Day 236: June 25, 2022
Saturday - Asahikawa x Biei
It's a beautiful morning here in Rumoi City. However, we won't spend our weekends here. Instead, we'll be going to Asahikawa City. It's all because Engan bus offered a 2-day "Bus Free Day". My wife already booked our hotel 3 weeks back so we're all set for this adventure.
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| Engan Bus - Free Bus Day |
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| Waiting for the bus at Motokawa-cho Bus Stop |
We left Rumoi City on the first bus (7:09AM) to Asahikawa City (旭川市) and luckily, we still got seats when we boarded at the Motokawacho bus stop which was one of the last bus stops in Rumoi.
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| Asahikawa JR Station |
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| Baggage drop at Hotel Amanek |
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| Relaxed a bit before continuing on our itinerary |
Upon arriving at the bus stop at Asahikawa JR Station, we immediately went to Hotel Amanek to drop off our baggage since check-in was still at 3PM.
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| Quick brunch before going to Biei |
Since we didn't eat breakfast on our way to Asahikawa, we decided to buy some food at 711 in front of the hotel. There were seats outside the store so we ate the food there.
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| Checking out the price of the ticket going to Biei |
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| It has large windows that allow passengers to enjoy the view |
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| Arrived at Biei Station |
From there, we rushed back to Asahikawa JR Station to catch the Furano-Biei Norokko Train going to the town of Biei (美瑛町). There were almost no passengers when we boarded which was surprising knowing that this train is sought after by densha otakus around Japan. The train was slow but it was perfect as we got to enjoy the view better.
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| Checking out the digital map of Biei |
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| Biei Station |
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| Biei Tourist Information Center |
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| Inside Biei Tourist Information Center |
When we arrived at Biei, I didn't miss the opportunity to get the eki stamp at the Biei JR Station and the city stamp at the Biei Tourist Information Center. I also got a tourist map of the town from the tourism officer.
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| Team Nicerio visits the Biei Landmark Bell |
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| We rented a bike at Masaka Shoten |
We naturally made the best of the chance to shoot pictures in and around the train station area. From there, we walked to the nearby bike rental shop - Masaka Shoten to rent bikes to explore the neighborhood.
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| Biking around Biei |
We wanted to bike to the Hokusei-no-oka Observatory Park but my wife and daughter weren't ready for uphill biking so we decided to just bike around town.
Our first stop was the Four Seasons Tower. It stands 44.5 meters tall and has an amazing view of the city and the Daisetsuzan Mountain Range. Aside from that, it's a FREE entrance. We spent a bit of time there to rest as it was a hot day as well.
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| Next stop: Misora Museum and Observatory |
From there, we just crossed the road to our next destination which is the Misora Museum and Observatory. Entrance here is also free. There were only a few displays about the history of Biei but it was totally worth it as we learned something new about the town.
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| Time to return the bikes |
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| Biei soft cream |
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| We did some photoshoots before heading to Biei JR Station |
Since we were already tired after biking for almost 2 hours, we decided to head back to return the bikes and also catch the next train back to Asahikawa. After returning the bike at Masaka Shoten we found out that we still had time before the next train arrived so we headed to the nearby Biei Roadside Station / Biei Michi no eki Oka-no-Kura.
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| Hokkaido Roadside Station Stamp Book |
I got my Michi-no-eki stamp here and also met a foreigner living in Hokkaido who was also collecting michi-no-eki stamps. He introduced me to the Hokkaido Michi-no-eki stamp book. I got one myself and it cost only 300 yen.
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| Heading back to Biei JR Station to catch the train to Asahikawa |
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| Waiting for the train going back to Asahikawa |
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| Finally, boarded the train back to Asahikawa |
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| Asahikawa JR Station |
We then went back to Biei JR Station and purchased a train ticket to Asahikawa City. The train that we rode back was ordinary but I still got to take videos of the tracks in front of the train as it moved. When we got back to Asahikawa City we checked in at Hotel Amanek. This is actually the second time that we booked Hotel Amanek. The first time was last May 14 - 15, 2022 which was my 28th weekend here in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher under the JET Programme.
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| Check-in @ Hotel Amanek - Room 1602 |
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| Time to rest a bit and charge our devices. |
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| The view from Room 1602 of Hotel Amanek |
We were given Room 1602. Compared to our last stay, this is by far the best room that we had as it has an amazing view of Asahikawa Station and the hills beyond.
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| I went out to have my haircut at Barber Plage |
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| Haircut at Barber Plage |
While my wife and daughter were resting, I headed out and had a haircut at Barber Plage near Hotel Amanek. This is also the same thing that I did during our visit last May.
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| Did some shopping at REPRESENT |
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| We also checked out the Furarito which is a dining alley |
After my haircut, my family and I went to check out the Shopping Park Festival at Heiwa dori Shopping Street and also looked for a restaurant to eat dinner at. However, since it's a shopping street, my wife was drawn to the pre-loved stores and she bought several clothes at REPRESENT.
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| Asahikawa JR Station at night |
As for our dinner, we settled for the takeout bento from 711 which we consumed at the dining area of our hotel. Before calling it a day, we took a dip at the onsen area at 17F. Overall, today was a great day. We visited one new town as part of the #Hokkaido179 challenge.
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We stayed in Hotel Amanek last long weekend. The breakfast was great.
ReplyDeleteDid you try the onsen?
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