Itinerary and Expenses: 9D/9N Hokkaido and Sawara Town

For my first trip to Japan in 2015, we were all over the place, and it left me and my friends a little bit exhausted but wanting for more—more days to explore each prefecture, or region, at least. And so the succeeding trips were planned to explore a specific region: Kansai in 2016, Chubu in 2017, and Hokkaido in 2018.

Itinerary

Hokkaido is such a huge prefecture that a week only covered a few areas. Though I had a Hokkaido Rail Pass, which allowed me to travel on JR lines all over Hokkaido, I concentrated on going to places just an hour or two by train from Sapporo (with the exception of Hakodate, which took 3.5 hours). In general, just the central and southern parts of Hokkaido.

Bye bye hard-earned money!

Accommodation. The first thing I noticed, while I was looking for accommodations before the trip, was that accommodations in Sapporo were more expensive (more so in Asahikawa) compared to Tokyo and Osaka. I usually try to find an accommodation within a 10-15 minute walk from a major station (only one ride from wherever it is I need to go) and cap my accommodation expense at 3000 yen a night but it was quite impossible to find accommodations at that rate in Hokkaido. I had to increase my budget for accommodations and expand my search farther from Sapporo Station. 30% of my budget was spent on accommodations.

Transportation. The Hokkaido Rail Pass bit a big hole in my pocket. In addition to the pass, I had to spend for days and areas not covered by the pass. And I also joined a bus tour in Biei. 40% of my budget was spent on transportation.

Plane tickets. The 40% I mentioned above does not include the plane tickets to/from Sapporo and to/from Cebu. My Cebu-Narita-Cebu ticket was half the price as my Narita-Sapporo-Narita plane ticket. Mind you, both were bought during a promotion.

Food. I spent an average of 2500 yen a day for food. Right on budget. And in terms of percentage, this was 25% of my budget.

Admission fees. Most of the places I went to in Hokkaido were free to enter. The only admission fees I had to pay for were in Hakodate. And in Sawara in Chiba, we got a discount coupon for the Sawara boat tour.

My usual Japan budget is 9000 yen (4500 pesos) a day. For Hokkaido, I had to stretch it to 10,500 yen (5250 pesos) a day. Too expensive. But it will not stop me from visiting Hokkaido again. I still have the northern and eastern parts of Hokkaido to explore. Maybe in five years.

Japanese Summer 2018

Sapporo Accommodation: Grids Sapporo Hotel + Hostel

See Sapporo: Parks, Towers, Streets

Otaru on Foot
Asahikawa Accommodation: Asahikawa Ride
Beautiful Nature in Biei Town
Lavender Fields in Nakafurano
Daisetsuzan National Park: A Short Hike in Asahidake
Shikotsu-Toya National Park: Hiking Thru Hell in Noboribetsu
Six Short Hours in Hakodate
Shikotsu-Toya National Park: Walking Through Abandoned Places in Toya
Hokkaido Rail Pass
Sawara Town
Narita Accommodation: Narita Sando Guesthouse

Itinerary and Expenses: 9D/9N Hokkaido and Sawara Town (you're here!)

Narita Accommodation: Narita Sando Guesthouse

For my overnight stay in Narita—I had about 24 hours to spend in Narita in between flights—I chose to stay near Narita Station as opposed to the capsule hotel in the airport. Why? Because the capsule hotel costs thrice as much (almost 10,000 yen!) than staying in a guesthouse (3300 yen) that's a 13-minute train ride (200 yen) away.

Narita Sando Guesthouse is a 5-minute walk from JR Narita Station and Keisei Narita Station (the two stations are just across each other). If you need to do any last minute omiyage shopping or want something to eat, there are many restaurants, shops, and convenience stores between the stations and the guesthouse.

 Narita Sando Guesthouse

Narita Sando Guesthouse has private rooms (double/twin, triple, quad) and two mixed dorms. I stayed in the mixed dorm with bunk beds (the other mixed dorm is a tatami room). Each bunk bed has a curtain for privacy, hangers/hooks, power sockets, and night light. Towel and toothbrush are provided for each guest. The room is small and cramped, so no luggage are allowed in the dorm room.

 4-bed mixed dorm

The other two beds in the 4-bed mixed dorm

The luggage must be kept in the luggage room on the ground floor. The luggage room is spacious and has a shelf for large luggage. There are also small lockers. The advantage of having a separate luggage area is that guests could rummage through their bags in the luggage room without disturbing other guests had it been in the dorm room.

Luggage room

The toilets, shower rooms, and wash area are on the second floor. These are shared by many rooms. The rooms, shower rooms, toilets, and wash area are on the second floor, while the luggage room is on the ground floor—could be a bit of a drag if you need to get a change of clothes, etc.

I stayed in Narita Sando Guesthouse in July, which is summer in Japan. The hallway, where the wash basins and the shower rooms are, was a bit warm.

Common room

On the ground floor is the Japanese-style common area with low tables. There is a microwave available for guests to use. The staff can speak English and are friendly and helpful.

Narita Sando Guesthouse
520 Kamicho, Narita, Chiba 286-0032
A dorm bed costs around 3300 yen per night.
Book a bed at Narita Sando Guesthouse through booking.com

Important Note: If you have a flight to catch, be aware that the trains to Narita Airport only comes once every 30 minutes (and on slow hours, once every hour).

Photo Credits: All photos grabbed from Narita Sando Guesthouse's booking.com page.

Japanese Summer 2018

Sapporo Accommodation: Grids Sapporo Hotel + Hostel

See Sapporo: Parks, Towers, Streets

Otaru on Foot
Asahikawa Accommodation: Asahikawa Ride
Beautiful Nature in Biei Town
Lavender Fields in Nakafurano
Daisetsuzan National Park: A Short Hike in Asahidake
Shikotsu-Toya National Park: Hiking Thru Hell in Noboribetsu
Six Short Hours in Hakodate
Shikotsu-Toya National Park: Walking Through Abandoned Places in Toya
Hokkaido Rail Pass

Sawara Town
Narita Accommodation: Narita Sando Guesthouse (you're here!)

Itinerary and Expenses: 9D/9N Hokkaido and Sawara Town

Sawara Town

A year or so before this trip, I made a friend on Instagram. Yumiko agreed to meet with me when I told her I would have one day to spend in Narita (or anywhere near Narita) before flying back to Cebu.

We were supposed to meet at Sawara Station, but when I found out that the train from Narita Airport only comes once every 30 minutes (or up to an hour on non-peak times), Yumiko decided to pick me up at the airport.

I arrived at Narita Airport Terminal 3 and waited for Yumiko. When she sent a message that she had arrived, I could not find her. She was waiting at Terminal 2! Oops! I had to hurry and get on a bus that would take me to Terminal 2.

It was a 30 kilometer drive from Narita Airport to Sawara Town in Katori City (Chiba). Since Yumiko couldn't speak English very well and I could not speak Japanese at all (save for the very basic greetings), it was a pretty quiet drive.

Yumiko found a parking lot near the preserved merchant area along the Ono River. When Yumiko paid the parking fee, she received a discount coupon for the boat tour. And that's what we did: take a 30-minute boat tour along the Ono River (1300 yen per person; but because we had a coupon, we paid 1100 yen per person).

We got on the boat at the dock near the wooden bridge called Toyohashi (Toyo Bridge). On the bottom of the bridge is an aquaduct which used to transport water from the east side of the Ono River to the paddy fields on the west. Now, it is used for sightseeing: water is released from the center of the bridge every 30 minutes, but we never got to witness it while we were in Sawara.

Toyohashi (Toyo Bridge)

On the boat tour with us were a Japanese couple and two young ladies. One of the ladies named Kaori is Japanese but can speak English, and she voluntarily served as interpreter during the tour (the tour was in Japanese). With her was Anju. They were taking a little trip in Sawara to celebrate Anju's birthday. Coincidentally, Anju is from Cebu but she grew up in Japan and can only speak Japanese (and at that time, was still learning English).

Slowly sailing along Ono River

Because of that boat tour, all four of us ended up having lunch and exploring Sawara together. Lunch was at Chukei Chaya, a restaurant beside the Sawara Visitor Center, about a hundred meters away from the river. I got myself a bento lunch (1050 yen) which included vegetables, fish, rice, and soup.

Bento from Chukei Chaya

On our walk back to the river, we saw many old buildings, some turned into shops. This area was the merchant district and most of the buildings have been preserved. I don't know if it was because it was midweek or if this area was just not frequented by tourists, but it seemed we were the only ones out and about. Which was absolutely fine by me! I don't like crowds!

Back along the river, Yumiko suggested we go to the Former Residence of Ino Tadaka (open daily from 9AM to 430PM; free admission) and also to the Ino Tadataka Memorial Hall (open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9AM to 430PM; 500 yen admission fee).

Who is this man to have his house preserved and have a museum dedicated just for him? Ino Tadataka was born in 1745 and was adopted by the Ino family of Sawara when he was 17. The family had a sake brewery and Ino Tadataka handled the family business until the age of 49 (his son took over after). He then studied astronomy. At the age of 55, with permission from the Tokugawa Shogunate, he started traveling to survey and map the country. He did this for 17 years. And it was only three years after his death were the maps completed and submitted to the shogunate. In short, Ino Tadataka was the first to create an accurate/surveyed map of Japan! And that is an amazing feat truly deserving to have his house preserved and have a memorial hall dedicated to him! (The Ino Tadataka Memorial Hall houses more than 2,000 items related to Ino Tadataka and his work: survey notes, surveying instruments, maps, etc. Taking of photos is not allowed in the museum.)

Former residence of Ino Tadataka

Ino Tadataka

Quadrant used in surveying. Can you imagine lugging this around Japan?

I was truly amazed by this man! To do surveying with several instruments, some bulky and heavy, from the age of 55 to 71 and at a time when there were no motorized vehicles to get around... He had a team with him, but wow! Just wow. I gushed about him in my head.

And even after the visit to the house and the museum, I continued being wowed. This time, by the old-time scene along the river. So many beautiful old houses. And no tourists!

To cap off our hot summer day in Sawara, we tried the shoyu (soy sauce) ice cream (350 yen) which was sold at the little shop in the parking area where we had left Yumiko's car (and where Kaori had also parked). Soy sauce ice cream? Japan has weird flavors! But this actually tasted like caramel that wasn't too sweet.

Shoyu ice cream

Before Yumiko and I parted ways from Kaori and Anju, each of them gave me a small present (locally made items) which they had bought from one of the shops we went to earlier. Awww. What a nice surprise! So ashamed I didn't get anything for them in return (except for Yumiko; I had brought some Philippine goodies for her).

Yumiko and I made a quick stop at Sawara Station so Yumiko could take some photos (she is into photography). The station opened in 1898, but the current building was reconstructed in more recent years.

Sawara Station

Then we drove off to Narita Station, where I would be staying in nearby Narita Sando Guesthouse. Because on the morrow, it will be back to my reality, aka Cebu.


P.S. Big thank you to Yumiko for picking me up from the airport, showing me around Sawara, treating me to a visit to the Ino Tadataka Memorial Hall, giving me a present (chopsticks), and driving me to my guesthouse near Narita Station. Thank you also to Kaori and Anju for exploring Sawara with us, and for the presents too (handkerchief and coin purse). I am very lucky our paths crossed. Until we meet again!

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.

Japanese Summer 2018

Sapporo Accommodation: Grids Sapporo Hotel + Hostel

See Sapporo: Parks, Towers, Streets

Otaru on Foot
Asahikawa Accommodation: Asahikawa Ride
Beautiful Nature in Biei Town
Lavender Fields in Nakafurano
Daisetsuzan National Park: A Short Hike in Asahidake
Shikotsu-Toya National Park: Hiking Thru Hell in Noboribetsu
Six Short Hours in Hakodate
Shikotsu-Toya National Park: Walking Through Abandoned Places in Toya
Hokkaido Rail Pass
Sawara Town (you're here!)
Narita Accommodation: Narita Sando Guesthouse

Itinerary and Expenses: 9D/9N Hokkaido and Sawara Town