Sapporo

It was already late evening by the time we reached the Shin-Sapporo station. Our hotel was just a stone's throw away so there was no rush. We met up with my cousin's friends for dinner at the nearby ARC City shopping mall. Nothing fancy, just ramen and don this time.

To prepare for a good tour around the city the next day, we retired to our rooms early and some of us made use of the spa in the hotel. I followed two of my cousins to try but I almost had to give up. I was stopped right at the entrance because the wheelchair was not allowed in. My cousin had to piggyback me a long distance in to change and shower. Luckily there were many stools inside for me to hop and shift between the pools.

Hokkaido Shrine (北海道神宮, Hokkaidō Jingū)

On our way to the Miyanomori Art Museum, we walked through Maruyama (Mount Maru) and pay a visit to the Hokkaido Shrine. We actually entered the mountain on the far side from the shrine where there was a smaller Sakaigawa shrine.

Walking up a series of steps, we were enveloped by a serene forest. So peaceful, so zen here. The steps were wide enough for a wheelchair to go up easily (but still tiring) while the pathways were gravelled and difficult to move on.

A couple of us offered prayers but as I could see no access to the inner hall of the shrine except steps, I asked my brother to get me a talisman for good fortune at work. Just in time for my new job, I really hope it blesses me well by having it in my bag everyday.

Miyanomori Art Museum

"The Miyanomori Art Museum is the main contemporary art gallery in Hokkaido. It presents works from the contemporary international and Japanese art scene. The collection features works of Japanese modern and contemporary art from the 1950s to the 1970s."

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see anything as the museum was closed on Tuesdays :(

Sapporo Beer Museum

How could we not visit this place when we were in town?! Besides getting to know the history of Sapporo Beer and how it was being brewed, we also got to have our fill of three different brands: Premium, Classic and Kaitakushi, and just for ¥500 per set! It was definitely worth the two subway rides and a 30-45 minutes walk (though I felt we could have shorten the journey if we knew more about the buses available here).

Hmm... all of a sudden I am feeling thirsty for some beer...

We ended our day with a trip to the shopping district for dinner and hopefully some buying. I didn't think we got anything much as we were mindful of the long journey ahead still and tried not to carry too many stuff yet.

Wheelchair Accessibility

• Accommodation

The hotel rooms were similar to the previous rooms we had stayed in in terms of size and facilities. So the same problems of not able to turn the wheelchair around and finding handholds to access the bathroom applied.

• Public Transportation

There was not much of a problem taking the subways or buses as they were wheelchair-friendly with helpful staff ready for assistance. One caveat would be that not all subway stations' exits were accessible so it would take some time for you to find the right ones.

• Roads and Sidewalks

They were easy to wheel on and with traffic not too heavy, there wasn't much worrying on navigation and road crossings.