It was cold in Hakodate on Tuesday morning, with temperatures at 0° C (32 °F) and a wind chill.
I commandeered a taxi to the train station for what was all of a 7 minute walk, so that I did not have to brave the elements.
At Hokudate station, I boarded the Hokutu Limited Express train at noon to take me to Sapporo.
The Hokuto Limited Express takes about 4 hours and runs between Hakodate Station and Sapporo Station, stopping at the following stations in order: Goryōkaku, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, Ōnuma-Kōen, Mori, Yakumo, Oshamambe, Tōya, Date-Mombetsu, Higashi-Muroran, Noboribetsu, Shiraoi, Tomakomai, Minami-Chitose, Shin-Sapporo, Sapporo.The first views of Mount Komagatake (also known as Hokkaido Komagatake). The mountain is a famous active stratovolcano located just north of Hakodate in Onuma Quasi-National Park.The last major eruption in modern times at Mount Komagatake occurred in 1929. An eruption documented in 1640 caused catastrophic collapse of the mountain top, a tsunami, and some 700 deaths in the local population.The railway track runs all around Uchiura Bay, and this is the first view of the waters of the bay. This is near Mori station.Train cars near Mori station.Now we are approaching Yakumo station. I darkened this photo with a digital filter to show the mountains a little clearer. That mountain in the distance is Mount Yōtei (羊蹄山, Yōtei-zan), an active stratovolcano often called the “Fuji of Hokkaido” (Ezo Fuji) because of its symmetrical cone shape.Beautiful scenery outside, as we approached Oshamambe station.Near Oshamambe station is where the first snow on the ground appeared.Still in the vicinity of Osamanbe station. The railway track goes through several tunnels.Now crossing the Nikkubetsu River at the town of Toyoura (pop. 4,205). Toyura sits in the heart of Hokkaido’s major scallop-fishing industry, with a history tracing back to the Jomon period more than 2,000 years ago.A train at Datemombetsu station at the northeast edge of Uchiura Bay.Tomakomai station.It is almost 4 pm and the sun is setting on the other side of my train car. Alpen glow in the distance, the rosy glow visible from the mountains in the distance. This is in the city of Kitohiroshima.Another view of Kitohiroshima.Darkness is falling as we approach our final station: Sapporo main station.Arrived! Posing with the fare card mascots at Sapporo main station. It is about to start snowing outside (snow flurries, that is, not a snow storm) and I am wearing all the warm clothes I had packed.The view from my hotel room on the 22 nd floor of downtown Sapporo.
