Autumn full moon ceremony

Actual full moon is early tomorrow morning, but in Japan we celebrate Mid September full moon.

Hakodate Area Sep Silver week Surfing trip

The last day of Sliver Week (long weekends), our dawn patrol started on Sumiyoshi Fishermens wharf.

It was a tiny break, too small to share the waves, so we moved on to Shikabe, which is one hour driving north-east.  Shikabe got a direct swell , swell size was good but was too straight and mushy and needed more tide.  We predicted that the best surfing time was around mid day.

So we drove back to Menagawa. There was fun size left breaks and sometimes sucky right breaks.

Yeah, surfed at Menagawa and on the way back to Sapporo , we checked Shikabe again.

Oh yeah!!! I haven't seen such a clean 2 -3ft breaks in Hokkaido.  No hesitation, we paddled out for fun.

Sumiyoshi fishermen's wharf 住吉漁港

Shokabe in the morning. 朝の鹿部

Menagawa. 女那川  because of the cold water river, the water here has cool and warm patches.  After surfing, walking cross and dipping the river is so nice

Shikabe in arvo. 午後の鹿部

Komagatake. 駒ケ岳

Tempura soba after surfing

Thick soy sauce taste Ramen at Kotetsu, Tomakomai

Daikokutei-guest house and restaurant in Hakodate

After two sessions of surfing and driving, we were so exhausted when we arrived at this guest house.

Time to eat!!! Foods we had here never made us disappointed , the more we ate, our appetite

got bigger and bigger.  The price is reasonable!!

Cold beer and young yellow tail

Rice ball with Love

Eggplant with miso vinegar and cheese

Jap style omelette ¥650

Squid sashimi, tender and excellent !

                                                                                            Real size is triple of this ¥600

Whole grilled squid

Juicy fried oyster

Menagawa surf got bigger. (女那川サーフィン)

Today the surf was affected by Typhoon 20th swell.

Menagawa got bigger in late morning, I like Menagawa situation because of the river.

We get cross to paddle out and in, the river water is cool and clean.

Menagawa river mouth

Menagawa beach

Hakodate surfing trip - Todohokke (椴法華) was good!

Early start for Hakodate surfing trip via Shiraoi,

It seems a nice day and quite warm.

Welcome to Noboribrtu hot springs

Back ground is active 2 active volcanos

MORI is famous for Ika meshi,stuffed squid 

                                                                                            rice

Todohokke

Japanese style

Autumn festival @Sapporo Oodori Park

A food festival from all over Hokkaido, it has started mid Sep. and open till 4th Oct.

I don't know how many stalls are set up in several blocks  of the entire park.

Sea urchin!!!Yum

Clam

Beef satay

Octopus dumpling from Otaru

Sapporo Asahiyama Park

SereChia-Italian restaurant Minami

It just a few minutes walk from where we live, there is a cozy Italian restaurant.

We saw only one chef in the kitchen but we didn't wait for the serve too long. 

Taste is not bad at all, specially the roast black pork was so brilliant , pizza has good taste and pie base is not crispy one but is thin enough.

Antipasto

Margarita pizza

Black pork (Ebetsu)

Looking for Typhoon 18th swell ーMonbetsu, Higashishizunai

Typhoon hit the south-east coast of Hokkaido so  I was expecting a reasonable left over swell.

But the strong gusty winds destroyed the wave condition, ummmmh.

Lumpy , bumpy ocean spread all over the coast.

Monbetsu wharf from Monbetsu shrine

Higashishizunai wharf

Zucchini ¥100 sold at Hidaka road station

Chilli salt ramen, Chashu(pork) was

                                                                                            thick but tender as..yum!

   SOFT CREAM , must have it to finish the day!!!

Looking for a surf from Hamaatsuma to Tomikawa

Looking for uncrowded surf in a clean water continues driving down. Uncrowded but not breaking!!

Sheep's first overseas trip at Monbetsu warf.

Tomikawa shrine

Tomikawa shrine

Hamaatsuma Surfing

The best surfing spot close to Sapporo is Hamaatsuma.  Recently the council built the toilet with outside taps. (But no shower)

When I say the best, I am talking about the quality of the shape of the surf.

I don't paddled out into Hamaatsuma break even looking great.

Because this is one of the worst polluted surf point.   The colour of the ocean never be clear,

there is an oil related factory near-by, I got itchy eyes and skin problem years ago after surfing here.

Of course it is up to you to surf here or avoid.

Always super crowded, crazy...