日本夏2025年

June 09, 2025

日本夏2025年 - Day 17

June 13, 2025

Nishikioka to Sapporo - 93 Km

Start 6:33 AM

Finish 4:15 PM

Total Duration 9:42

Moving Time 6:23

Stopped Time 3:19

Ascent 1,292 m

Descent 1,272 m

Tour Total 1,867 Km

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/295164355

Last night got bitterly cold as I sat in the park editing yesterday’s report. I had every layer on, but it wasn’t enough—I eventually retreated to my tent just to stay warm.

At first light, I woke to a damp tent and a swarm of mosquitoes. Condensation clung to every surface, and when I squashed the mosquitoes, they left smears of my own blood. They must’ve snuck in while I was out watering a bush. I packed up a wet tent and Thermarest, resigned to a soggy start.

Nishitappu neighborhood park had been a surprisingly impressive place to spend the night. A sprawling field for baseball, a basketball court, a gazebo by a small pond, and a rock-paved area with large boulders where kids had splashed around the night before. There was also an elaborate jungle gym with wooden climbing walls and ropes. Plenty of trees, and expansive—definitely not your average park.

I rode out and made my first stop at Family Mart for a Craft Boss latte, a milk doughnut, and a madeleine. The friendly clerk pointed out that my receipt had a coupon for a free drink. She cut it out and handed it to me with a smile. Later, she tried to guide me through sorting my trash and recycling. I know it's the norm here, but it felt a little... supervised.

The road began climbing as soon as I left town. I passed a bear warning sign—apparently one had been spotted at 9 AM the day before. Not great news considering I still had dried squid and fish strips from the coast in my bags. I rode past the snow gate and continued up into the hills.

Odd chalk markings started appearing on the shoulder—triangles, some crossed out, some doubled, and even a hexagon. Through the trees, I caught sight of a beautiful waterfall. The sky, cloudy at first, had begun to clear by 7:45 AM, with sunlight breaking through the mist.

As the temperature rose, I stopped to shed my jacket. I was on Route 141 and more chalk shapes emerged—triangular starbursts and some orange markings too. It didn’t look like roadwork. Spray-painted numbers dotted the other side of the road. I passed clear-cut sections of forest and listened to the eerie, metallic calls of unseen birds.

Eventually, the peak of Mount Fuppushi came into view off to the left. I had reentered Shikotsu-Toya National Park. To my surprise, I saw more roadside trash than anywhere else in Japan—cigarette butts, cans, bottles, bags, wrappers. Still nothing like back home, but jarring for Japan. Hokkaido, that’s one strike against you.

I was startled now and then by rustling in the roadside bushes, but it always turned out to be something small, not bear-sized.

By 8:20 AM, after 15 km of steady climbing, I reached the top and stopped to chat with a motorcyclist doing a circuit of Hokkaido. He was from a town west of Tokyo I’d never heard of.

The descent was short-lived before I hit a T and joined a busier highway. Not long after, I came upon a family of deer standing on and beside the road. Unlike the tame deer of Nara, these bolted at the sight of me.

I took a left onto Route 453 and entered the Hokkaido Shikotsu-Toya Scenic Byway. Soon after, Lake Shikotsu came into view—a deep caldera lake encircled by five volcanoes. With a depth of 1,191 feet, it’s Japan’s second-deepest lake and the northernmost one that doesn’t freeze, thanks to its small surface-area-to-depth ratio.

The Chitose River, feeding into the lake, was a dazzling shade of emerald. Riding along the shoreline, the water remained crystal clear and vibrant. I spotted snowy patches clinging to Mount Izari in the distance.

Along the highway, I passed through seven massive avalanche protection structures—roofed cantilevers called Fukudo—each numbered and named.

Another climb began, winding up the rim on steep switchbacks. The sun was strong, so I crossed to the shaded bike/pedestrian path on the opposite side. By 10:30 AM, I reached the summit of this second climb—38 km from Sapporo.

The descent was brisk and refreshing; I had to re-zip my gilet. It was short-lived, as I hit yet another climb. There was a waterfall hidden in the woods, offering a brief distraction. I crested the third climb by 11:00 AM and began a long, glorious downhill toward the city. I passed another cyclist grinding uphill in the opposite direction.

The terrain turned to rolling hills. I glimpsed a golf course through the trees and passed the entrance to Makomanai Country Club. Bright yellow Hokkaido safety flags began to appear—along with traffic lights, buildings, and signs of the city. I had made it over the mountains.

I stopped at the Sapporo Art Park to explore the Sculpture Garden, a winding, hilly loop featuring 74 sculptures by 64 artists. I was especially captivated by Shigeo Fukuda’s You’re in my chair, I’m yours, a brilliant yellow piece with a sense of humor. Dani Karavan’s Way to the Hidden Garden was a favorite—a serene earthwork of shifting grass planes, descending water, and a concrete cone that was unexpectedly peaceful to sit inside.

Later, I grabbed a peach juice and onigiri at Family Mart and continued to the Makomanai Takino Cemetery—home to the Hill of the Buddha. I was greeted first by an eerie procession of Moai statues, then noticed the top of a giant Buddha’s head peeking from an earthen mound. Designed by Tadao Ando, the site was stunning. I passed through a gate and was met with a wide reflecting pool that evoked a rice paddy. An elliptical tunnel led me into the heart of the mound, where the massive Buddha sat encircled by a concrete dome open to the sky. Quiet. Contemplative. Monumental.

From there, Apple Maps guided me along a scenic bike path beside the Toyohira River. Cyclists and runners were out enjoying the weather. Downtown Sapporo came into view ahead.

With a population of nearly two million, Sapporo had a lot to offer—but first, my pilgrimage to the Sapporo Beer Museum. The brick factory was unfortunately wrapped in scaffolding, but I took the free tour and sampled three beers: Classic, Black Label, and Kaitakushi-Beer.

I checked into my hotel, where I’ll spend the next three nights. The bike had to be stored in a bicycle parking lot. For dinner, I found a nearby place and ordered grilled chicken meatballs and quail eggs, washed down with cold mugs of Sapporo on draft.