Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 72

Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 72

Weekend 72: March 18 – 19, 2023

Day 502: March 18, 2023

Saturday – Rumoi

It's a sunny Saturday. I started it by cleaning my boots.
It's a sunny Saturday. I started it by cleaning my boots.

It's another beautiful weekend and we had plans to go for a road trip, but unfortunately, Ella had to attend school. So, we decided to stay at home instead. While Ella was at school, my wife and I decided to do some cleaning. I was assigned to clean the bathroom while my wife took care of the kitchen. We cleaned every nook and cranny of the house, and it felt refreshing to have a tidy home.

Movie time: Top Gun Maverick
Movie time: Top Gun Maverick

When Ella got back, we decided to watch Top Gun Maverick. Even though we haven't seen the 1986 Top Gun movie, we still enjoyed the new film's storyline. We were thrilled by the flying scenes, and the story kept us glued to the screen.

Team Nicerio revisits Rumoi City Library
Team Nicerio revisits Rumoi City Library

Thank you Lord, for the beautiful morning!
Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful morning! 🌞

Inside Rumoi City Library
Inside Rumoi City Library

Do you need to connect to the WiFi?
Do you need to connect to the WiFi?

Next stop: Rumoi Shinkin Bank
Next stop: Rumoi Shinkin Bank

We then headed to MaxValu for groceries after
We then headed to MaxValu for groceries after

Later in the day, we decided to drive to the Rumoi City Library to get some books and then to Rumoi Shinkin Bank for some errands. Before heading back home, we filled up the gas tank and made a quick stop at MaxValu to buy some ingredients for the food my wife planned to cook for our road trip tomorrow.

KitKat Doubles - Classic & Biscuit
KitKat Doubles - Classic & Biscuit

We ended the day early as we needed to wake up early for the road trip tomorrow. We're all looking forward to the trip, and I'm excited to cook up some delicious meals for us to enjoy.


Day 503: March 19, 2023

Sunday – Tsukigata x Tobetsu x Ebetsu City x Uryu Road Trip

Fukigawa - Rumoi Expressway
Fukigawa - Rumoi Expressway

This is my wife's last few weeks to drive as her IDL will expire at the end soon.
This is my wife's last few weeks to drive as her IDL will expire at the end soon.

I woke up early to help my wife cook the food that we'd bring to our road trip today. We left Rumoi City at a little past 7 AM. 

First stop: Tsukigata
First stop: Tsukigata. The snow was this deep when on our way to Tsukigata Maruyama Viewing Platform so we decided to turn back instead.

Our first stop was in the town of Tsukigata. We planned to go to Tsukigata Maruyama Viewing Platform to eat breakfast, but the road was still covered in snow. So we decided to look for another place to eat instead.

Tsukigata Shrine
Kabato Shrine / Tsukigata Shrine - now in ruins

Tsukigata Onsen Hotel
Tsukigata Onsen Hotel

Finally, we found a warm place to eat breakfast
Finally, we found a warm place to eat breakfast

During our search for where to eat, we passed by the Tsukigata Shrine also known as Kabato Shrine. We were shocked to see that it collapsed probably due to the heavy snowfall in the area. We finally decided to eat breakfast at Tsukigata Onsen Hotel.


Off to our next destination via National Route 275
Off to our next destination via National Route 275

From there, we continued our drive to the town of Tobetsu. These are the places that we visited in Tobetsu:

Tobetsu Shrine's torii gate
Tobetsu Shrine's torii gate

💛 Tobetsu Shrine

Roadside Station The Nordic Winds Tobetsu
Tobetsu Roadside Station, formally called Roadside Station The Nordic Winds Tobetsu

Inside Tobetsu Roadside Station
Inside Tobetsu Roadside Station

We had the Swedish Soft Cream
We had the Swedish Soft Cream

Tobetsu colored manhole cover
Tobetsu colored manhole cover

Tobetsu Pokemon manhole cover
Tobetsu Pokemon manhole cover

💛 Roadside Station The Nordic Winds Tobetsu

Driving through National Route 275 going to Ebetsu City
Driving through National Route 275 going to Ebetsu City


After getting the roadside station stamp and also trying out some of the town’s unique products, We continued on our trip going Ebetsu City. These are the places that we visited in Ebetsu City:


Ebetsu Shrine's torii gate
Ebetsu Shrine's torii gate

Ebetsu Shrine
Ebetsu Shrine

✯ Ebetsu Shrine

Ebetsu City Local History Museum
Ebetsu City Local History Museum

Inside Ebetsu City Local History Museum
Inside Ebetsu City Local History Museum



Ebetsu City Local History Museum Branch / Tonden Museum
Ebetsu City Local History Museum Branch / Tonden Museum

✯ Ebetsu City Local History Museum Branch / Tonden Museum

2nd Street Ebetsu Shop
2nd Street Ebetsu Shop

Inside 2nd Street Ebetsu Shop
Ella wanted to buy a guitar at the 2nd Street Ebetsu Shop

✯ 2nd Street Ebetsu Shop

Hard Off Ebetsu
Hard Off Ebetsu

I was surprised to see hundreds of Lego figures here. If I had been in elementary school, I would have spent all my money here.
I was surprised to see hundreds of Lego figures here. If I had been in elementary school, I would have spent all my money here.

✯ Hard Off Ebetsu


We were supposed to go to Ebetsu City Ceramic Art Center, but it was almost 4 PM, and we still needed to drive for about 2 hours to reach home, so we decided not to pursue the plan and to visit it another day instead.

Driving back home via Route 275
Driving back home via Route 275

Toilet break at Roadside Station Den-en-no-Sato Uryu
Toilet break at Roadside Station Den-en-no-Sato Uryu


On our way home, we did a quick toilet break at Roadside Station Den-en-no-Sato Uryu in the town of Uryu.

Fukagawa - Rumoi Expressway
Fukagawa - Rumoi Expressway

Rumoi MaxValu
Rumoi MaxValu

We also stopped by the MaxValu in Rumoi City to buy Shinramen as I was craving something spicy. We got home at around 7 PM, officially wrapping up our weekend road trip.


Overall, this weekend was very productive. We visited Tobetsu Town and Ebetsu City for the first time. We also got to revisit Tsukigata and Uryu. Please join us on our next road trip. Thanks, guys!

Read more:

Japan Diaries 4: Week 72
Japan Diaries 4: Day 503
Location: Tobetsu, Ishikari District, Hokkaido, Japan

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