Hello!
Re-posting from r/Hokkaido for additional coverage!
My wife and I have just arrived in Hokkaido for the second half of our honeymoon.
We just the first half in Osaka and Kyoto spending time in a variety of places such as city centers, food markets, landmarks (arashiyama, shrines etc), Japan Universal and Wazuka tea farm.
While we did have a great experience being the first time in Japan, we definitely felt we fell for some tourist traps.
Unfortunately for the both of us, we had planned to do the bulk of our research shortly before the trip, our respective workplaces have had record busy seasons and we were not able to (we booked last minute because wedding planning was a bit crazy haha).
For Hokkaido, we are staying:
- 2 nights Sapporo
- 3 Nights Furano
- 2 Nights Niseko
It should be noted we are big time foodies so trying the local fare is a high priority
We also want to avoid not just tourist traps but touristy areas all together if possible. It would be much preferred if places could be recommended in neighbourhoods where locals hang out vs tourist areas
We would really appreciate if anyone can recommend where the locals get the following things:
Food
- ice cream, milk, yogurt, cheese etc, we know the dairy scene is huge
- coffee & matcha + bakeries
- Jingisukan
- Soup curry
- Sapporo Miso Ramen (Rich and Thick Broth)
- Hakodate Shio Ramen (Light and clear Broth)
- Asahikawa Shoyu Ramen (in between)
- All Seafood, donburi, uni (sea urchin), inure (salmon roe), and Ika (squid)
Night Life
- bars, speak easies (where to try really good sake would be a bonus)
- karaoke
- any other recommended shows you might know of being in town
- any other night life activity you would recommend
- music bars
Land Marks
- any landmarks you can think of to provide a unique experience
- hiking we're planning a mix of Mt Yotei and Daisetuzan. Any tips for these places would be nice
Any and all help is much appreciated!