Foaming at the Mouth for Hokkaido
Let's be honest, I was kind of hoping for something in the Kansai region (or Ryukyu islands? haaaaaay) but in reality I wasn't holding my breath.
Hokkaido. Hokkaido. I'm going to live in Hokkaido. Less sexy, but really a lot sweeter. And most likely cheaper!
At first I was kind of disappointed. In all reality I like having seasons and nature and so I will probably end up permanently living somewhere like Seattle or the coast of Maine. MAYBE Wisconsin (but only because of my family). Anyway, all the more reason why I wanted to live somewhere with a different climate while I was in Japan - get the warmth out of your system, y'know?
I love winter sports and everything, but it was also important to me to be in an area with a longer history. Hokkaido's settlements are only about as old as Wisconsin, it has a lot of European-style cities, and a lot of snow. I was sad that I wouldn't be in the Japan people think of when they think of Japan. I'll be in Japan's version of Alaska. Don't get me wrong, Alaska seems nice, but it's not exactly what I had in mind.
But after brewing for a while, I realize it's not so bad. Supposedly Hokkaido winter isn't quite as frigid as Madison's last few have been (according to the interwebs, but we'll know for sure when we see it). Hence, all the snow. Up to 47 inches! Whoa. And the summers I guess don't get much above 70? That's still a little cool, but if you'd asked me where I wanted to be while I was in Thailand, I'd have chosen Hokkaido in a heartbeat. That kind of heat and humidity just sucks the life out of you! And with that much cold, it should keep the mukade and Huntsman spiders at bay. Unfortunately, there are also bears (whaaaat??) and I've always gotten the willies from two things 1) metal highway dividers, and 2) bears: based solely on the sheer physical damage they can do to the human body when they impale it.
Besides, better to be in the Alaska of Japan than the Arkansas of Japan, right? (Sorry, Arkansas, but even you know it's true.) I've always been a fan of raw beauty. On top of that, a lot of people are saying they're envious of those of us with Hokkaido placements. It seems like a pretty cool place, and I can always travel around the country if I want other experiences. Now I just need to wait a month for them to tell me where in Hokkaido I'll be living.
I want to be knee deep in lavender in Furano. I want regularly quote Sarah Palin and say, "I can see Russia from my house," in Cape Soya. I want to see the traditional horse races and a reindeer farm. I want nice hot springs and steaming volcanoes. That's Hokkaido.
Hokkaido. Hokkaido. I'm going to live in Hokkaido. Less sexy, but really a lot sweeter. And most likely cheaper!
At first I was kind of disappointed. In all reality I like having seasons and nature and so I will probably end up permanently living somewhere like Seattle or the coast of Maine. MAYBE Wisconsin (but only because of my family). Anyway, all the more reason why I wanted to live somewhere with a different climate while I was in Japan - get the warmth out of your system, y'know?
I love winter sports and everything, but it was also important to me to be in an area with a longer history. Hokkaido's settlements are only about as old as Wisconsin, it has a lot of European-style cities, and a lot of snow. I was sad that I wouldn't be in the Japan people think of when they think of Japan. I'll be in Japan's version of Alaska. Don't get me wrong, Alaska seems nice, but it's not exactly what I had in mind.
But after brewing for a while, I realize it's not so bad. Supposedly Hokkaido winter isn't quite as frigid as Madison's last few have been (according to the interwebs, but we'll know for sure when we see it). Hence, all the snow. Up to 47 inches! Whoa. And the summers I guess don't get much above 70? That's still a little cool, but if you'd asked me where I wanted to be while I was in Thailand, I'd have chosen Hokkaido in a heartbeat. That kind of heat and humidity just sucks the life out of you! And with that much cold, it should keep the mukade and Huntsman spiders at bay. Unfortunately, there are also bears (whaaaat??) and I've always gotten the willies from two things 1) metal highway dividers, and 2) bears: based solely on the sheer physical damage they can do to the human body when they impale it.
Besides, better to be in the Alaska of Japan than the Arkansas of Japan, right? (Sorry, Arkansas, but even you know it's true.) I've always been a fan of raw beauty. On top of that, a lot of people are saying they're envious of those of us with Hokkaido placements. It seems like a pretty cool place, and I can always travel around the country if I want other experiences. Now I just need to wait a month for them to tell me where in Hokkaido I'll be living.
I want to be knee deep in lavender in Furano. I want regularly quote Sarah Palin and say, "I can see Russia from my house," in Cape Soya. I want to see the traditional horse races and a reindeer farm. I want nice hot springs and steaming volcanoes. That's Hokkaido.