Hokkaido: The Snow Festival Town
Free · 7 scenesMichi's house keeps a wondrous Travel Map — when a lamp lights somewhere on Japan, an adventure begins. Today it glowed at the very TOP of the map, on a great diamond-shaped island. "Hokkaido! The map is calling!" While Michi bounced, Mikke wound his red scarf three times around. Can YOU spot the diamond island on the map?
They arrived in the middle of a perfectly straight road, running all the way to the edge of the earth under an endless sky. "It's HUGE…!" they said together. You could drive a whole day and still not reach the other side — Hokkaido is the biggest place in all Japan. A snowflake landed on Mikke's whiskers. Cold — but their hearts were racing.
They tiptoed through the white-birch forest. The first to notice — Mikke, of course. "…Mikke." At the tip of his paw: a tiny, perfectly round, snow-white bird! "A shimaenaga! They call it the SNOW FAIRY," whispered Michi. Just then an Ezo red fox peeked from the bushes, fluffy tail swishing over the snow. Creatures you can meet nowhere else live in this forest.
Past the forest drifted a delicious smell. Beyond the steam, a feast! An ikura bowl of popping, sparkling orange pearls. Sweet corn. A hot potato with butter melting slow. "Gifts of the sea and gifts of the fields — all born on this island." Mikke's tail stood straight up. Time to eat!
The sun dipped and the cold bit harder. Mikke shivered — at his limit. "But the plan says we still see the glowing castle tonight…" Beside a worried Michi, Mikke quietly raised his loupe to the sky. "…Mikke." Inside the lens: a six-pointed star. Every falling snow crystal is a different shape — little treasures from the sky. Michi's eyes lit up. "That's it! When you're cold, MOVE and warm up! Let's walk and hunt the sculptures!"
Three foods Hokkaido grows best in all Japan — where are they? 3 to go
Sapporo's grand avenue brimmed with snow sculptures and delicious-smelling stalls — and hunting on foot warms you right up! "Three foods this island grows best in ALL Japan are hiding here." Steaming potatoes. The famous grilled corn. Warm milk. Can you find all three?