Image 1/25

@ Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan
RUFINE begins her journey through Hokkaido!
Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan
Off the northwest tip of Hokkaido lies the island of Rebun, known as Japan’s ‘island of flowers’. This island is home to some rare alpine flowers. One such flower is the Rebun lady’s slipper orchid, which only grows on Rebun Island.
If you are spending the day on Rebun island there is plenty to see. Cape Kanedano is where you can see seals gather. There is one lake on the island, Lake Kusha, the most northern lake in Japan.

Image 2/25

@ Angelica Lucida, Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan

White Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

Angelica Lucida, Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan
Angelica lucida also known as seacoast Angelica and sea-watch is a flower that grows on coastal beaches and grasslands in mountains. It can be found on Rebun Island and throughout Hokkaido.

Image 3/25

@ Favonius Jesoensis Butterfly, Hokkaido, Japan
“Let’s pose with one of us each side of this attraction and I’ll set the self-timer to take a shot,” said RUFINE to Hermione. “It’ll be a great souvenir of our time here!”
Favonius Jesoensis Butterfly, Hokkaido, Japan
The Favonius jesoensis butterfly is a smallish butterfly with blue-green wings, found in Hokkaido. Here the butterfly is resting on a rose mallow hibiscus or swamp hibiscus which is native to North America. The butterfly was discovered in 1915 by Dr. Shonen Matsumura, who created the first-ever course in entomology at Hokkaido University. Dr. Matsumura named over 1,200 species of Japanese insects and in 1926 founded the entomological journal “Insecta Matsumurana”.

Image 4/25

@ Spanish Lavender, Hokkaido, Japan
"Just look at this map of Hokkaido in our brochure, RUFINE!" said W Axl Fox. "It looks like an enormous long-eared bat with a huge tail flying over the sea, calling out as it goes."
RUFINE looked at W Axl Fox's map. "Yikes! Frightening! Our tour guide was remarking earlier that it's thought to look like the head of a horned dragon or ocean steed."
"Ocean steed?" responded W Axl Fox. "They must have peculiarly shaped horses in Japan, then!"
Spanish Lavender, Hokkaido, Japan
The cultivation of lavender began in 1955 in Furano. Originally the growing of lavender was simply agricultural, but over the years it has become much more. A tourist attraction and a living art display. Lavender has unlimited uses, in food lavender is used in ice cream, butter, tea, and baked into sweets and pastries, turned into soaps and soothing oils. Lavender is said to soothe one to sleep and it is also said to be great to treat burns.

Image 5/25

@ Tree House, Hokkaido Japan
"The Sapporo Yuki Matsui, or the Sapporo Snow Festival, is one of Japan's most popular winter events. The festivals attract millions of visitors from all over the world. The visitors can even make their own ice sculptures."
"Ooh, that sounds like great fun, if a bit cold on the paws, BLUEY!" responded RUFINE.
Tree House, Hokkaido Japan
This treehouse, in a setting of large lollipops and candy-decorated trees, is one of the attractions in Shiroi Koibito Park in Japan. The park is considered a chocolate entertainment park and is run by a Japanese confectionary company. This park is famous for a cookie called Shiroi Koibito (Shiro is white in Japanese). Two thin cookies with white chocolate sandwiched between them. That sounds delicious.

Image 6/25

@ Pumpkin Display, Hokkaido, Japan
Hokkaido is honored as really and integrally Japanese, even though it has only truly been a piece of the Japanese landmass for the last 150 years. Before the colonization of Hokkaido, the enigmatic island was a foreign frontier land inhabited by the Ainu.
Pumpkin Display, Hokkaido, Japan
Halloween is not native to Japan— though Halloween has gained in popularity since 2000 when Tokyo Disneyland held its first Halloween event—and the pumpkin is more likely to be the Kabocha squash. Both the western pumpkin and the Japanese squash are referred to as kabochaThe town of Niseko is unofficially called the “Halloween pumpkin capital” of Hokkaido. The town is decorated with pumpkins in every spot available, with face painting, trick-or-treating, and a costume contest.

Image 7/25

@ Dew On Spider Web, Hokkaido, Japan
"How do we say 'good morning' to a Japanese pet, Jinx?"
"Ohayō gozaimasu, RUFINE! To break it down, that's 'oh-hi-oh goz-eye-mass'."
"Ohayō gozaimasu to you too, Jinx! And it is a good morning, indeed."
Dew On Spider Web, Hokkaido, Japan
Webs seen in the morning with the dew sparkling on them are beautiful. Who made this web? Is the owner of the web around? Yes, Hokkaido has spiders, some of them are very small, while others are very large. Every place has spiders except Antarctica. So if spiders are not your thing, perhaps read up about the variety of spiders and where they can be found—so you don’t get a surprise.

Image 8/25

@ Sunset Over The Sea Of Japan, Hokkaido, Japan
"What does 'Hokkaido' mean, RUFINE?" asked Snowball.
"Oh, I came across that in our tour guide. Hokkai is Japanese for 'North Sea' and the whole name means 'North Sea Province'.
Sunset Over The Sea Of Japan, Hokkaido, Japan
The Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, is almost landlocked. The salinity of the water is less than the open Pacific Ocean, and it has almost no tides. Very few rivers in Japan discharge into the Sea of Japan.
There is much discussion about the name, with South and North Korea wanting a different name. Whatever the sea is called, it is always a pleasure to take a few minutes at day's end to gaze out over the water and watch as the sun sets.

Image 9/25

@ Biei In Winter, Hokkaido, Japan
About 1500 earthquakes strike Japan every year. The frequency of the earthquakes is caused by the location of the country across three tectonic plates in the Pacific.
Biei In Winter, Hokkaido, Japan
The average temperature in Biei in the winter is -14 c (6.8 f) with heavy snow. If you can withstand cold temperatures like this then Biei has a lot to offer, there is snowmobiling, skiing, banana boating, and snowshoeing. Enjoy the peaceful scenery and get some exercise at the same time.

Image 10/25

@ Flower Fields, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
"It says here that Hokkaido has many active volcanoes, and—oh, do come out from under your seat, Nanuk!"
"I think I'll stay here, thank you all the same," said Nanuk in a muffled voice.
"They have very advanced warning systems, you know! They wouldn't let us go anywhere unsafe," responded RUFINE.
Flower Fields, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
Biei is well known for its many flower fields. Colourful flowers, lavender, roses, petunia, irises, pansies, and columbine are the most often grown flowers. Take the day to walk amongst this treat for the eyes and nose, or you can catch a lift on a tractor-trailer. When you have all the photographs you want of the beautiful flower fields, pick up a local ice cream in lavender, melon, or milk ice to enjoy with your pets.

Image 11/25

@ Sunflower Field, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
“Oh hello, RUFINE!” cried Champ. “Didn’t we bump into each other in Scandinavia this time last year? This is quite the change of scene, isn't it!”
”It certainly is!” declared RUFINE.
Sunflower Field, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
The largest sunflower field in Japan is located in Hokuryu-cho, a small town of around 2,000 people in the Uryu district of Hokkaido. The sunflower garden of Himawari no Sato is 23.1 hectares with approx 1.5 million sunflowers in 30 varieties. The cultivation of sunflowers started in 1797. There is even a sunflower maze.

Image 12/25

@ Morning Sunrise, Biei Hokkaido, Japan
"Tokyo hasn't always been the capital of Japan, you know, RUFINE," announced Mimi knowledgeably. "Only since 1868."
"Why, what was the capital before?"
"Well, it was Tokyo in a way, but it was called Edo then. But before then, the capital of Japan was Heian-kyō, which is now called Kyoto."
RUFINE pondered whilst gently chewing a Coris Kajiriccho grape soda candy rope. "I'm a little confused, Mimi, but I think I see, thank you."
Morning Sunrise, Biei Hokkaido, Japan
If you are an early riser, bundle up and take a walk out in the fresh winter air, you may be in time to see the sunrise over the snowy trees. What a wonderful way to start the day.

Image 13/25

@ Tiny Icicles, Hokkaido, Japan
"How do we say 'good morning' to a Japanese pet, Night Wing?"
"Ohayō gozaimasu, RUFINE! To break it down, that's 'oh-hi-oh goz-eye-mass'."
"Ohayō gozaimasu to you too, Night Wing! And it is a good morning, indeed."
Tiny Icicles, Hokkaido, Japan
Being that Hokkaido is the most northern prefecture in Japan, it is well known for getting a lot of snow. A fun fact is that many houses have an upstairs door to the outside in case it snows so much that that main/lower door becomes inaccessible.

Image 14/25

@ Ski Hill, Hokkaido, Japan
In 1997, Wayne Gould saw a partly completed puzzle in a Japanese bookshop. He developed a computer program to produce unique puzzles rapidly. Knowing that British newspapers have a long history of publishing crosswords and other puzzles, he promoted Sudoku to The Times in London, which launched it on 12 November 2004 (calling it Su Doku). The first letter to The Times regarding Su Doku was published the following day from Ian Payn of Brentford, complaining that the puzzle had caused him to miss his stop on the Tube.
Ski Hill, Hokkaido, Japan
The skiing season in Hokkaido starts around mid-December and continues until March, depending on the snow conditions. Considered the powder capital of the world, Hokkaido gets consistent cold air masses flowing across the Sea of Japan from Siberia. On average, 14-18 meters (45-49 feet) of dry snow falls. If you love to ski or take in winter sports, maybe consider Hokkaido as your next winter vacation.

Image 15/25

@ Sea Of Clouds, Hokkaido, Japan
Oh look ... you won a pet!
Sea Of Clouds, Hokkaido, Japan
Beautiful landscapes are around every corner in Hokkaido; one of the most impressive is the sea of clouds that forms over the Tomamu region of Hokkaido. The close proximity to the Pacific Ocean— combined with high atmospheric pressure, sea fog, and a weak east-south-east wind crcreate bed of clouds to hang suspended over the area. You can visit UNKAI Terrace atop Mt. Tomamu and look down upon the clouds. The stunning view will have you feeling like you are on cloud nine.

Image 16/25

@ Partially Frozen Lake, Hokkaido, Japan
There are no rains in Hokkaido because by the time rains reach Hokkaido, the Pacific causes it to disappear.
Partially Frozen Lake, Hokkaido, Japan
In the winter, many of the lakes in Hokkaido freeze over completely, or partially. Ice fishing is a popular sport. Some people pitch a small tent on the ice, others sit outside. A hole is drilled in the ice, the lure is dropped, and you wait for a nibble. With great appeal for all ages, thousands of people venture out to a frozen lake each winter to fish for smelt.

Image 17/25

@ Red-Crowned Crane, Hokkaido, Japan
The first geisha in Japan were men. Referred to as taikomochi and sometimes known as houkan, male geishas were jesters of sorts. It wasn’t until 25 years after their glory days that women—then known as geiko—“arts child”, outnumbered the working taikomochi. Geiko then transformed into geisha—or "person of the arts" as we know it today.
Red-Crowned Crane, Hokkaido, Japan
Currently, the red-crowned crane inhabits the eastern areas of Hokkaido. Until the Edo period (1603–1867), the red-crowned crane was seen all over Japan. Overhunting, the loss of wetlands, and tidal flats due to the development of the areas in the Meiji period caused the birds to go almost extinct. With conservation practices started by local people, the cranes have made a slow and steady comeback.

Image 18/25

@ Winter Holiday House, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
"The Sapporo Yuki Matsui, or the Sapporo Snow Festival, is one of Japan's most popular winter events. The festivals attract millions of visitors from all over the world. The visitors can even make their own ice sculptures."
"Ooh, that sounds like great fun, if a bit cold on the paws, Puff!" responded RUFINE.
Winter Holiday House, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Sapporo is a beautiful city, and in winter it is a magical winter wonderland. Sapporo is considered to be the second snowiest city in the world, and on average gets 5 meters (16 feet) of snow. If you are fond of winter, enjoy skiing and ice fishing, or just want to take in the incredible ice sculptures, consider renting one of these cozy holiday homes or family chalets.

Image 19/25

@ Ice Sculptures, Hokkaido, Japan
"We'll be seeing a bit of everything here in Japan," remarked Patches. "You could say, from samurai to sushi!"
"And everything in between," marvelled RUFINE.
Ice Sculptures, Hokkaido, Japan
In 1950 a few students built some ice statues in Odori Park. From small beginnings, a yearly event was developed. Attracting more than two million visitors each February, they come to see the amazing ice and snow sculptures, some of which are 15 meters (49 feet) high. The largest sculptures are lit up until around 11:00 pm. Trees are decorated with twinkling lights, and the enticing aroma of food comes from the many food stands dotted around the three main festival sites. Concerts, many featuring ice sculptures, are part of this popular winter festival.

Image 20/25

@ Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
“Oh hello, RUFINE!” cried Bernie. “Didn’t we bump into each other in Scandinavia this time last year? This is quite the change of scene, isn't it!”
”It certainly is!” declared RUFINE.
Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
An ariel view of Sapporo, "important river flowing through a plain" in the Ainu language, with the Takinosawa Ohashi Bridge in the center. This bridge goes from the hot spring town of Jozan Kei to Otaru, passing through Sapporo Lake. Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido and the largest city, most famous for beer, the winter snow festival, ramen, and skiing. The 1972 winter Olympics took place in Sapporo.

Image 21/25

@ Lake Toya, Hokkaido, Japan
"We'll be seeing a bit of everything here in Japan," remarked Twitch. "You could say, from samurai to sushi!"
"And everything in between," marvelled RUFINE.
Lake Toya, Hokkaido, Japan
Lake Toya, a caldera lake, formed around 110,000 years ago when Mount Usu erupted. The latest eruption was in 2000.
The lake is situated in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Hot springs, fishing, hiking, and camping draw many visitors. If you are adventurous, a cable car will take you to the top of the mountain.

Image 22/25

@ Hoshino/Tomamu Ski Resort, Hokkaido
The first geisha in Japan were men. Referred to as taikomochi and sometimes known as houkan, male geishas were jesters of sorts. It wasn’t until 25 years after their glory days that women—then known as geiko—“arts child”, outnumbered the working taikomochi. Geiko then transformed into geisha—or "person of the arts" as we know it today.
Hoshino/Tomamu Ski Resort, Hokkaido
A fairly isolated ski resort that encompasses two mountains, with many trails for beginners and experts. Spend the day admiring the gorgeous views while skiing down one of the many trails. Then at night, visit the Ice Village, a collection of domes made of ice offering bars, shops, a wedding chapel, and a hotel. There is also a workshop where you can get hands-on experience working with ice. There is also a skating rink.

Image 23/25

@ Lake Shikotsuko, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
"Just look at this map of Hokkaido in our brochure, RUFINE!" said Pal. "It looks like an enormous long-eared bat with a huge tail flying over the sea, calling out as it goes."
RUFINE looked at Pal's map. "Yikes! Frightening! Our tour guide was remarking earlier that it's thought to look like the head of a horned dragon or ocean steed."
"Ocean steed?" responded Pal. "They must have peculiarly shaped horses in Japan, then!"
Lake Shikotsuko, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
A caldera lake, in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The area is not developed except for the small tourist town of Shikotsu Kohan, where you will find a visitor center and a few lodgings Boats, bicycles, or scuba gear can be rented. Glass-bottomed boats will take you on a tour of the lake.
At the northern end of the lake is the Marukoma Onsen, a ryokan (Japanese Inn) with unique hot springs where the water level changes with the lake's water level.

Image 24/25

@ Jewel Ice, Hokkaido, Japan
"The Sapporo Yuki Matsui, or the Sapporo Snow Festival, is one of Japan's most popular winter events. The festivals attract millions of visitors from all over the world. The visitors can even make their own ice sculptures."
"Ooh, that sounds like great fun, if a bit cold on the paws, pengo!" responded RUFINE.
Jewel Ice, Hokkaido, Japan
Between January and February every year these crystal clear ice jewels are found on the beaches along the Tokachi River. The slow rate of freezing, plus the salt-free water of the Sea of Japan and the tumbling action of the waves, all contribute to the formation of these beautiful chunks of ice. Sparkling like diamonds in the sun—nature does it again.

Image 25/25

@ Ice Chunks, Sea Of Japan, Hokkaido, Japan
RUFINE has now completed her journey through Hokkaido! As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!
Black Bear, Figure Skater
My shiny new shakes are laced up tight, and I have new mittens and a scarf. I am ready to hit the ice. I just need to find my balance and glide one foot in front of the other. Axel, camel spin, crossover, flip, lutz. All those words and pictures seemed clear when I read them in the How To Skate book.

Oh! My ankles feel wobbly, and my feet want to slide off to opposite sides. Where is the edge of the rink; I saw it a moment ago. Ok! I regained my balance. Oh oh! Now I am going too fast. Where are the brakes? Ahh! Found the boards. Whew! Time for a break and maybe some snacks. And, time to reevaluate how I go about learning to skate. I need a teacher, I think. As I am now, I don’t think I present a picture of elegance on the ice.

Ice Chunks, Sea Of Japan, Hokkaido, Japan
Each winter, crystal-clear ice chunks, also known as Jewelry Ice, wash up on the shores of Hokkaido. This occurs when the salt-free water from the Tokachi River meets freezing temperatures, the salty seawater, and the ocean tides. The ice chunks have few air bubbles and very few contaminants. The mouth of the Tokachi River is the only place in the world where this happens. When the sun hits the ice chunks, they can glow purple or orange.
RUFINE has enjoyed her journey through Hokkaido, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy a journey through Japan!