Day 558: May 13, 2023
Saturday – Wedding Anniversary Road Trip
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| It's our 11th wedding anniversary, and to celebrate it, we're heading on a road trip |
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| Having fun with the Ezo Shika standee |
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| Time to feed the guinea pig |
We left our place in Rumoi City early in the day, and it took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach the town of Kuriyama (栗山町). It's a beautiful place; we had so much fun exploring it. We visited several attractions there, such as Kuriyama Park. Inside the park was the Nakayoshi Zoo, which was free to the public. My family and I enjoyed feeding the different animals that were housed there.
Also inside the park was the Yubari Steam Locomotive No. 21. Since coming to Hokkaido, I have been fascinated with the restored steam engines after learning that several of them were displayed around the prefecture. That’s why I didn’t miss the opportunity to take photos of it and with it.
A few blocks away from Kuriyama Park was the Kuriyama Tenmangu Shrine; like in every new city, town, or village that we visit, my daughter and I made it a tradition to visit its main shrine to pay respects and offer prayers. Before leaving, we made 3 wishes each, which is also our father-and-daughter tradition.
From there, we drove to Kobayashi Sake Brewery to learn about its rich history. I wanted to try the sake, but remembered that I was driving and also avoiding alcohol because of my fatty liver. Regardless, we enjoyed exploring the brewery as there were numerous displays in the well-preserved buildings, which serve as mini museums.
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| My family waited in the car while I explored the museum alone 😢 |
Before leaving the town, we made one more stop at Kyu Sakamoto Memorial Museum, but since my wife and daughter don’t know who he is, I decided to go to the museum alone. I have listened to some of his songs, particularly Ue o Muite Arukō, which is famously known as Sukiyaki in my country.
Our last stop in Kuriyama was Hinode Classic Park. It’s a “hidden” place, as you need to drive along a dirt road from the main road, and you would surely miss it if you are not using Google Maps. This place has dozens of classic and modern sports cars displayed inside a big barn. However, I feel that the 500 yen fee is a bit too much if you just want to appreciate the collection without ordering anything, as the food was also a bit pricey. Regardless, having a toy car collector as a kid brought back a lot of memories of seeing the real-life size of some of my toy cars.
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| Next stop: Yubari City |
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| Hamamatsu Cafe |
We then headed to our next destination, Yubari City (夕張市). Our next stop was The Yellow Handkerchief Memorial Park, which was the filming location of the 1977 Japanese film The Yellow Handkerchief. After paying the entrance fee at the Hamamatsu Café, we got to see the magical “yellow room”. We also left some notes in it, and hopefully, when we visit in the future, we will still get to see them too.
From there, we drove north to Yubari Shrine, where my daughter and I did our shrine visit tradition. The shrine grounds were very quiet except for the chirping of the birds. This is because it is located on the outskirts of the city, and very few vehicles pass through this area.
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| The entrance to the former Yubari Coal Mining theme park |
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| The curator of the museum explained about the history of the coal mines and how the machineries work |
Across the shrine was the Yubari Coal Mine Museum. We didn’t miss it, as we would learn more about the city's history if we visited it. True enough, we learned a lot about the city’s coal mining beginnings and its sad decline.
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| Natsuzora 2nd Store |
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| We had a fun photoshoot with the giant Melon Kuma head |
We continued our drive south, and before leaving the city, we made a brief stop at the Natsuzora 2nd Store to take a picture with the giant head of Melon Kuma. It was the first mascot that I have encountered that is outside the usual “cute” appearance of Japanese mascots.
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| Enjoying each moment with the family |
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| A visit to Ushigoya Ice wouldn't be complete without trying their famous ice cream |
Before heading back home, we made sure to stop by Ushigoya Ice in the town of Yuni (由仁町) to taste their famous ice cream. We were a little late, unfortunately, so there were only a handful of flavors left on the menu. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it, and it was a perfect way to end our trip.
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| We filled up Ruru's tank in preparation for tomorrow's road trip |
Despite the long drive, we arrived in Rumoi City a little past 7 in the evening. We gassed up at Moda Serufu before heading home in preparation for our next road trip tomorrow. My wife and daughter were already exhausted, so they went to rest after we arrived home. However, my day didn't quite end there because I had to attend the Kamalayang Panlipunan author's meeting, which didn't end until 9 in the evening. I was drained after our long day, so I immediately fell asleep after it was over.
Overall, it was a great day that I'll always remember. We got to visit a new city and town in Hokkaido. We are looking forward to our next road trip.Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Week 80
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