Hanakuma Chifuyu

A day in Otaru before the marathon

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0900

I arrived in Otaru yesterday. Today I’m going to wander around town.

I dropped off my luggage and went looking for breakfast. If it hadn’t been raining, I might have gone to the Rinyu Morning Market, but I headed to Ishi to Tetsu instead.

Except they weren’t serving breakfast today and wouldn’t open until eleven. Oh. I’d come back for lunch.

A quick trip to Yoichi

In the meantime, I went to Yoichi to buy fuel. Whisky, that is.

One more walk around Otaru

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0900

Just after midnight, following my last evening in Otaru, I left HALF TONE. I’ll come back in four months for the Sapporo Marathon.

I walked along the canal on the way back.

Otaru Canal late at night

I wish morning wouldn’t come.

Setting off with my backpack

But morning did come. I packed, with Karin and Teto riding on my 80-liter backpack.

Ready to leave

Thank you for the week, Hotel Nord.

Perfect weather for the stamp rally

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0900

The weather is good today. Perfect for a stamp rally.

A sunny morning in Otaru

I edited a video while the laundry ran, then got ready to go out.

The final stamp

Only POP’n STRAGE remained on the Otaru town stamp rally I’d been doing yesterday.

I collected the last stamp and bought a Karin badge.

The final stop at POP'n STRAGE

With every stamp in place, I received a completion gift.

A rainy Otaru stamp-rally day

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 23:30:00 +0900

The weather is bad today. My shoe soles have worn down like slick tires, so running in the rain is slippery.

I’m picking up the remaining Otaru stamp-rally locations from yesterday.

Shops around town first

My first stop was Niikuraya, where I bought sweets and a Karin badge.

Shopping at Niikuraya

I visited Grids, then Tsukushi Makita, where I ran into LaMonade.

Rikka at Tsukushi Makita

I didn’t have a bag today, so I’ll come back for sweets tomorrow.

Halfway through my Otaru stay

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0900

It’s my fourth day in Otaru. Somehow half of the trip has already gone by.

After yesterday’s Otaru Canal Road Race and some laundry, I thought about what to do today. Maybe I’ll enter next year’s race too.

The wind had made me worry about the boat yesterday, but today it was going to Todo Rock. I booked a seat.

First I bought rice crackers at Midoriya and continued the town stamp rally.

Race day in Otaru

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0900

The wind was strong from the morning. I wondered whether boats to Todo Rock could sail today.

I’m running the Otaru Canal Road Race. I walked about 30,000 steps yesterday, but off to the venue I went.

I arrived around 7:40 with Karin.

Karin at the road-race venue

Otaru Shiokaze High School track team

As planned, I ran in my Karin T-shirt. Next to a Chifuyu T-shirt, the Otaru Shiokaze High School track team was ready to go.

Walking across Otaru from the sea

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 23:30:00 +0900

I arrived in Otaru yesterday. Today began with breakfast.

Breakfast

The weather was good, so I decided to walk up Mount Tengu from below. To make it a proper crossing, I went to the sea first and walked from there toward the mountain.

Starting at the sea for Mount Tengu

From the sea to Mount Tengu

I continued the Otaru town stamp rally along the way. At a shrine I saw Rikka and prayed for a safe climb.

Back to Otaru

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0900

I’m setting off with an 80-liter backpack today. Teto is coming too. A beer to start the trip.

A travel beer with Teto

I took two flights to Hokkaido. The second plane was a 787.

Boarding the 787

At New Chitose I boarded a train for Otaru. Now my arrival was assured. The sea came into view, wider than anything I see around the Seto Inland Sea.

Walking through snowy Otaru

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 23:00:00 +0900

Good morning. The canal outside my hotel window was colored by the morning sun.

Otaru Canal in the morning

I arrived in Otaru yesterday. Today I’m walking around town.

The former Temiya Line was covered in snow too. A photo with Teto and Karin.

At the snowy former Temiya Line

I passed Ginza Button’s old shop. I still need to see Chifuyu’s new workplace.

Off on an easygoing trip

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 23:00:00 +0900

I’m setting off on an easygoing trip today, starting at Kotohira Station.

Departing from Kotohira Station

I reached Okayama. The big city.

Changing to the Shinkansen in Okayama

Once aboard the Shinkansen, I refueled.

Fuel for the train ride

In Osaka I headed for the airport and had another drink in the lounge. Someone was eating shumai with their drink. Genius.

Running in my Karin T-shirt

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 23:00:00 +0900

Today is the Sapporo Marathon. I put on the Karin T-shirt I prepared yesterday and headed for the venue.

The underground passage was long.

A long passage on the way to the venue

I arrived sometime after eight. Otaru Shiokaze High School track team, here I go.

At the venue in my Karin T-shirt

Across the finish line

I missed my target time, but I finished the half marathon safely.

Walking around Otaru in autumn

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:00:00 +0900

Breakfast was a boxed meal from Seicomart. I arrived in Otaru last night, and today I’m heading out early.

If I walk to Mount Tengu now, I should get there around opening time. The estimated walk is about fifty minutes, so let’s go.

Walking up the hill

The slope was 15 percent. A local spoke to me while I was walking with a large backpack and cheered me on when I said I was going to Mount Tengu.

Traveling again after four months

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 23:00:00 +0900

I’m going away today. First, a beer in the middle of the day.

A drink with Teto

Another refueling stop on the way. Daytime beer is good.

Fuel for the journey

I was gripping a protrusion on the train wall as if it were a climbing hold when a guy from Belgium asked, “Are you a climber?” I didn’t expect to be found out there.

Toward the sea in Otaru

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0900

Yesterday I visited the character panels around town. Today I’m heading toward the sea.

First, Otaru Aquarium. Rikka welcomed us.

Rikka at Otaru Aquarium

Karin explains the hokke

Karin was explaining the fish at the hokke tank. I let my Karin plush see it too.

Karin at the hokke tank

The sturgeon was several times bigger than I’d imagined. Here it is beside Teto.

My first day in Otaru

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0900

I traveled to Hokkaido yesterday. Today I’m exploring Otaru for the first time, with Teto and Karin along for the ride.

Beginning our Otaru trip

Starting the stamp rally

I picked up the booklet for the Otaru town stamp rally. Karin and I set off around town.

Starting the stamp rally with Karin

The shops have panels of Karin, Rikka, and Chifuyu.