A trip to Hakodate with a JAL card, and a tour of the area to support my favorite!

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After your idol activities, add some travel to your itinerary and enjoy a luxurious trip to Hakodate!

Sapporo City in Hokkaido is home to many concerts, theaters, and athletic venues, and has a good public transportation system, so it is a region where many people travel to for their favorite idol activities. However, if you come all the way to Hokkaido, it would be a waste to just go around the Sapporo area! After your favorite idol activities in Sapporo, why not add a little extra time to your itinerary and visit Hakodate? This is the start of a slightly luxurious girls' trip where you can enjoy not only your favorite idol activities but also the trip.

Save money on travel expenses with JAL Card! Exchange your accumulated miles for reward tickets

Two fellow fans of their favorite idols. They both used their JAL cards to redeem the miles they had earned for award tickets to New Chitose Airport, allowing them to book a trip at a bargain price.

The more idols you have, the more expensive it becomes to support them. By actively using your JAL card for expenses related to your idol activities, food during your trip, souvenirs, etc., you can earn miles. The miles you earn can be exchanged for reward tickets, which can be used for your next trip. One idol activity can lead to future idol activities, so it's a two-for-one deal!

Of course, if you use your JAL Card for everyday expenses, you can accumulate miles much faster.

And to accompany you on your idol-related trip, you can also bring stuffed toys and acrylic stands of your favorite idol. Take commemorative photos with your idol's goods to preserve your memories and feel like you're traveling with your idol. Be sure to post pictures of your trip on social media with the hashtag "#OshikatsuwithJALCard" and share with your idol-related friends to get the party started!

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The day after my favorite idol's event, I headed from Sapporo to Hakodate!

After enjoying your favorite idol activities, you can enjoy Hokkaido cuisine by eating Genghis Khan in the evening, and then stay the night at a hotel near Sapporo Station.

Since I saved money on the airfare to Sapporo, I decided to enjoy Hokkaido more, so I made a plan to go to Hakodate the next day. I took a plane from Sapporo Okadama Airport and arrived in Hakodate in about 45 minutes. Since the plane is a short trip, you can enjoy traveling efficiently.

You can get from Sapporo to Hakodate by train or bus in about four hours.

Enjoy fluffy sweets while looking out at the Tsugaru Strait at Rokkatei Irihidori Branch

The start of our trip to Hakodate was at Rokkatei Isarihidori Branch, a shop directly managed by Rokkatei, a confectionery manufacturer representing Hokkaido. It was about a 15-minute bus ride from Hakodate Airport to Hakodate Station. It was easily accessible and we arrived in no time.

Here you can enjoy delicious sweets while looking out at the ocean view that is unique to the port city of Hakodate, so the two, who love beautiful views and sweets, excitedly head inside.

The first floor is the sweets sales area, and if you go up the stairs to the second floor, you will find the cafe. This time, I ordered two popular sweets at the cafe.

This is "Obihiro no Mori" (950 yen), which can only be enjoyed at the Isarihidori store and the Obihiro main store. The dough, mixed with ricotta cheese, has a fluffy texture like a soufflé and a slight cheese flavor. It melts in your mouth and is irresistible. The key is to top it off with plenty of lightly sweetened fresh cream and the accompanying syrup.

Another item is the Isarihidori store's original "Gokuraku Roll" (300 yen). It is a roll cake with a simple fresh cream wrapped around a finely textured dough that melts in your mouth. It has a rich milky taste, but is not heavy and has a light and refreshing texture. It is a sweet that we would like to recommend as an after-meal dessert.

Here is the ocean view that I was also looking forward to. From the counter seats, you can see the Tsugaru Strait and Mount Hakodate stretching out in front of you. With nothing blocking the view except for a single window, you can enjoy the feeling that you have this luxurious view all to yourself. In this wonderful space, the sweet time became even more special.

Use your JAL Card to pay for your next favorite activity. Earn miles while you travel.

Rokkatei Isarihidori Branch

Tour famous tourist spots with recommended goods

From Rokkatei Isarihidori Branch, it takes about 40 minutes by city bus and tram to arrive at Goryokaku Tower, a popular tourist spot in Hakodate. Highlights include Goryokaku Tower, which overlooks the star-shaped castle, Hakodate Magistrate's Office, a reproduction of a government office from the end of the Edo period, and Goryokaku Park, where flowers bloom with the seasons. If you have time, take a stroll around the area. Be sure to check out the souvenirs inside Goryokaku Tower!

Goryokaku Tower

About 40 minutes by tram from Goryokaku Tower. Next, we visited Hachimanzaka, a popular tourist spot that is second only to Mount Hakodate. The attraction is the beautiful slope that continues straight to the sea, and the panoramic view of the Hakodate cityscape in the distance. It seems that you can see different views depending on the season you visit.

Hachimanzaka

We arrived at Kanamori Red Brick Warehouse after a seven-minute walk from Hachimanzaka. This is a representative tourist spot in Hakodate, lined with restaurants and souvenir shops. It all started in 1887 when the first Watanabe Kumashiro, who sold imported goods and ship equipment, decided to branch out into the commercial warehousing business. In 1988, restaurants and souvenir shops opened, and it gradually became a tourist spot. Even now, several buildings are still in use as commercial warehouses.

After enjoying a stroll around the Kanamori Red Brick Warehouse, I had some time to spare so I went to Hakodate to do some activities with my idol. I took photos of my idol and shared the photos of my trip on social media with the hashtag "#Oshikatsu with JAL Card". I felt so happy to be enjoying Hakodate with my idol.

Kanamori Red Brick Warehouse

Enjoy Hakodate's soul food, steak pilaf, at Jolly Jellyfish Motomachi Park Branch

"Since I've come all the way to Hakodate, let's try some soul food!" That's why I decided to visit Jolly Jellyfish Motomachi Park, a 10-minute walk from Kanamori Red Brick Warehouse. This cafe and restaurant is a renovated version of the former Hokkaido Government Hakodate Branch Office, a designated Tangible Cultural Property of Hokkaido. You can enjoy your meal in a Western-style building that gives you a taste of Hakodate's late Meiji period.

In the eat-in space on the second floor, a spectacular panoramic view of Hakodate taken in 1882 is on display. The antique sofas and tables exude a sense of history, making you feel as if you have traveled back in time. Here you can enjoy the soul food "Beef Steak Pilaf" (1,480 yen), which has been popular among Hakodate residents since the restaurant opened in 1982, so we ordered it right away. While waiting for the food to arrive, you can sit back and relax on the comfortable sofas.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," the waiter said, and when the beef steak pilaf was brought to us, we were surprised at the volume! Medium rare beef steak was placed on top of the butter pilaf, and it was topped with an original sauce made with a generous amount of Hakodate Trappist butter.

The beef steak used is lean red meat. It is paired with a rich, full-bodied sauce, making it the perfect match for the butter pilaf. With each bite, the delicious flavor of the meat fills your mouth, the aroma of butter fills your nose, and the spicy pepper accents create an addictive taste. "It's voluminous and incredibly satisfying!" "I want to come to Hakodate just to eat this!" We finished it all without stopping, finishing it all in one go.

Of course, you can pay with your JAL Card. While enjoying a delicious lunch, you can also steadily accumulate miles while traveling.

Jolly Jellyfish Motomachi Park Store

A late afternoon beer toast at "HMWorks ozigi Hakodate Beer Brewery"

Next, we visited HMWorks ozigi Hakodate Beer Brewery, which is a 10-minute walk from Jolly Jellyfish Motomachi Park store.

It features a nostalgic exterior that perfectly matches the atmosphere of the port town of Hakodate. It occupies a retro building that was constructed over 100 years ago. Unfortunately, the photo was taken on a cloudy day, but on a clear day you can see Mount Hakodate behind the store.

"I originally opened this shop because I wanted to do something to contribute to the local community. I want to discover unknown local yeasts and use cutting-edge chemistry to evolve beer," says the owner. What's surprising is that the shop also has a beer brewery attached to it. All processes, from malting to roasting, grinding, mashing, filtering, boiling, fermenting, aging, and filling, are carried out in-house.

The biggest attraction is being able to enjoy freshly brewed craft beer. This server is connected to the draft keg in the back, so fresh craft beer is always poured. Let's try some fresh beer that you can't find anywhere else.

We toasted with the popular menu items "IPA (India Pale Ale)" (850 yen) and "Shiro-Sudachi" (850 yen)! The IPA is smooth and has a gorgeous hop aroma and moderate bitterness. The other is Shiro-Sudachi, which has a clean and refreshing taste made with sudachi citrus without any bitterness. With craft beer in hand, the two of us had a lively conversation about our favorite activities in Sapporo, our walks around Hakodate, and the delicious food we enjoyed.

The JAL Card is here too. Don't forget to use your JAL Card at stores that accept credit cards.

HMWorks ozigi Hakodate Beer Brewery

[Special Dealer] After having lots of fun, relax at "Bourou NOGUCHI Hakodate"

After enjoying the sightseeing spots and gourmet food of Hakodate, head to "Bourou NOGUCHI Hakodate" located in Hakodate Yunokawa Onsen, one of the three major hot spring resorts in Hokkaido. This is the hotel where you will be staying.

Once you pass through the chic entrance hall, you will find yourself in a luxurious space.

At the Sky Lounge on the top floor (13th floor), guests can enjoy as much draft beer, frozen highballs, sparkling wine, soft drinks, and soft serve ice cream made with raw milk from Hokkaido as they like.

The building is higher than the surrounding buildings, so the views are excellent. Enjoy a relaxing time with a drink in hand and take in the view of Hakodate.

Noguchi Bunko is located on the first floor and is surrounded by bookshelves on all four sides. It has a wide range of books and magazines, so you can immerse yourself in the world of books at your leisure. Only at Borou Noguchi Hakodate can you enjoy reading books while traveling.

The room you will be staying in is a rare maisonette-type "Suite Type A." The concept of this room is "spend time like you live." As you walk up the spiral staircase from the entrance, you will find a spacious living space, and you will be amazed by its overwhelming sense of openness. There is also a hot spring observation bath where you can soak while taking in the beautiful cityscape of Hakodate. This is the perfect room for a luxurious stay.

Normally, when traveling, the couple would choose accommodation based on factors such as accessibility to the venue, but this time, their goal was to have a luxurious stay since they were on a miles trip, which allowed them to spend a special time that was different from usual.

The suite rooms at "Bourou Noguchi Hakodate" include the "Japanese Modern Room" with a Taisho-era romantic theme. This separate Japanese-Western room has a nostalgic feel to it, with antique furniture and stained glass. Depending on the room, you can enjoy views of the Hakodate cityscape and planes taking off and landing at the airport.

"Bourou NOGUCHI Hakodate" is a JAL Card authorized dealer. If you pay with your JAL Card, you can earn double the usual miles.

Watchtower NOGUCHI Hakodate

[Official Dealer] On your way back, pick up some Hakodate souvenirs at "JAL PLAZA (formerly BLUE SKY) Hakodate Airport"!

After checking out of the hotel, we headed back to Hakodate Airport, feeling a bit sad. At the airport, there is "JAL PLAZA (formerly BLUE SKY) Hakodate Airport," which has a wide variety of souvenirs and JAL goods. If you spend 1,000 yen or more per transaction at one store, you will receive a 5% discount by presenting your JAL card. Enjoy your final shopping so that you don't have any regrets.

Of course, since we are a JAL Card authorized dealer, you can earn double the usual number of miles.

JAL PLAZA (formerly BLUE SKY) Hakodate Airport

[Authorized Dealer] Bonus: We also recommend traveling a little further from Sapporo and stopping by Northern Horse Park!

We also recommend a visit to the Northern Horse Park during your stay in Sapporo. There are a wide variety of activities you can do to interact with horses, including a guided horse-drawn carriage ride on the premises, a horse-pulled tour where you ride a horse pulled by a staff member, a horse-riding lesson, and horse trekking.

In addition, the facility also has a restaurant where you can enjoy dishes made with seasonal vegetables, a cafe where you can taste homemade bread and cakes, and a shop with goods perfect for souvenirs. This facility is also a special store where you can earn double miles.

northern horse park

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