HOKKAIDO, JAPAN'S WILD NORTHERN FRONTIER

 Hokkaido island is Japan’s northernmost island, and its mid-19^th century colonization draws comparison with the American West.  The island’s frontier character became unmistakable when this text message popped up: “Welcome to Russia! To unlock internet and SMS, dial the following number…” I had no interest in visiting Russia’s Kuril Islands, just 20 km east of the World Heritage–listed Shiretoko Peninsula, where our bear-spotting expedition had proved fruitless.  The Russian snatched the Kurils islands at the end of WW2, a sore point for the Japanese since then.

                                                           Ichi lake, Shiretoko National Park.

This is not a travelogue; rather, these two pages capture anecdotes and share tidbits that caught my attention and sparked my curiosity.

                                                                 Ainu figurines, Akan region

There is a wild feel about Hokkaido Island; it is closer to Russia than to Tokyo.  The big compact island is an awesome outdoor destination for nature enthusiasts.  Its seven national parks offer a unique nature and wildlife experience; we discovered outstanding and undisturbed landscapes, hot springs (onsen), blue water caldera lakes, and rugged mountains quite like those of Western Canada.  Hokkaido is also renowned for world-class winter sports.  Sapporo was chosen to host the 1940 Winter Olympics, but conflicts cancelled the Games. The city had to wait until 1972 for another chance.

Hokkaido is also renowned for its food and beer festivals, culinary is taken seriously in the island.  Fish markets were a highlight of our trip; I had never seen king crabs so large and prices to match (around New Year, a live king crab can fetch up to US$ 400/kg!).  For budget conscious gourmet like me, the famed Hokkaido Ramen was an acceptable yummy substitute.  Japanese are ice cream lovers, 50% of all ice creams come from the island which is known as the cow island! I became a matcha ice cream enthusiast.

When it comes to Buddhist and Shinto shrines—major attractions for many foreign visitors to Japan—the island has few of note.  It was just fine with me; I am such a philistine on the temple subject!  In fact, I chose Hokkaido to avoid tourists and temples.   When I see temples, I see them all, I cannot feel their architectural nicety, I am more sensitive to their grounds and surroundings.  Shocking to admit but most of the famous temples of Japan are recent reconstructions like the Sensō-ji complex in Tokyo (to me, the whole area had a Disneyland sort of atmosphere!).  Being predominantly built in wood, there are very few original shrines, they were either destroyed by fire and earthquake, or a combination of both, or by American firebombing during WW2.

                                                      Biei, Blue Lake (Aluminun-rich water) 

During the Tokugawa shogunate’s Edo period (1603-1868), Hokkaido remained largely isolated, while its Indigenous Ainu inhabitants lived with little interference under the loose authority of the local daimyo in the island’s south.  In 1869, fearful of Russian expansion and the meddling of western powers, the Emperor Meiji took full control of the island.  Subsequently, thousands of settlers, soldier-farmers and convict laborers were sent to develop Hokkaido.  The convicts were held in the harsh Abashiri Prison, now a museum; their sole heaven was a vast communal bathhouse, and in my view, the prison’s most fascinating exhibit.

Westernization was not a walk in the park for the Meiji government.  Finally, in 1869, its troops defeated a bunch of Tokugawa holdouts holed up in the French-designed Goryōkaku fort in Hokkaido’s southern port of Hakodate.  In Japan, this battle is the stuff of legend and manga lore; it was the last fight of the dashing samurai (with striking good looks) Toshizō Hijikata.  His bravery has inspired countless television series, manga, and films.   

Let’s back track a little.  Trouble began when American Commodore Perry and his black ships docked in Tokyo Bay in1853-54 and requested the opening of two ports, Shimoda and Hakodate.  This affair started a chain of events that finally led to the demise of the insulated shogunate.  Other Western powers sought a role in opening Japan, and Napoleon III, the French emperor fared particularly well.  He dispatched charismatic military advisors who became very popular during the period.  For good measure, he also sent barrels of Burgundy wine.  One of these officers was Jules Brunet who sided with Hijikata; his last-minute extraction from Hakodate spared him the fate of his buddy.  This is one of most fascinating stories of loyalty, defiance and bravado.  Brunet inspired Tom Cruise’s character in the 2003 film The Last Samurai, while the actor adopted Hijikata’s flowing mane.

Another highlight of our trip was the onsen ritual.  Many pages can be written on the exceptional Japanese body hygiene regarded as “a sacred cultural art, deeply rooted in spiritual traditions and communal respect”.  We stayed in hotels with onsen and many of us adopted a pre-dinner onsen ritual.  For the occasion, we donned colorful cotton yukatas, a comfortable dinner outfit.  Without onsen and the use of Toto, my visit would not have been so enjoyable.  Japan is heaven to senior travelers, even the most remote spots have clean public toilets!  Most of them are fitted with Toto Washlet, a warm, comfy bidet-toilet bowl.  Surprisingly, the famed bathroom manufacturer, founded in 1917, earns its operating profits not from its dominant toilet business but from its advanced ceramics used in AI semiconductor components.  A successful link from toilets to AI chips.

Emperor Meiji urged his people to modernize while preserving Japan’s core values, traditions, and sovereignty—a message that still resonates today.