Lake Shikotsu

Our tour guide, Chen Lining, was responsible, lively, and switched between Chinese, English, and Japanese like a radio station. Her explanations along the way were clear and concise, and she offered sincere advice on food, drinks, activities, and souvenirs, discouraging impulsive purchases. There are restaurants, ice cream shops, and seafood shops around Lake Chikotsu. I recommend visiting the visitor center; they offer national park passports for foreigners, recording dates at each national park. At the bear ranch, we fed the bears cookies. Lake Hill Farm's ice cream has a variety of flavors; you can choose one for 400 yen, or two for 500 yen. Watching the fireworks is recommended as an optional extra; the boat ticket is 1900 yen and guarantees the best view of the entire display. The fireworks are launched in an arc along the lakeside hotels for guests to see, and the location is unpredictable. From the boat, you won't know which direction to look until you hear the cannons. From land, you'd have to run about 2 kilometers to follow the same route. The restrooms are conveniently located on the boat after the fireworks, but on land, only 7-Elevens are available, and the lines are long—I heard I waited 40 minutes. We didn't get back to Sapporo until midnight. You have two hours to wait for the fireworks at the lakeside, which can be used for dinner and a stroll. It's recommended to eat and drink until you're about 80% full. During these two hours, you can relax at a hot spring resort (1200 RMB extra, but a great deal!). It has five-star facilities; bring your own towel or purchase one separately to enjoy. After your soak, there's live music in the backyard until 8:30 PM before boarding the boat. It's just a minute's walk to the boat. The trip concludes with watching the fireworks.

The car and driver were both excellent; the ride was comfortable, safe, and punctual.