Winter, family time, and food that never went wrong.

Sapporo

Arrival night ramen near the hotel

We arrived at New Chitose Airport on 18 Jan at night, checked in, and went straight to the ramen alley near the hotel. It was already around 22:30, which somehow made the first bowl in Sapporo feel even better.

The alley was narrow, bright, and busy, with little ramen shops packed side by side. The shop itself felt small and cramped, but that also made it feel very Japan: compact, warm, and full of energy.

Food note: the ramen broth was very nice and savoury. It was a comforting first meal after the flight, and a good start to the winter trip.

19 Jan / Moerenuma Park

Snow, families, and the glass pyramid

Moerenuma Park was my second time visiting, and it was still beautiful as ever. It was cold, but the glass pyramid was such a beauty against the snow, and the whole park had that calm winter feeling I love.

We walked through the snowy park and saw families playing around on the snow. That part felt especially heartwarming, like the park was not only beautiful to look at, but also a place where people were really enjoying winter together.

Personal take: still worth visiting, even for a second time. The glass pyramid, open snow, and family atmosphere made it feel peaceful and memorable.

19 Jan / Lunch

Fresh salmon sashimi and king crab

After Moerenuma Park, we had lunch at a place I forgot the name of, but the food was easy to remember. The salmon sashimi was very fresh, and the king crab leg was nice and juicy.

Food note: a simple but very satisfying Hokkaido seafood lunch, especially after walking around in the cold.

19 Jan / Mt. Moiwa

Snowy summit views into Sapporo night lights

After lunch, we went up Mt. Moiwa. The mountain had that quiet winter mood, with snow on the tracks, bare trees, and Sapporo fading softly in the distance.

The view changed a lot as the day moved toward evening. In the afternoon, everything looked pale and snowy; later, the city lights started to come alive and made the whole visit feel more dramatic.

Personal take: a strong Sapporo viewpoint, especially if you stay long enough to see the shift from winter daylight to night city lights.

19 Jan / 7-Eleven Dinner

A simple convenience store dinner back at the hotel

After a full day around Sapporo, dinner was a 7-Eleven haul back at the hotel. It was simple, practical, and honestly part of the Japan travel experience too.

Food note: crab-style snacks, egg, grilled chicken, cheese chikuwa, and a chocolate cream puff made it feel more like a fun hotel-room tasting session than a backup dinner.

20 Jan / Odori Park & Sapporo TV Tower

A snowy city walk around Sapporo's landmark tower

We started 20 Jan around Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower. It felt like a classic Sapporo morning: snow on the ground, the red tower standing over the park, and the city slowly getting brighter under the winter sky.

From the tower, Odori Park looked like a long snowy line cutting through the city. On the ground, there were little winter details everywhere, from the big Christmas tree to the bakery and fair-style displays nearby.

Personal take: an easy, must-do Sapporo stop. It is simple, central, and gives you both the street-level winter mood and the higher city view.

20 Jan / Hokkaido Jingu Shrine

A quieter shrine stop after the city view

After Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower, we visited Hokkaido Jingu Shrine. The snow on the ground made the approach feel calm and clean, and the wooden shrine building gave this stop a slower, more reflective mood.

Personal take: a nice contrast after the central city walk. It felt peaceful, traditional, and very fitting for a winter Sapporo day.

20 Jan / Lunch Nearby

A nearby lunch plate after the shrine

After Hokkaido Jingu, we had lunch nearby. The plate was comforting and easy to enjoy: omurice, fried seafood, salad, and a hamburger-style patty with sauce.

Food note: not a complicated meal, but a satisfying lunch between stops before continuing the day.

20 Jan / Shiroi Koibito Park

A sweet factory stop to end the Sapporo day

Shiroi Koibito Park was quite attractive because we could see how the famous biscuit is made. It is the kind of place I think is nice to visit once, especially if you are curious about the factory side and want something lighter after shrines and city views.

The outside area had a winter theme-park feeling, while the factory viewing area made the visit more interesting than just buying souvenirs. It was busy, but still charming in that very Japan way where everything feels neatly presented.

Personal take: worth going once. Not necessarily a repeat-every-trip place for me, but a fun and photogenic stop for a family winter itinerary.

Food note: the soft serve outside was delicate and sweet, which somehow made it even more memorable because we were eating it while freezing.

21 Jan / 1 Day Tour / Asahiyama Zoo

Winter animals and the famous penguin walk

On 21 Jan, we joined a one-day tour and started at Asahiyama Zoo. In winter, the zoo had a very Hokkaido feeling: bright snow, cold air, and animals that looked completely at home in the season.

The highlight for me was seeing tanuki for the first time. They were so cute and fluffy, and honestly felt like the most memorable part of the zoo. We also saw more winter animals around the snowy enclosures, which made the visit feel very different from a normal zoo day.

The penguin walk was iconic and definitely something Asahiyama Zoo is known for, but the crowd was intense. There were a lot of people queueing and watching, so the experience was a bit painful even though the penguins themselves were fun to see.

Personal take: worth visiting in winter, especially for the animals in the snow. Just be ready for the penguin walk crowd if you want a good view.

21 Jan / Biei Snow ATV

Riding through the snow after the zoo

The second stop of the one-day tour was a snow ATV ride in Biei. After the zoo, this gave the day a more active and playful shift, with open snow fields, clear blue sky, and the family all getting into helmets for the ride.

It was fun, especially because the winter scenery made even a simple ride feel special. The only downside was the gas and fuel smell, which was noticeable enough to mention, but it did not ruin the activity.

Personal take: a fun one-time winter activity. The snowy setting was the main charm, and it worked well as a family tour stop after the zoo.

21 Jan / Furano Christmas Tree

A quick view from the bus

The third stop was the Furano Christmas Tree, but it was very crowded, so I did not get down from the bus. It became more of a quick pass-by moment than a proper stop.

Personal take: probably nice if the crowd is manageable, but on this tour day it did not feel worth forcing our way down just for the photo.

21 Jan / Ningle Terrace

Beautiful cabins hidden in the snowy woods

The fourth stop was Ningle Terrace. The walk from the bus stop to the main spot was quite far and slippery, so we had to be really careful, especially with the snow and icy path.

But once we reached the actual area, the place itself was a beauty. Small wooden cabins, soft lights, trees, and snow made it feel like a quiet winter village tucked inside the forest.

Personal take: beautiful and worth seeing, but wear shoes with good grip and walk slowly. The slippery path is the real warning here.

Osaka

Arrival, city strolls, and night gardens

On 22 Jan, we flew from Sapporo to Osaka. The mood changed quickly from Hokkaido snow to a busier city rhythm: late lunch near Shinsaibashi, a short Dotonbori stroll, Pokemon Center, and a calm night walk through Osaka Botanic Garden.

22 Jan / Ryunosu near Shinsaibashi

A late lunch that made Osaka start strong

After flying in from Sapporo, we had a late lunch at Ryunosu near the Shinsaibashi area. The meat was legitly good and delicious, and the udon came in a large portion with a nice, comforting taste.

Food note: a very satisfying first Osaka meal, especially after the flight. The meat was the highlight, but the udon portion and taste also stood out.

22 Jan / Dotonbori & Pokemon Center

A quick Osaka city stroll

After lunch, we strolled around Dotonbori for a bit and visited Pokemon Center. It was a light city-walk moment after settling into Osaka, with the classic bright signs, canal view, and shopping energy.

22 Jan / Osaka Botanic Garden

A serene night garden full of light

At night, we visited Osaka Botanic Garden. It was beautiful and serene, with illuminated trees, glowing installations, and a calm walking route that felt like a completely different side of Osaka.

Personal take: must go once when you are in Osaka. It is quiet, beautiful, and gives the night a calmer feeling after the busy city area.

23 Jan / Osaka Castle

Second visit, different feeling

Osaka Castle was my second time visiting, but this one felt different because I came with my parents and younger brother. The place itself was familiar, but sharing it with family made the walk, the views, and the small museum moments feel more personal.

Personal take: even if you have been before, Osaka Castle is still worth revisiting when the company is different. This time felt less like checking off a spot and more like making a family memory.

23 Jan / CoCo Ichibanya Shin Umeda

A simple curry lunch between sightseeing stops

After Osaka Castle, we had lunch at CoCo Ichibanya around Shin Umeda. It was a straightforward and filling Japanese curry meal, which made sense before going up to the observatory later.

23 Jan / Umeda Sky Building

The building above Shin Umeda was Umeda Sky Building

The building you went up after lunch was Umeda Sky Building. The observatory is called Kuchu Teien Observatory, also known as the Floating Garden Observatory, and the open structure with the long escalator makes it very recognizable.

The view gave Osaka a different scale after walking around the castle area. The glass, bridges, escalator tunnel, and open-air viewpoint made the building itself part of the experience, not just the city view.

Personal take: a good Osaka skyline stop, especially if you enjoy observatories and unusual architecture.

23 Jan / Namba Yasaka Shrine

Evening stop at Namba Yasaka Shrine

In the evening, we went to Namba Yasaka Shrine. The huge lion-head stage made the shrine feel completely different from the quieter temple stops, and it became a strong final Osaka moment for the day.

Personal take: a short visit is enough, but the lion-head shrine is memorable and very photogenic. It does not need a long stop to leave an impression.

24 Jan / Dotonbori & Namba

A slower Osaka morning

On 24 Jan, we kept the morning easy with a stroll around Dotonbori and Namba. The streets were full of huge signs, snack shops, and little Osaka details, so it felt like a nice reset before moving to the temple side of the city.

24 Jan / Shitennoji Temple

Shitennoji Temple at 11am

At around 11am, we went to Shitennoji Temple. It is not the biggest temple stop of the trip, but the quiet layout, red buildings, and small details made it feel simple and beautiful.

Personal take: small but beautiful, and worth visiting when you want a quieter Osaka moment between the busier food streets.

24 Jan / Lunch near Shitennoji

Pork belly and okonomiyaki nearby

Lunch nearby was very satisfying: delicious pork belly, warm okonomiyaki, and the kind of casual meal that fits perfectly after walking around a temple in the late morning.

24 Jan / Shinsekai

Afternoon colors in Shinsekai

After lunch, we went to Shinsekai around 2pm. The area was loud, colorful, and very Osaka, with Tsutenkaku in the background and oversized signs everywhere.

Personal take: Shinsekai is more about atmosphere than calm sightseeing. It is busy and playful, but that is exactly the charm.

25 Jan / Kyoto Day Trip

Rented kimonos and tried to blend into old Kyoto

On 25 Jan, we took a one-day trip to Kyoto and rented kimonos for the day. The funny goal was to act like natural Japanese people, but honestly the best part was just seeing the whole family dressed up and walking around the old streets together.

The kimono rental made the whole Kyoto day feel more playful and ceremonial. Even simple family photos outside wooden buildings or temple gates felt more special because everyone was dressed for the setting.

Personal take: this was one of the most fun family-photo days of the trip. It was touristy, yes, but in the best way, and it gave Kyoto a different kind of memory from the Osaka city walks.

Snack note: Kyoto also gave us small street-food details: yaki dango grilling at a stall, taiyaki being made fresh, and even a very Japanese meat vending machine that was too unusual not to remember.

Tokyo

Arrival in Tokyo after Kansai

On 26 Jan, we flew to Tokyo and shifted into the final city of the trip. After snowy Sapporo, busy Osaka, and the Kyoto kimono day, Tokyo felt like the last big chapter: food, shopping, neighborhoods, and the kind of city energy that makes the trip feel complete.

Tokyo Stay / Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel

The best hotel highlight of the Japan trip

In Tokyo, we stayed at Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, and it became the best hotel highlight of the whole Japan trip. Even though the hotel is on the older side, the stay felt very comfortable because the room was spacious and the facilities were great.

The gym area especially stood out. It had proper, complete equipment, which made the hotel feel more serious and useful than just a place to sleep after sightseeing.

Additional hotel reference photos are from the official Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel site.

Personal take: older hotel, but spacious rooms and strong facilities. This was the most satisfying stay of the trip.

26 Jan / Late Lunch / Gyukatsu Motomura

Tokyo started with the best gyukatsu

After arriving in Tokyo, we had a late lunch at Gyukatsu Motomura. This one was the best: crispy beef cutlet, little side dishes, rice bowls, and the fun of cooking each slice a bit more on the small hot stone at the table.

The meal felt rich, warm, and very satisfying after the flight. The cutlet was already delicious, but the table hot stone made it even better because each bite could be finished exactly how you wanted it.

Food note: the best gyukatsu of the trip, and a very strong way to start Tokyo.

27 Jan / Fuji-san 1 Day Tour

Picture hunting around Mt. Fuji

On 27 Jan, we joined a one-day tour for Fuji-san picture hunting. The weather was moody, with clouds moving around the mountain, so the whole day became a little game of waiting, watching, and trying to catch the mountain at the right moment.

Even when the peak was hiding, Fuji-san still looked dramatic. The snow, dark clouds, village rooftops, lake reflections, and sudden clear moments made every stop feel like a different version of the same mountain.

Personal take: a fun photo-hunting day. The clouds made it less predictable, but that also made each clear view feel more exciting.

28 Jan / Shibuya Cat Lounge MOCHA

A slow Tokyo pause at Cat Lounge MOCHA

On 28 Jan, we visited Shibuya Cat Lounge MOCHA for a softer Tokyo moment. After the bigger sightseeing days, this felt like a calm indoor break: warm lights, wood textures, shelves of manga, and cats casually taking over the lounge like they owned the place.

The feeding time made the whole room gather into one little circle, and the lounge design gave it a cozy library feeling instead of a busy tourist stop.

Personal take: a cute, easy Shibuya stop when we wanted something slower between Tokyo plans.