Lost in Sapporo: Ramen, Snow, and Questionable Karaoke

okay, so. sapporo. i’m still thawing out, honestly. i just checked and it’s spitting icy needles at you right now, hope you like that kind of thing. 1853574… that’s the number of snow crystals i swear i saw today. maybe. it was a lot of snow.

I’m a touring session drummer, you see. Usually, i’m hauling gear across continents, playing tiny clubs and massive stadiums. This time, my buddy needed a hand with a recording project here, and i figured, why not? Sapporo seemed… quiet. It’s not. It’s busy. Just… in a different way than i’m used to.

First thing: ramen. seriously. i’ve had ramen before, obviously. but sapporo ramen… it’s a thing. I ended up at this tiny place, barely bigger than my van back home, called Ramen Alley. Apparently, it’s a local institution. Someone told me that the broth is simmered for like, 18 hours. I didn’t ask questions. I just ate. It was incredible. Check out the reviews on TripAdvisor - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g298177-Sapporo_Hokkaido.html. You won’t regret it.

Then there’s the snow. It’s everywhere. It’s pretty, sure, but it also gets everywhere. My boots are still crunchy. I tried to find a decent vintage shop - you know, gotta keep the drummer look fresh - and ended up knee-deep in a snowdrift. Found a killer leather jacket though. Score! I’m thinking of starting a blog just about finding good vintage gear while traveling. Maybe.

I spent an evening wandering around *Susukino, the entertainment district. It’s… intense. Bright lights, karaoke bars blasting, people everywhere. I overheard this group of salarymen arguing about the best way to eat sea urchin. Apparently, there’s a right way. Who knew? I also got some drunk advice from a guy who insisted i needed to learn to play the shamisen. He then proceeded to try and teach me using a chopstick and a napkin. It was… memorable.

“Don’t go to the Sapporo Beer Garden on a Tuesday. Trust me.”

I’m not sure why, but a local warned me about that. Maybe it’s crowded? Maybe they’re out of beer? I’ll have to investigate. I did check out a few bars on Yelp - https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=bars&find_loc=Sapporo%2C+Hokkaido. Some decent options, but nothing that screamed “must-visit.”

My neighbors, if you get bored of the snow and ramen, are Hakodate and Asahikawa. Both seem pretty cool, but i’m still trying to figure out how to navigate the public transport system. It’s… an adventure. I’m also trying to find a decent coffee shop. I’m a drummer, not a barbarian. I need caffeine. I found a few on a local forum - https://www.reddit.com/r/Sapporo/.

Oh, and the weather. 3.6 degrees Celsius. Feels like 3.6. Pressure is 1020. Humidity is 86%. Ground level pressure is 996. Basically, it’s cold and damp. Pack layers. Seriously.

“The snow sculptures are amazing, but don’t touch them. People get really* protective.”

I’m not sure what to do tomorrow. Maybe try to find a decent drum shop. Or maybe just wander around and get lost in the snow again. Sapporo’s got a weird vibe. It’s not flashy or exciting, but it’s… comforting. In a very cold, snowy kind of way. I’m also thinking about checking out the Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens - https://www.hokudai.ac.jp/botanical/. Need some green in my life after all this white.

1392164106… that’s the number of snowflakes that landed on my head while i was writing this. I think. Maybe.

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