[Hokkaido/Sapporo] Day 2 - Clock Tower + TV Tower + Ice Festival 2020+ Mt Moiwa

March 28, 2020

The next morning, after a simple breakfast of an egg mayo sandwich and a bottle of CC Lemon drink which has a load of vitamins, we were ready to have a full day of activities as well as sightseeing on exploring Sapporo's famous landmarks!

First, we proceeded to the Sapporo Clock Tower (時計台, Tokeidai). The building was constructed during the early period of Sapporo's development in 1878, and in 1881 a clock purchased from Boston was installed.

Today, the Clock Tower serves as a museum with displays about Sapporo and the building's history on the first floor. On the second floor, there were displays and information about the clock itself, as well as a spacious ceremony hall.

As we made our way out from the clock tower, it started to snow again.

We met ZAQ, the mascot character while heading to our next attraction, Sapporo TV Tower.

The Ice Festival was located at multiple locations, and we began with the one at Odori Park, which was where the tower was located. It had a magnificent view of Sapporo.

I took some random photos inside the observation deck. When it was time to leave the tower, my 'evil' hubby saw a 'Special Event' sign which allowed for guests to walk down an external staircase from the top to the base of the tower for a clear view. I couldn't believe I agreed to his plan instead of using the elevator!

The stairs were so steep and slippery due to the snow, and it was freezing!! Mad hubby was beaming and insisted this built character and would be a lasting memory..

Before we left the premises, Baby rewarded me with ¥1000 for the claw machine. I caught 3 mini plushes! Among all, our favorite was Hatsune Miku (初音ミク).

We next made our way to the Sapporo Ice Festival (Yuki Matsuri) 2020, and this was the main agenda on why we chose to come to Hokkaido during this period. The event occurs annually and only for a limited time! This year's duration was from the 04/02 to the 11/02.

During this Yuki Matsuri, there were many activities to explore, and the major attraction was the ice sculptures display. We had some street food at the festival, and we indulged in a feast of seafood galore!

We only paid ¥100 for this Japanese-craft gin - Roku Gin, all thanks to drink voucher given by Suntory. This gin really helped to warm us up!

Apart from the Roku Gin, we also had Hokkaido Potato Cream Hot Soup, and it tasted rich and yummy.

This is the coolest smoking lounge that I ever seen.

Beware of the ice sculptures galore!

The last attraction of this day was to visit Mt Moiwa.Sunset occurred around 430pm!

We had read that Mt.Moiwa is one of the top romantic spots for couples, and is considered a sacred place for love/date spot that brings happiness!

At the top of the observatory, there was a 'Fortune Bell', and this was a photo spot which really stood out. The guy holds the longer rope, while the lady holds the shorter rope. When a couple rings the bell together, it is believed that their love will flourish, and will help mature a couples' relationship.

I end my Mt Moiwa tour with some random photos. I love the mascots of Mt Moiwa. We headed back to our hotel nearby for a dinner of Hokkaido Butter Corn Ramen.

I realised that the Sapporo ramen is is richer and far more oily as compared to the Ramen of other prefectures of Japan. It is probably due to the cold weather in Hokkaido!

Before ending my second day in Sapporo, we went to try our luck with the claw machines again. Yay! We were lucky to catch an assortment of plushies that ranged from a huge 'My Melody', a semi-large 'Yoshi', a medium and small 'Cinnamoroll'! Thanks for coming home with me!