How do we look :)

Norboribetsu

Noboribetsu (登別市, Noboribetsu-shi?) is a city located in Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan. Part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park, it is located southwest of Sapporo, west of Tomakomai and northeast of Hakodate. The name, Noboribetsu, derives from an Ainu word, nupur-pet, which means dark-coloured river.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 53,018 and the density of 250 persons per km². The total area is 212.11 km².

The mountains dominate the west and north while the plains dominate around five km within the coastline. There are three towns along the Pacific Ocean: from northeast to southwest, Noboribetsu, Horobetsu and Washibetsu. These betsu are derived from river in the Ainu language. Noboribetsu is on the Noboribetsu River. Horobetsu and Washibetsu are on the Iburi-horobetsu River and the Washibetsu River respectively.

The city office is located in Horobetsu. The town of Noboribetsu is located at the mouth of the Noboribetsu river and is therefore a much narrower area.

Six km inland from this is the smaller town of Noboribetsu-onsen (Noboribetsu hot-spring). Enjoying many hot springs of varying ingredients, Noboribetsu-onsen is one of many well-known resorts in Japan and the largest "hot spring town" in Hokkaidō.

Noboribetsu Town as a municipality was born in 1961 by renaming the former Horobetsu Town. It was given city status on August 1, 1970.

Noboribetsu has four train stations and is accessed by the Dōō Expressway with two interchanges and route 36.

Winter Wonderland

Mt Uzu

That's me - we need to take cable car to the top of volcano Uzu (opposite to Showa to get a closer view of this volcano crater

We had steamboat :)

2nd Day @ Shinkotsu-Toya National Park

Located in south-western part of Hokkaido, Shikotsu Toya National Park consists of three separate areas, Mt. Yotei, Lake Toya and Lake Shikotsu.

Mt. Yotei is popularly called as Mt. Ezo-Fuji because its shape resembles to Mt. Fuji. Lake Shikotsu, one of the most beautiful lakes in Hokkaido, is encircled by active volcanoes such as Mt. Eniwa and Mt. Tarumae. North and south of the lake, there are famous Jozankei and Nobo- ribetsu spas, respectively.

Lake Toya is a caldera lake surrounded by new volcanoes such as Mt. Usu and Mt. Showa- Shinzan which had risen from the plain as a result of successive eruptions since 1944. Toyako spa is located on southern shore of the lake.

The best time to see scenery and enjoy hot springs is from early summer to autumn, and hiking and camping are popular in summer season. The park also provides good skiing grounds during winter season.

Konbu-Kan

They have seafood, cookies, all kinds etc. very clean right :)

Along the way

Hakodate Bay Area Map

This the map @ Hakodate



Interestingly saw this in the shopping mall @ Hakodate

Park @ Hokkaido

Thats my parents, my grandparents and Shannon Jie Jie. Daddy what is the name of the park?

1st Day in Hokkaido

Just arrived in Hokkaido on 19 Dec 2009. WOW!!!!

18 Dec - 25 Dec 2009

Arrival in Haneda Airport :P

Haneda Airport is located about 30 minutes south of central Tokyo. It consists of three terminal buildings: terminal 1 which is mainly used by JAL and its subsidiary airlines, terminal 2 which is mainly used by ANA and its subsidiary airlines and the international terminal which is used by a small number of international flights

Handling over 60 million passengers per year, Haneda Airport is by far Japan's busiest airport and ranks among the world's top five busiest airports.