It was a beautiful fall weekend in Sapporo for the annual JALT Teaching English As a Foreign Language Conference. These trees were just outside Hokusei Gaukuen University where the conference was held.
This is the Sapporo clock tower built in 1878 downtown.
Here's a major crossing in Susukino at night, the legendary entertainment district.
No trip to Sapporo would be complete with out a bowl of the local soul food, Miso Ramen.
Gotta love that miso-ramen!
I also had ramen when I went to Sapporo - predictable of us don't you think?
Posted by: Edward | October 21, 2008 at 03:49 PM
More predictable than eating crab or lamb in Hokkaido? That's what you do when you travel in Japan-you eat the local speciality.
Posted by: MC | October 21, 2008 at 10:21 PM
They have lamb in Hokkaido? I wonder how they eat it - Lamb doesn't seem to fit into Japanese food (-it wasn't in the food pyramid).
Posted by: Edward | October 22, 2008 at 11:18 AM
I lived nearby in Asahikawa for two years and don't remember lamb either. Miso ramen - YES. That and zangi (Hokkaido for Karaage,) oden, local curries, pork cutlets (Katsu,) snow crab, and a myriad of types of konyaku.
Not to mention some of the best and cheapest sashimi in Japan including live tako (octopus).
Lamb is not in the Hokkaido food pyramid unless its minced in the curry. Here is the Hokkaido food pyramid:
Level 1 - Hokkaido Rice
2 - Ramen and Soba
3 - Marine animals and their parts - often still moving
4 - Oden and Curry
5 - Zangi, deep fried squid rings that foreigners mistake for onion rings, and tonkatsu.
6 - "Black" Sapporo Beer and - what else- Otokoyama
Posted by: Arie | October 23, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I believe the lamb is eaten at the Ghengis Kahn buffets, which I noticed were plentiful at the beer gardens. I saw a couple of shops in Susukino that specialized inlamb as well. A couple of my students recommend eating lamb there as well.
Posted by: MC | October 23, 2008 at 02:35 PM