled by the traffic wardens directing the flow of pedestrian traffic and also because of the orderly respectful nature of the crowds.
We are a bit embarrassed that we didn’t know anything about this important event which was happening on the weekend we chose to be in Sapporo. It explains our difficulty in finding accommodation and perhaps the indifference of the hotel staff we experienced. Somehow we stumbled on one of the most significant weeks in Sapporo’s calendar…and here we were fixated on buying a tent.
The extensive parade of dance troupes we saw here represent the winners of the competitions over the past few days. Later the winners of this parade will complete on a stage later.
After we left the Festival, we sought out the Tourist Office….there is one at the bottom of the Panasonic Tower. It is best to go to the Tourist Office at the main train station.
Barry went in to the Tourist Office and I got to wait with several of the dance troupes who gathered here in this large square. Fascinating watching them prepare for a final performance on the stage.
Barry’s back and armed with a pile of maps. The help of the Tourist Office is critical as we have been unable to find a book store with books or maps in English.
We ran out of time to visit the Sapporo Beer Museum. Perhaps we’ll add it to our list for when we (perhaps) come through on our way back to the ferry to Honshu. That is if there isn’t another festival happening to distract us.
Oh, such bliss it is to find dedicated cycling paths. We hope that this is just the beginning. The signage has been excellent with milepost and signs reminding riders and pedestrians how to coexist.
We have loved riding along this route. Kudos to the developers for a job well done. All too soon we were in Kitahiroshima and will need to get back on the road.
Because we had such a wonderful time in Sapporo, we got a late start riding. We tried to get a room but due to the festival, the price of rooms had skyrocketed. As a result, dusk was falling as we started to look for a place to camp. We rode through the town of Naganuma looking for a park that would work. We found a large park that had lots of trees, a bathroom and some lights. The tent passed our first test. We had to set it up in the dark and we had it done in no time. We slept well and woke up excited, ready to try another camping experience…perhaps tonight.
Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles) Total: 1,597 km (992 miles)
