Travel in Hakodate (Part 1)

One of the most remarkable things I have done in my life is traveling to a place called Hakodate.
The City of Hakodate is located in the southern peninsular part of Hokkaido in Japan. According to history, Hakodate belongs to the first three cities in Japan that opened its ports for trade internationally (the other two were Yokohama and Nagasaki cities).

Why Hakodate?

Originally, when I rode once a Yamanote line, I saw this JR East Japan advertisement about the norihodai (ride-all-you-can) joshaken for one day, and it said it is also valid for going to Hakodate via Hakodate station. For 6000 yen, you will be able to enjoy the train trip within the JR East Japan areas (those are Kanto, Hokuriku, Tohoku and Koshin areas, of course including Hakodate). Knowing and being amazed in that advertisement, I made up my mind going to Hakodate using any available train bound to it.
Before the confirmation, I consulted some of my Japanese friends in the office (who were also used to travel abroad) and they told me why not go there by airplane. It is cheaper since some travel agencies can offer plane and hotel packages for a very friendly price. I did have second thoughts since I really wanted to travel by train, but in the end I decided to go by plane anyway.
I already did some research about the trains that can go directly to Hakodate from Ueno (yes, it is from Tokyo) using the Hokutosei and Cassiopeia Shindai trains. But it is expensive (at least 25,000 yen one-way) compared to what I found in a pamphlet which offered round-trip travel that costs at least 29000 yen, and you can have at least a night stay in a hotel already. Of course there are other cheap train fares.
That's one reason why I chose Hakodate. But there were other option cities in Hokkaido, why not Sapporo or Asahikawa, to name a few? Among Sapporo, Hakodate and Asahikawa, I found Hakodate the best especially when it comes to the night view and historical figures. And the other thing was, my mind was already set in traveling to Hakodate.

久しぶりの羽田空港

On the departure date I had to catch the plane to depart from Haneda Airport at 1115. I got a convenient way to go there (using trains only, although there was a bus in Chofu Station going to Haneda Airport, I was not so sure about its arrival time, and it costed 1400 yen). I ride the Tokyo Monorail in Hamamatsucho station (Keio line to Shinjuku, Chuo Line to Kanda, Keihin-Tohoku Line to Hamamatsucho) and for around 30 minutes from Hamamatsucho I arrived at Haneda Airport Terminal 1.
The airport's terminal 1 is for those who will flying on JAL planes, while terminal 2 is for ANA planes (click here for more details). I was about to fly on a JAL plane so I got off at Terminal 1.
During my AOTS training in Japan three years ago, I and my friend, together with his boss and coordinator, went to Hiroshima by riding an airplane in Haneda Airport. For that very long time, I kept on recalling the places we went inside the airport, until I came to remember that we rode an ANA plane. So those that I was looking for are on the other terminal so I just went to window shopping befor checking in.
At 1100 I boarded the plane and sat beside the window, and the plane departed just in time. While in the air I was able to see Mt Fuji (I was unfortunate because I didn't have my camera in my hand) and it looked awesome (there were still snowcaps on its summit). I was also able to see the mountain in Yamagata and Aomori.
The plane arrived in Hakodate about 10 minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival time. Upon getting off the plane, I went out straight (of course, no troublesome transactions unlike those in the international airports) and took a bus, lucky enough because it bounded straight to the hotel (JAL city) that I was going to stay. For 310 yen it was the most convenient.

到着してから休まずホテルを出た！

Upon entering the hotel and checking in, I didn't took a while and went out to the steep streets. I found this torii and had a picture of myself (I was really prepared for this and I had a tripod). And after a few minutes I went to a Russian Orthodox Church (Hakodate does not seem to be pure Japan when it comes to structures) and Saint John's Church. Going further I walked underneath the cable car (where you have to ride to see the yakei) and the slope streets.
of course, that afternoon there were too many people around, especially those near the port.
The Aka-renga ni Hakodate is just too terrific. Although smaller than those in Yokohama, everything novelty is stuffed in. Fine dining, of course, it has.
Going out a little bit of the red brick warehouse were more restaurants and wet markets (those sold in the wet market are seafoods popular in Hakodate), and the Hakodate Beer plant.
...

from bubaigawara to shinjuku (JR)

始点：分倍河原（東京都府中市）
終点：新宿（東京都新宿区）
経由：立川（立川市）、拝島、高麗川（埼玉県日高市）、高崎（群馬県高崎市）、小山（栃木県小山市）、大宮（埼玉県さいたま市大宮区）、赤羽（東京都北区）、錦糸町（東京都墨田区）
利用した鉄道：ＪＲ南武線、青梅線、八高線、両毛線、宇都宮線（湘南新宿ライン）、総武線、中央線

Start station: Bubaigawara (Fuchu City, Tokyo)
End Station: Shinjuku (Shinjuku ward, Tokyo)
Passed Stations: Tachikawa (Tachikawa City, Tokyo), Haijima(Akishima City, Tokyo), Komagawa (Hidaka City, Saitama), Takasaki (Takasaki City, Gumma), Oyama (Oyama City, Tochigi), Omiya (Omiya ward, Saitama City, Saitama), Akabane (Kita ward, Tokyo), Kinshicho (Sumida ward, Tokyo)

Railways used: JR Nambu Line, JR Ome Line, JR Hachiko Line, JR Ryomo Line, JR Utsunomiya Line (Shonan-Shinjuku Line), JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, JR Sobu Line, JR Chuo Line

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Since it is my first time to spend the golden week here in Japan, I made my first day adventurous. I was still in the Philippines when I planned this thing but what happened today was a little bit different from what I planned. I am living in Chofu and the most accessible JR station near my house is the Bubaigawara station (the other one is the Inadazutsumi station but it is farther from Tachikawa Station, which I made my first change train in this adventure).
Using the Keio Line from Tobitakyu to Bubaigawara, I started my JR train adventure in Bubaigawara station (1130). Riding a Nambu Line train, I reached Tachikawa at around 1147.

Going to Okutama shall be done later...

While at the Tachikawa Station platform, I was thinking if I have to go straight to Okutama using the Ome Line, because I'd gone through a research about Okutama being a paradise for me, and it was a sunny day. But I wanted to know what I shall see more in the Gumma and Tochigi prefectures that is why I went instead to Takasaki using two lines (Ome and Hachiko lines). It is better to go to Okutama with somebody.
I departed from Tachikawa at around 1206.
Within Tachikawa and Haijima, the surroundings seemed to look a quarter rural, but you can already see a lot of hatake (farm fields). For more than ten minutes I got off at Haijima, and waited for a Hachiko Line train going to Kawagoe that will arrive at 1220.

Most parts of the Hachiko line has one common rail (usually a railway line comes in two rails for each direction). This is another line that uses common rail (the first time I ride a train passing on a common rail was in the Sagami Line) and the time interval of every train arrival is very long.
I reached the Komagawa Station at around 1245, when another train was waiting for its departure to Takasaki. At first, I hesitated to ride in because the train, although small, was really something like riding a green car, so I went out of the Komagawa station and confirmed the prices.

Hindi pupuwede sa Pilipinas ang mga eki na ganito...

The Komagawa Station does not have a wicket. The only thing you have to do is buy a ticket and ride the train (without inserting the ticket in the wicket). The station has a Suica scanning machine but you may not do it because it is open (sayang at hindi ko nakuhanan ng picture) and you can pass freely. And furthermore, there are staions like this that doesn't have a station personnel (something you might not believe). Some stations in the Hachiko Like are like this.
For sure, having such stations in the Philippines is not recommended (even those who are very honest to themselves may not recommend; sa Batanes puwede pa).

Of course, I want to be honest so I used my Suica to go back to the station. I rode the train waiting there anyway (because there were people standing inside), but I stood in front so I would be able to see the path and its surroundings (I usually ride in the front car near the driver of the train when it is possible). The train departed at 1302 and it is an hour-and-a-half ride to Takasaki station.

(to be continued...)