Week 105: October 30 – November 3, 2023
Day 728: October 30, 2023
Monday – Rumoi
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| Rumoi High School 10.30.23 |
It was a sunny 6-degree morning in Rumoi City. For today’s school visit, I reported back to my main school, Rumoi High School. Since my supervisor was on nenkyu, I did not have my usual collaboration workload. In fact, I had none at all.
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| For today's English Club, we watched the film Corpse Bride |
I spent most of the day studying Japanese. In the afternoon, we held our weekly English Club, and for today’s activity, we watched the 2005 film Corpse Bride.
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| Jabba Laundromat |
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| MaxValu |
After school, my wife and I went out to run some errands. We first stopped at Jabba Laundromat, then headed to MaxValu to do some grocery shopping before finally returning home.
Day 729: October 31, 2023
Tuesday – Rumoi
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| Rumoi High School 10.31.23 |
It’s a cloudy 8-degree morning here in Rumoi City. Today, I’m back reporting to Rumoi High School. My supervisor is also back today.
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| I got an omiyage from one of my co-workers |
Here’s my workload today:
4th period – L8 P2 Everyday Technology @ 1-34 of Matsuda-sensei
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| The leaves were already falling. Winter is coming... |
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| I attended the Rumoi English Chat Club at Asuka. Our topic for today was "Preparing for Winter". |
After work, I attended the Rumoi English Chat Club in Asuka. Our topic for today is “Preparing for Winter”. I was the only ALT present as the two others were either sick or busy. After the chat club, I was thankful that the members were vocally expressing their appreciation of the activities that I prepared. That made me more motivated to do what I do and also improve on my craft.
Day 730: November 1, 2023
Wednesday – Haboro
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| Haboro High School 11.1.23 |
It’s a cloudy day. Today, I’m heading to Haboro High School for my 13th school visit for the school year 2023 – 2024. For this trip, I used my 1-day Moekko Free Ticket. Watanabe-sensei is absent today, so it’s only me and Okumura-sensei who will handle the English classes.
Here’s my workload today:
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| Class with Okumura-sensei |
1st period – Speech Practice @ 1A of Okumura-sensei
3rd period – Speech Practice @ 1B of Okumura-sensei
5th period – Speech Practice @ 3A of Okumura-sensei
Day 731: November 2, 2023
Thursday – Rumoi
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| Rumoi High School 11.2.23 |
It’s a cloudy Thursday morning here in Rumoi City. I don’t have my regular school visit trip today, so I’m back reporting to Rumoi High School.
Here’s my workload today:
1st period – L5 P1 Learning from the Sea @ 1-1 of Matsuda-sensei
3rd period – L8 P2 Everyday Technology @ 1-56 of Matsuda-sensei
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| COOP |
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| I made sure Ruru's clean before our road trip tomorrow |
Before ending the day, I drove out to prepare for our upcoming road trip tomorrow. I filled up at Shell Self Rumoi, bought some snacks at COOP and Daiso, gave Ruru a wash at the coin-operated carwash in Motokawa-cho, and picked up dinner at the 7-Eleven in Rumoi Minamimachi. That night, I had a hard time sleeping as I was super excited for our 3-day Culture Day Road Trip tomorrow.
Day 732: November 3, 2023
Friday – Culture Day 2023 Road Trip D1
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| Day 1 of our 3-day Culture Day 2023 Road Trip |
It’s a Friday. The last day of my work week. However, instead of going to my usual school visit to Tomamae Commercial High School, I’m going on another road trip with my family. That’s because today is Bunka no Hi (文化の日) or Culture Day holiday here in Japan. For our 3-day Culture Day 2023 Road Trip, our goal is to visit as many municipalities in Tokachi Subprefecture as possible. Since our home in Rumoi City is more than three hours away by car, we made sure to wake up very early and leave before sunrise.
We kicked off our journey bright and early, around 5AM, eager for the adventures ahead. Along the way, we made a few stops to stretch our legs and recharge. Our first pause was at Ashibetsu Roadside Station in Ashibetsu City, where we quickly attended to our restroom needs and grabbed a cup of coffee to fully wake ourselves up.
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| Minamifurano Roadside Station |
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| It was a bit chilly when we arrived, but it was nice to be able to stretch our legs for a bit before continuing on with our drive |
After enjoying the fresh morning air and a brief break, we continued our drive until we reached Minamifurano Roadside Station in the charming town of Minamifurano, where we paused again to refresh, stretch our legs, soak in the serene surroundings, and prepare for the next leg of our trip.
From Minamifurano, it took us less than an hour to reach our first destination for the day, which was the town of Shimizu (清水町). The town is known for its dairy and cattle farms. It also boasts the Pekerebetsu River, which is said to be one of the cleanest and clearest in the prefecture.
These are the places that we visited in Shimizu:
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| Shimizu Shrine's torii gate |
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| Shimizu Shrine |
🐄 Shimizu Shrine
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| The cute house in front of Tokachi-Shimizu Station |
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| Tokachi-Shimizu Station |
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| Team Nicerio visits Tokachi-Shimizu Station |
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| Shimizu tourist map |
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| Shimizu town map |
🐄 Tokachi-Shimizu Station
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| Shimizu Park |
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| The foliage here is amazing. It's perfect for another family picture. |
🐄 Shimizu Park
Our next stop was the town of Shikaoi (鹿追町). The town’s name means “following/hunting deer,” which was one of the prevalent activities in the area during the olden days. Today, the town is one of the main agricultural hubs in the region, having been one of the main producers of potatoes, sugar beets, and beans.
These are the places that we visited in Shikaoi:
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| Shikaoi Roadside Station |
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| Kutekuu - Shikaoi's mascot |
⚫ Shikaoi Roadside Station
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| Senno Park |
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| The centerpiece of Senno Park |
⚫ Senno Park
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| Shikaoi Chomin Hall |
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| You will see this beautiful tree near the entrance of the Shikaoi Chomin Hall |
⚫ Shikaoi Chomin Hall
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| Kanda Nissho Memorial Museum |
⚫ Kanda Nissho Memorial Museum
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| Shikaoi Shrine's torii gate |
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| Shikaoi Shrine |
⚫ Shikaoi Shrine
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| Urimaku Roadside Station |
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| We bought taiyaki from the roadside station store |
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| Ella tried riding the mechanical horse inside the roadside station |
⚫ Urimaku Roadside Station
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| National Route 85 |
From there, we drove to the northern part of the town to visit the other scenic destinations on the outskirts of town.
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| Shikaribetsu Lakebed Railway |
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| Team Nicerio visits Shikaribetsu Lakebed Railway |
⚫ Shikaribetsu Lakebed Railway
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| Ogigahara Observation Deck |
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| The view from the observation deck |
⚫ Ogigahara Observation Deck
We then drove via Route 274 to our next destination, which was the town of Shihoro (士幌町). I was surprised to learn that the town has more cattle and cows than people. No wonder the town is known for its milk and beef products.
These are the places that we visited in Shihoro:
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| Shihoro Roadside Station “Pier 21 Shihoro” |
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| Team Nicerio visits Shihoro Roadside Station “Pier 21 Shihoro” |
🐮 Shihoro Roadside Station “Pier 21 Shihoro”
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| Shihoro Transportation Park |
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| The preserved freight car is displayed behind the station |
🐮 Shihoro Transportation Park
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| Shihoro Shrine's torii gate |
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| Shihoro Shrine |
🐮 Shihoro Shrine
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| Shihoro-Onsen Roadside Station |
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| Inside Shihoro-Onsen Roadside Station |
🐮 Shihoro-Onsen Roadside Station
From there, we drove south to the town of Otofuke (音更町). The town is known for its beans. Aside from that, it’s also the second most populous municipality in the Tokachi Subprefecture, next to Obihiro City.
These are the places that we visited in Otofuke:
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| Senjojiki Park |
🟢 Senjojiki Park
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| Otofuke Shrine |
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| Otofuke Shrine |
🟢 Otofuke Shrine
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| Otofuke Roadside Station |
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| Oosoji-kun (おおそじくん) - Otofuke's mascot |
🟢 Otofuke Roadside Station
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| Natsuzora Area |
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| Welcome to Otofuke |
🟢 Natsuzora Area
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| Showa Shell Sekiyu Otofuke Gas Station |
Before leaving the town, we filled up our tank at Showa Shell Sekiyu Otofuke Gas Station. We then continued to the last municipality for the day – Obihiro City (帯広市). It’s the capital of Tokachi Subprefecture. We visited the following places in Obihiro City.
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| Obihiro Shrine's torii gate |
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| Obihiro Shrine |
⛩ Obihiro Shrine
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| Tokachi Gokoku Shrine's torii gate |
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| Tokachi Gokoku Shrine |
⛩ Tokachi Gokoku Shrine
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| Minpaku Kuroya (民泊くろ屋) |
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| We met Chako, the cat director of our Airbnb residence, for the day |
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| Ella is showing off her piano-playing skills as requested by the owner |
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| Chako is very friendly and would often check us in the room |
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| This is our room for two nights |
We then checked in at Minpaku Kuroya, our Airbnb for the day. The owners were very kind, and their pet cat was adorable. After dropping off our baggage, we headed out once again for dinner.
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| Butadon Pancho |
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| 8-meat butadon bowl |
We decided to try the famous butadon at Butadon Pancho. Honestly, it was just okay, and the portion size felt small even though I had ordered the 8-meat butadon bowl. In the end, we were a little disappointed, especially since it had received high ratings from both locals and visitors on Google Maps.
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| We saw Obihiro's famed Basha Bar |
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| 2nd Street Shirakabadori |
From there, we drove to 2nd Street Shirakabadori to explore what the area had to offer. The street was lively and filled with interesting shops, each offering a mix of new and second-hand items. My wife spent some time browsing through the clothing stores and was able to find a few nice outfits for Kai, which made her really happy. While she shopped, I enjoyed walking around and taking in the sights, noticing how well-organized the stores were and how welcoming the staff seemed. It was a pleasant stop that added a relaxed shopping experience to our day.
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| Snacks at McDonald's |
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| Itadakimasu! |
Before heading back home and wrapping up the day, we stopped by the McDonald’s next to 2nd Street Shirakabadori to grab some food. It was a convenient little pit stop where we could enjoy a quick meal and relax after a day of walking and shopping. Eating there felt like the perfect way to recharge before getting back into the car and ending our day on a simple, satisfying note.
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| Good night, everyone! See you tomorrow! |
Overall, I got to visit Rumoi High School and Haboro High School for work this week, and because of the Culture Day holiday, my family and I were able to travel to the Tokachi subprefecture and visit the following municipalities for the first time: Shimizu, Shikaoi, Shihoro, Otofuke, and Obihiro City. We still have two days left for our 3-Day Culture Day 2023 Road Trip. I’m looking forward to exploring new municipalities for our #Hokkaido179 goal.
Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 105
Japan Diaries 4: Day 732
Moekko Free Ticket 15th Season
Ashibetsu Roadside Station
Minamifurano Roadside Station
Shimizu Shrine
Shimizu Park
Shikaoi Roadside Station
Shikaoi Shrine
Urimaku Roadside Station
Shikaribetsu Lakebed Railway
Shihoro Roadside Station “Pier 21 Shihoro”
Shihoro Shrine
Shihoro Transportation Park
Shihoro-Onsen Roadside Station
Otofuke Shrine
Otofuke Roadside Station
Natsuzora Area
Obihiro Shrine
Tokachi Gokoku Shrine
Hokkaido Manhole Covers
Japan's Awesome Manhole Covers
A Guide to Collecting Eki Stamps
10 Things to Do in Ashibetsu City
10 Things to Do in Minamifurano City
10 Things to Do in Shimizu
10 Things to Do in Shikaoi
10 Things to Do in Shihoro
10 Things to Do in Otofuke
10 Things to Do in Obihiro City
Hokkaido 179
Japan Diaries 4: Summary
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Japan Diaries 4: Week 104
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 104
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Japan Diaries 4: Week 106
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 106
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