Steph and I packed our things into two groups; things we were taking with us to Hokkaido and things we were leaving in Osaka at our host families house for the week. We bought pocky, water and cheese breads and headed to Kyoto station to meet Todd’s smiling face. By late afternoon we were on our way to Tokyo to transfer to our overnight train to Sapporo, and by late evening we were settled on our northbound train with whiskey nightcaps and pajamas. We arrived in Sapporo very early the next morning and were greeted with immense cold and chilling wind, so we took a few moments to bring out all our winter gear and bundled up to go explore the city. With our bags in one big train station storage locker we left the station and had a fine breakfast of coffee and toast at a nearby café with a view of the clock tower and the bustle of a workday morning in Sapporo. We waited patiently for the airport visitor center to open and then like children in a candy shop we gathered pamphlet after pamphlet of museum guides, history tours, and other various tourist attractions. We were all so excited that we determined A) we needed coffee and B) we needed a plan. In a few hours time we were on our way to a huge sculpture park just outside of the main part of Sapporo. We took a fairly quick train and a bus and found ourselves in a pretty vacant area… quiet, relaxed and pristine, we entered the park and proceeded to explore for the next 4 hours.
The Sapporo art park and sculpture garden is a huge plot of land just outside Sapporo and houses the Museum of Contemporary art, 5 different studios and residencies, 3 event and display centers and a garden containing over 70 locally or internationally sculpted works all placed within a landscape of white birch and green lawns. Our arrival date was not particularly well planned and soon enough we found out that the Museum was closed between exhibits and that during the winter months the park was also partially closed. We wondered around for a bit, visiting the buildings with displays and the studios but eventually discovering that we could not see much of the work in the park without trespassing. We were a little irked that we had traveled this great distance and the park was off limits. So in an act of curiosity and great concern for the future of my thesis Todd used his Japanese to inquire as to why the park was closed. Steph and I stood by him and nodded when it seemed appropriate and also tried to look earnest and slightly disappointed.
In the end we were sent to an office and a man handed us informational packets and badges and we were off to explore the cold, beautiful park… and best of all admission was somehow free! We spent a long while exploring the grounds, taking pictures, discussing works, watching a school group run about and finally we played a little in the cool air as it began to gently snow on the group of bronze portraits that encircled us.Eventually we left the park and headed back to the train station to get our bags and head to our hostel. After a brief train ride we found our home for the night and made ourselves comfortable. That night it began to heavily snow and so we went out into it after dinner and wrote our names in the slush while we took pictures of each other. By the morning Sapporo was a white beauty and the remnants of our names were covered with ice and snow. The shoes I bought in Mongolia were now full of holes and so the task of buying new shoes was the first of the day. After a bit of searching we eventually found an athletic shoe store and from this point it was actually very easy. I pointed to a pair I liked and asked for the right size and when the clerk motioned that they did not have them she just brought out the one pair that they did have in my size. My choices were limited, but easy. I paid and then Todd, Steph and I headed to our event of the day, the old Hokkaido city.
This is an area with a bunch of historical buildings and forest. We spent a few hours roaming around and playing in the snow. We visited an old time-y post office, print shop, and farm. I took a few family portraits in the snow and then we all ran to catch the bus to our departing train.
As we waited for our train to Hakodate, (a picturesque bay area town almost on the southern tip of Hokkaido) we drank Sapporo beer tall boys and chatted about our coming days. We boarded our train and waved Todd goodbye as he stood on the platform holding his beer. The train to Hakodate was relatively easy and short and we arrived in the early evening to the beautifully snowy, tiny town of Hakodate. That night we were on a quest for crab (a delight that Hakodate is famous for). We decided on a cute little restaurant with a colorful front and nice woodwork. We went inside, took off our shoes, sat on tiny pillows and proceeded to hand gesture the word “crab”! It worked well and after awhile we had a plate of crab, sweet and delicate. The entire menu was in Japanese so we asked “sake?”, “sashimi?” and soon enough we had flasks of smooth rice wine and flavorful, melt in your mouth fish of various types served on beds of lettuce.It began to snow and so we paid and went out to explore. We walked around the town and found a park that had been untouched by footsteps. Steph and I teeter tottered and bounced around on the playgrounds spring-loaded Anpan Man characters (this is a strange Japanese children’s cartoon that encourages healthy eating habits). We walked towards the beach, through a temple and down a bank until we reached the waters edge. It was covered with snow and the waves came to meet it. When they did touch, a tiny strand of snow would turn to ice ever so briefly before melting into the sand. We stayed awhile talking about Hawaii, throwing snow into the cold water, and looking at the surrounding landscape, trying to place ourselves.
The next day was our big day out in Hakodate. We had planned the day very well, according to the 5 pm train we needed to catch to Tokyo. The day started out with coffee and apple pie at a very cute little shop we noticed tucked down an alley. At this meal we pulled out our maps and brochures and decided we would go to a few museums, do some shopping, head to the ropeway to see Hakodate from its highest point and then proceed to the train station. We began our walk and I promptly dropped the map into the water as I peered over the edge at the boats. We managed to have a pretty good idea of the city though, so we took off to find some outdoor art and hit up some little shops and a hotdog restaurant our host mother recommended. 
We found the ropeway and bought tickets. The ropeway took us to the top of Mount Hakodate and we stayed there for a long while, exploring the view, looking at the gift shop, enjoying the cold air and beautiful sky before we headed to Tokyo.Soon enough though, Steph and I have to run to the train station. We run with heavy bags over the icy streets in the evening darkness. We find ourselves standing caught at a crosswalk and we both look at each other knowing very well, we could be stranded for the night, but neither of us decide to entertain this idea… we just wait and when we can, we keep on running. We arrive just in time and the train starts to move as we settle into our seats. It is dark out now, but the large train windows allow us to view the bright speckled lights of the coastal cities. We barely make our connecting train and to ease the fright of our upcoming transfer at Toyko station we bought a few beers and had a meal of nuts, beef jerky, and Pringles. When we arrive Tokyo Eki is big and crazy and we regroup to navigate its many lines. In the end, with the help of a Japanese railways ticket man, a silly British dude and his Japanese friend, our maps, notes and the guidance of a construction worker itching to take a break from work, we arrive at our hostel to find Norah and two nice beds waiting for us.
Tokyo was a busy next few days. We spent our time at museums doing research for our various thesis projects. We took the above ground subway to the Mirakan technology museum and spent a very long time there watching demonstrations and seeing Asimo man. We went to the natural history museum and I visited a huge public park with art throughout it and several areas of art museums that displayed outdoor art. Norah, Steph and I ate some wonderful food and some not so wonderful crunchy meat kabobs. 
One night while sitting in the lobby of our hostel we got sucked into watched comedy Utube videos with a group of Slovenian karate instructors staying in Tokyo for an international competition. Eventually we all headed to a nearby jazz club, but the cover was costly and the bar was packed so we opted for a tiny Irish pub and spent the evening talking about geography, music, politics, food, and Japan, drinking dark beer and Asahi. Oh how universal it is that everyone falls in love with Japan! The next night Steph and I venture out for sushi. We find a great looking, crowded and tiny place and so we take a seat and wait for some room to dine. When we finally get seated we order beers and just smile at each other as the fish rolls on past us. There is a huge bowl of wasabi and boxes of ginger. We are very excited and after the meal we walk around a huge market before we head back to the hostel.
On our last day in Tokyo we wake up and have a leisurely breakfast. We pack our bags and head to an area that has a huge 3 story stationary store. We have a very hard time finding it and so we stop for a bit to admire the huge buildings all around us. In the end we never locate the store but we do find a million camera stores and so I buy a new lens cap and we board our train back on towards Osaka. Although we were very sad to say goodbye to the new places we met, we were very excited to see Otasan and Okasan and tell them all about our adventures. We arrive in Suita and walk one last time, back towards their house. We are greeted with warm tea and special little mochi sweets. We sat around the warm rock table and showed them pictures and gave them our gift of Hokkaido cakes. Otosan was insistent on driving us to the hotel where we were expected to meet up with PACRIM again and so unhappily we all piled into the Honda and headed to downtown. We were very sad to have to say goodbye and Okasan must have been as equally sad because she repeatedly invited us to visit again. Steph and I were not sure if it was ok to hug her but when we asked, a huge smile covered her face and she held us and said goodbye a few more times. We waved goodbye and finally they drove off as we stood watching the street.Later that night (my last night in Japan) as I am trying to fall asleep i find myself thinking about how small things all go together to form the bigger picture. It is odd to listen to all the sounds that form into music, to see all the mountainous things that form islands. It is strange, to notice all the memories that happen to contribute to my idea of love and worth and validity.
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