Asahikawa is Hokkaido’s second largest city, the gateway to Sounkyo Gorge, Daisetsuzan National Park, and many great hot springs.
The city is more than a stopover as there are some places you really want to see.

 

For us we came here to do research on Miwa’s grandfather.
Miwa’s grandfather was a famous entrepreneur. In 1916 Seiichi Iwasaki founded the railroad and bus system in Asahikawa. In 1938 he founded Iwatsu Electric Company, which is a major telecommunications company with offices throughout the world, even in the U.S. He developed and built Radar Warning Systems, battery Telephone systems, Oscilloscopes for radar and TV’s. He holds multiple patents for all types of electronics.

 

We plan on visiting the various sites where he worked and lived throughout Japan.

 

Checked into the Hotel Washington near the train station. While traveling throughout Japan we like to stay at what is called the Salary man’s hotel. The clientele are mainly business people. The rooms are clean, comfortable, and usually include breakfast in the room rate. Although the rooms are a bit small, the pricing is comparable to a mid range hotel back in the states and includes wifi, as well as many business amenities
After a short bus ride our first stop was to where Miwa’s mom was born, which is now a shopping mall.

From there we took a taxi to Otokoyama Sake Brewery and Museum, which is 340 years old. There is a fountain with spring water from the Daisetsuzan mountain range. Many people come by with bottles to fill up on the water, which is believed to provide longevity.

 

We toured the museum, tasted several different sake flavors, strolled through the gardens, and purchased a few bottles to bring back home.

 

For our evening dinner we walked to a local bar, which was a major mistake. The food although tasty took almost an hour to get to our table and all we received was a smile and a sorry about that. The bars also permit smoking and I could not stand the haze hanging over our table. Learned my lesson, no more bars for food.

 

On our second visit to Asahikawa we met one of Miwa’s cousins and his family who had some additional locations for us to visit concerning their grandfather. It was very rainy day, but we managed to travel to several sites such as a remaining piece of track from the first railroad, a park with a memorial to her grandfather’s contribution to the city, Train number 1001 and the Kyodo Kan museum where the curator Mr. Hirocu Sato led us on a private tour with all types of information about the railroad and bus system. I would recommend this museum even if we were not there to learn more about her grandfather.

 

After finishing our research we headed to Japan’s northern most Zoo, Asahiyama, one of the most popular in the country. It was raining hard and yet that did not seem to stop people from visiting. I was impressed with the layout and the over 128 species of animals. This is the first zoo that was successful in creating natural breeding for cold weather animals. Unlike many zoos I have visited, the animals here seemed happy in their environment.

Asahikawa is also a city with many museums, is surrounded by Hot Springs, has a Ramen village featuring their own soy sauce broth, and of course they have their own special treat Asahimame, a 100 year old soy based sweet. The bus system is good and easy to get around the city.

 

Plan a few days in Asahikawa and experience the warm hospitality, attractions, and great food. You will be surprised.



By Rey Waters