Our third day in Sapporo started with a sleep in. Then we had brunch at Keyaki, another ramen-shop. It opened at 10:30 am and we arrived there just passed 11. And there was already a line outside the shop, waiting for their chance to have ramen. We waited for about 30 minutes before it was our turn. But it was worth the wait. It was great ramen, especially after waiting outside in the cold for 30 minutes it was great to get inside and get a hot meal. When we got outside again the line was even longer. Almost at the end of the line – maybe 45 minutes from getting ramen – was an American couple asking if it was worth the wait. It was.

Now we had some time to kill before we had to fly back to Tokyo at 8:18 pm. First stop was Starbucks for some coffee and hot chocolate. And playing some Nintendo game boy and reading. After a while we got our bags from the hotel and continued to the Sapporo station and put our bags in a locker. Then we continued with some shopping. We bought a pair of training shoes for Chie (Addidas). And went to Bic Camera for me. Then we had dinner at Sushi-zen at the Daimaru department store. Compared to the other food we had in Sapporo it was only OK, but still much better than what I can find in Sweden.

By 6:10 pm we were on a train bound for the airport. And by 9:45 pm we had arrived at the Haneda airport back in Tokyo. By 11 pm we were back in the apartment waiting for the clock to turn 12. So that 23 would turn 24 and we could open some Christmas gifts.

Our second day in Sapporo started by taking a taxi to the vegetable market. Here they had a good sushi restaurant (Uo-masa) with, it turned out, great prices. So we started our day with a sushi breakfast. Again it differed a little from what we are used to in Tokyo. The chef applied a kind of sticky soy sauce before handing us the sushi. Yummy.

Then we walked around the area and found a lot of fish shops. They had all kinds of fish but the most common were salted salmon and different kinds of crab. Although we were full it looked so yummy.

We took the subway back to the Sapporo station. From there we had quite a walk to today’s ramen-shop (Sumire) where we had lunch. On our way there Chie got a bear hug. After a long walk outside it was nice to get inside again and have a hot miso ramen.

Then we returned to the hotel and arrived there just after 1:30 in the afternoon. We went in the the bakery shop and found that they had Yaga-pokuro there. We bought 3 boxes each, the maximum allowed. Then we went back to our room to have a nap. Too tired after a long walk and the excitement of finding Yaga-pokuro.

After the nap we got ready for dinner. Chie ahd made a reservation at a crab restaurant (kani-te). We walked there and arrived just in time for our reservation. We ordered a set meal including sashimi, two different types of crab, grilled fish, squid and potato, and pickled vegetables. We had a real difficulty getting it all down. But it was yummy.

Although tired from traveling and the excitement of seeing each other again we got out of bed early. We had to catch our flight to Sapporo from Haneda airport early in the morning. The flight took not more than an hour and some, but it was like going to a different world. Snow and cold. And almost no buildings as rode the train from the airport to Sapporo. However, before leaving the airport we checked every place for Yaga-pokuro (famous fried potato from Sapporo). We also checked all the places around the Sapporo station when arriving by train in Sapporo. But they were all sold out.

Instead we went to the hotel to check in. Then we went for lunch. One of a few ramen-shops (type of noodle soup) that we had planned to visit in Sapporo. Sapporo is famous for its ramen. Our lunch was at the oldest miso ramen-shop in Japan – Aji-no-sanpei. It opened already in 1953.

Chie did not feel well so we went back to the hotel so she could take a nap. Meanwhile I went for a walk. My goal was to go to the mountain that was always visible at the outskirts of Sapporo. On my way there I passed a parking lot for snow removal vehicles. Just another evidence that Sapporo gets a lot of snow in the winter time.

By the time I got back it was time for Chie to wake up and get ready for dinner. I bought some coffee from Starbucks to make it easier. Then we got ready for dinner and walked there, passing colorful Christmas trees on the way.

The dinner at Arima the sushi restaurant was great. The fish was so fresh and it was a little bit different from what we are used to in Tokyo. The chef mixed a lot of different things like some white fish wrapped around sea urchin (uni) or miso marinated liver from a Monk fish (ankokimo) – in Tokyo we had ankokimo with a Japanse citrus based sauce called ponzu. The dinner was excellent.