(Last of two parts)

Our first introduction to Hokkaido was through the New Chitose Airport, which serves Sapporo City, our home base during our visit to Japan’s northernmost island.

We had taken our flight out of Manila from Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on the first day that the San Miguel Corp. – led consortium officially took over the management and operation of our premier gateway to the country, and I tried to burn into my mind what would hopefully be the past of our inefficient airport.

Our trip to Sapporo was via Taipei, Taiwan, as we chose to try out Eva Air’s competitive package for our Sapporo vacation. Thus, from Manila, our first stopover was Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport for a two-hour layover before flying to Sapporo.

I had not been back to Taiwan for more than a decade, and it was also my first time flying with Eva Air. My past trips to Taiwan were always on our national carrier, Philippine Airlines.

Eva Air’s service turned out to be surprisingly efficient, comfortable and warm for our service class, with three choices of meals: Western, Chinese or Japanese cuisine and a wide range of soft beverages, wines and spirits, even though our flight to Taipei was just under two hours.

Seeing Taoyuan International Airport raised my hopes of one day experiencing the same level of vibrancy and efficiency that NAIA would eventually be transformed into. It was interesting to see that Taipei’s airport continues to expand, with a lot of new construction underway.

With just a two-hour layover, there wasn’t much time to really explore, and time sped by quickly even though the flight was slightly delayed in both boarding and takeoff.

Eva Air pilots, however, made up for the slight delays during the under-five-hour trip to Sapporo.

New Chitose Airport upon arrival seemed to be a quiet airport with no congestion problems, unlike what normally greets visitors to Tokyo or Osaka at the immigration counters, and with quick delivery of our luggage.

However, initial impressions can be deceptive because it turns out that the airport is quite huge and very efficient with five levels that include the ground operations that also connect to the railway station, the second floor for domestic operations, the third floor for international operations, and the fourth floor for restaurants, shops, a spa and even a cinema – all connected in one long structure. This makes it efficient to transfer from domestic to international flights or vice versa without having to switch terminals by train or bus.

It was then that I felt a sense of dismay, realizing it will probably take much longer for me to experience such interconnectivity at our NAIA, with its fragmented terminals that foreign visitors regularly criticize.

In all likelihood, we may get to experience an international level of service once SMC finally builds the new Bulacan International Airport in five years, taking into account the one-year delay it is now experiencing.

Sapporo

Sapporo is the fifth most populous city in Japan, with a designated population of just 1.9 million residents, but its metropolitan area density can swell to nearly 2.7 million. Compare that to Metro Cebu’s population of 1.043 million and Mega Manila’s 26.4 million residents.

It is a quick 37-minute JR train ride from New Chitose Airport by rapid airport service or it could take an hour if one takes the regular airport service, which costs slightly less.

The main city center of Sapporo is actually quite compact and easily walkable for those who enjoy exploring a city by foot, even though Sapporo has a very efficient subway station and is connected to the extensive JR train system.

The Sapporo Train Station is also a compact shopping area anchored by the Daimaru Department Store and Stellar Place, which hosts a range of high-end boutiques and restaurants and also has an underground shopping mall.

What surprised me most about Sapporo was the hidden gem of the 13.3-hectare Hokkaido University Botanical Garden and the 180-hectare Hokkaido University, with its highly educational and interesting compact museums that truly enchanted me for two whole days in the city.

We were lucky to have booked a hotel, Mitsui Garden, near the JR Sapporo Train Station, which is directly connected to New Chitose Airport and Sapporo’s main downtown railway and subway system. It was a very short five-minute walk to the hotel and as it turned out, it was also a very quick 10-minute walk to the Hokkaido University Botanical Garden, established in 1886, and a similar 10-minute stroll to the main campus of Hokkaido University, which was established in the early 1900s.

We had no idea that the botanical garden and university campus were just beside our accommodation and were more focused on exploring other sites outside the city. One rainy day, however, led us to explore Sapporo first and wait for better weather for our out-of-city adventures.

Thankfully, it was just light rain on and off throughout the day, so we decided to walk to the main shopping area of Susukino, which the hotel concierge said would be a 20-minute walk and, along the way, pass Odori Park and Sapporo Tower.

We did not realize that right beside us was the Hokkaido University Botanical Garden, with its historical buildings dating back to 1882, which led to the establishment of the Sapporo Agricultural College, eventually becoming Hokkaido University.

The botanical garden houses a small exhibit of the island’s native Ainu tribe, as well as an exhibit of Hokkaido’s endemic fauna, including bears, deer, foxes, seals, the rare snow owl and a few other species. The botanical garden, however, is slightly separated from the main university campus. The botanical garden charges 420 yen entrance fee.

The main campus is just a five-minute walk away and likewise houses historical buildings, as well as the very interesting Hokkaido University Museum, built in 1929, with its informative and intriguing archaeological exhibits and four million scientific materials, including 10,000 invaluable type specimens. It also showcases educational activities and leading-edge research projects.

And all of that is free to view and enjoy. Even the meals at the university-operated restaurant (canteen) provided an incredibly cheap and complete meal of fish, meat, soup, rice, three kinds of vegetables, dessert and a drink for just the equivalent of P600!

Hokkaido, I shall return!