You buy a house for practical reasons. You stay for other ones. I bought my house in Otaru because the price was right and the train to Sapporo takes thirty-five minutes. I stay because of the uni bowl at Sankaku Market, the gas lamps along the canal at dusk, and the particular silence of a …
Read more “The Food, the Festivals, and the Things That Make You Stay”
I did not expect either one to have a history. Both do, and once again they split down the middle in a way that matches the philosophy better than I built it to.
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Everyone I’ve met here, drivers, hotel staff, other writers, said the same thing before I even asked: don’t give them cash. It sounded harsh the first time. It doesn’t anymore.
Every cheap property town in Japan has a story. The story usually goes like this: beautiful setting, fascinating history, incredible price, three and a half hours from the nearest city with a hospital and a department store. The house costs $8,000. Getting to civilization costs you half a day. Otaru’s story goes differently. JR Rapid …
Read more “Thirty-Five Minutes to Sapporo: Otaru’s Killer Advantage”
The rooms are often roofless. Birds nest in the cornices. Chipmunks scurry around like rats but cuter.The stone is warm in the afternoon sun and cool in the shadow. Young Indian couples looking for a place to make out seem to favor it.