I Drove to Japan's Most Extreme North | Hokkaido Road Trip

welcome to hakudate city gateway to hokkaido i'm taking one last look at it because we're about to embark on a 500 kilometer three-day journey to japan's most extreme northern point across one of the most remote and isolated places in the entire country if we make it back from this road trip in one piece it'll certainly be one hell of a journey to remember complete with noisy clothes hokkaido is japan's second largest island and home to the country's most extreme northern point cape soya a thousand kilometers north of tokyo and just 45 kilometers south of the russian island of sakhalin our epic three-day journey across the island will take us 500 kilometers to wakana japan's most northern town and finally on to cape sawyer as we battle through blizzards and colorful barns frozen seas and scenery both jaw-dropping and utterly bizarre and because i don't want to freeze to death alone in a field joining us on the trip is my best american friend pete a presenter on japanese tv who promises to drive me insane along the way but our road trip begins here in hakodate the southern tip of the island in 1854 the city found its way into the history books by becoming japan's first port open for trade with the west and that legacy lives on today in its western influenced architecture it's here not too far from the red brick buildings that we grab a much needed breakfast at the iconic seafood market before we hit the road oh so it's seven o'clock in the morning guys and we're at hakodate morning market before we begin this long journey i thought get some breakfast get some seafood given that's what this place is famous for and also worth introducing you to the guy who's coming on the journey with us pete my best american friend probably there you think you are that's quite the compliment i'm probably your only american friend um chris i gotta say we've been friends for many years we have we met in a we made a video game bar in shinjuku about four or five years ago that's quite real i remember you did announce yourself you don't know me i'm the great chris broad i didn't say that and you said like who the hell are you oh you're one of my mini fans okay just get it over with nice to meet you i'm chris broad you pulled out a a business card and you said it says right there 250 000 subscribers wow look how far you've come so you're probably wondering why we've come on this trip to hokkaido in winter to the most northern point because i've always wanted to go to cape soil but certainly not in the height of winter but pete is the reason we're coming why did you choose earp of all places like okay i know it sounds crazy but you and i have been friends for a long time and one of the perks of being your friends is you guys may know him i'm buddies with natsuki who last year got me a really nice gift and i'm very thankful for it why'd you get you a gift it was my birthday for god's sake some of us remember what is that this is a shattered mug i know i get it i know i sound insanely stupid and this is crazy but listen to me this was important to me he got it for my birthday i immediately broke it and he specifically said he got this in a town called waka knight well i know natsuki did come to hokkaido last year it seems a bit unlikely he got it in wakana the most northern town in japan right and i know this sounds stupid i get it but i think that if we can have a chance to hang out together and there's a chance a small one that i can replace this gift that he got me wow i'd feel good what a great man you are i don't know whether to cry or be physically sick save your strength it's a long drive well we're gonna finish up this breakfast guys then we're gonna hit the road let's do it for a mug i feel like a mug to be honest god [Music] our first stop on our three-day road trip is the coastal town of otaru 250 kilometers north of hakodate and neighbouring the regional capital of sapporo it's here that i've booked us a traditional brick house for the night first things first we've got to get there in one piece i have seen some snow in my days chris but this is absolutely insane and i wouldn't want to drive in it yes thank you pete there's a reason i wasn't overly enthusiastic about this uh this road trip like we're currently in between sapporo and elmore city and both of those cities have the highest levels of snowfall on the planet do you get like this kind of snowfall in kansas of course in northern america it's immense amount of snow but i've been in tokyo for 10 years and the most we'll get is like a light little dusting of snow and it's a big deal so what goes on in kansas is one of those states you never really hear that much about america right i don't know we're very famous for our barbecue and um of course the wizard of oz barbecues and the wizard of oz what what a legacy a film about a band of idiots going on a journey that ultimately ends in massive disappointment why does that sound eerily familiar as we head west around hokkaido's stunning coastline towards the city of otaru the blue sky quickly disappears and we get our first taste of the region's infamous winter weather but amidst the snowfall pete spots something rather odd out to sea what the hell was that crisp chris pullover what i just i saw like a a glitch in the matrix it was it was a floating rock a floating rock yes you got to see it what have you been drinking this morning holy look at that look at that rock chris yes have you ever seen something like that no trying to be a little more excited please [Music] i gotta say that is pretty cool it's one of the most amazing things i've ever seen your whole life ever yes i don't go outside much so this is really unique i really like that little torii gate too i don't know how they got that up there but it looks like something out of ghost of tsushima a drumstick shaped rock that sticks out of the sea somehow defying the laws of physics and gravity yes a drumstick because that's all you think about is chicken how dare you how dare you just half an hour away from hokkaido's main city of sapporo otaru has something of a steampunk vibe going on thanks to its old world european architecture left over from its days as a bustling port town in the 19th century from the steam clock puffing away the heart of the city to its famous canal lined with stunning historic warehouses it's a refreshing change of atmosphere from the many shrinking run-down towns you typically find along the sea of japan coastline here it is the picturesque otaru canal finished construction in 1923 as the booming shipping market was full effect this quiet and idyllic place is perfect for a romantic getaway or a special time with that someone in your life stop it get that on my face as it's not a large city otaru is perfect for strolling around for a day trip and undeniably at its best in the winter months because look there's a snowman hey look at this man there's a bunch of snowmen and well there's about a dozen look at that one right over there we found the little chris broad special he's got oil top hat and a scarf and all pipe which one's you then uh that one in the back right you want the smiling face oh you just fell over just make sure if you do come to ortado in winter don't forget to bring some gloves otherwise you'll end up like this oh it's so cold oh my hands look at this i'm a weak little kansan boy take me to the hospital my hands are freezing as the blizzard picks up and pete's hands require defrosting we head off to seek shelter in our accommodation which looks more like a pirate's lair than your typical japanese inn which is why i like it because pirates are cool in it so we've just had a long arduous drive through the mountains of hokkaido but we're finally here in otaru in our beautiful converted barn that's been turned into a hostel and pete and i the only guest tonight and we're about to give you a whirlwind tour of this place because it is pretty magnificent from what i've seen so far i mean the walls are made of brick which is pretty rare in japan first off otaru is famous for its kind of brick architecture but uh before we get to all that p are you ready to take us on a tour absolutely let's do it welcome chris has already unloaded the bags thank you chris let's go ahead and take a look at the master bedroom i'm told oh god it's it's we're sharing it that's awesome thank you chris very cozy god damn it well let's go ahead and take a look at the shower bath combo right in here oh this is a capsule hotel okay change of plans all being here perfect for a party of six or twelve oh wait look at this this is one of those old false windows let's take a look behind this guy oh oh we're trapped okay nope let's go that's not that way let's leave that one alone let's try the third floor i'm okay oh my god look at this place this is amazing and quite romantic oh chris we have outdone ourselves tonight it has everything that you need ah tabasco salt and pepper and the rough guide of london perfect for otters traveling in sightseeing and oh my god look at this okay i love bean bags i haven't used one in like 27 years don't mind if i do [Music] this will be our home for tonight let's kick back and relax early the next morning we begin the second leg of our journey heading three hours north east to furanola a region in the centre of hokkaido famous for its rolling hills and picturesque landscapes and for some reason i've left pete in charge of tonight's accommodation he hopes to surprise me with his choice because allegedly it looks like kansas i just hope it doesn't involve any wizards or yellow brick roads so back on the road 200 kilometers to the foot and all from ottawa i'm excited i am a little bit dubious because it's quite snowy today a lot snowier than it was yesterday and uh it's quite stressful driving in the snow yeah i can i don't know what i was going to say i could have met but you can't just go just sitting here uh no but how far is it to foot oh no 200 kilometers actually you thought so but you'd be wrong it's gonna be about 230 kilometers because i have found us a nice little detour oh god now look i know we're going to my kansas theme accommodations and while you were checking out of the hotel i found a nice little taste of the uk right here in hokkaido a taste of the uk picture it now stonehenge right no i'm serious in the snow we're going there's stonehenge in hokkaido we're going no there is yep put it in your map here we go there is a stonehenge in akaido i think i'll bloody know about it millions of years ago in england people dragged rocks to a hill and stacked them for what purpose we don't know and now in japan it's been faithfully and exactly recreated behold stonehenge of hokkaido this is ridiculous what is this pete it's a cemetery a cemetery with a replica to scale of stonehenge look eerily like the real thing albeit a lot newer and also if this was the uk it wouldn't be under a meter of snow i guess another thing that uh gives it away that we're not in the uk are the two dozen easter island heads just over there this is a really trippy cemetery now i've always wanted to see the moai heads of easter island albeit under slightly different circumstances still it's not every day you can see 40 replica heads to scale covered in face masks and buried beneath the mountain of snow but pete has inadvertently led us to makomanai hakiro cemetery which is half burial ground half our exhibition and on the other side of the field through the blizzard from hell lies the jewel in the crowd an impressive if not slightly intimidating 13 and a half meter buddha statue encased in what looks like a post-modern missile silo wow this is easily the most impressive buddha statue i've ever seen really yeah what makes it so impressive for you i think that the path all three of the buddhas have like a reveal when you're turning the corner or something but going through this concrete kind of pathway through the snow and then seeing this this is one of a kind man designed by legendary japanese architect tadao ando who amongst other things helped design the tokyo skytree the second tallest structure in the world andov's minimalist design philosophy focuses on making his works blend into their natural environment and the buddha is masterfully concealed by an artificial hill with only part of its head poking out like a sleeping giant the hill is also covered by a hundred and fifty thousand beautiful lavender plants which are now completely dead thanks to the snow with so many daibutsu buddha statues across japan at the date back hundreds of years all this history if you are going to build a contemporary buddha like this it needs to be something impressive it needs to have a real wow factor to it and this most certainly does this is well this is one of those incredible things i've seen and the snow is definitely a big part of that the way it sort of blows across the buddha and the sunlight it really is quite incredible no sarcasm required driving through the snow at night is never much fun and i'm relieved when we finally make it to pete's so-called kansas style accommodation just as the night rolls in so after a long arduous drive involving easter island statues stonehenge we're finally here at our destination right pete and what is it what is this place it's a little slice of middle america it looks like a bond a barn of some sort you are correct sir kansas kansas style bun wow i it looks pretty cool it's got a bit of a bit of a stephen king vibe going i'm not gonna lie but i'll take anything over being in the car any longer wow this is this is pretty good look well i like it you've outdone yourself this time it's minus 12 tonight guys minus 12 degrees celsius so it's very very cold and i can't wait to get inside it'll be nice and warm welcome to a classic kansan home complete with everything to capture the majesty and quaintness of kansan beauty in south the master bedroom two beds again we're sharing it well we're closer this time that's nice over here you fool watch out for the table nice kitchen table with perfectly lacquered and original wood a nice stove and a uh a knife we won't need that i think and over here we've got please please chris please have a bathtub well yesterday where we stayed well last night another bathtub no the standing shower please yeah yes yes yes we've got one buddy oh i'm excited all right more for me and in here i'm assuming it's the toilet it's quite small that's right looks good you have very high expectations for toilets um really yes so this is it this is the classic american home right out of the little house on the prairie i find it cozy i find it very comforting chris what do you think of this place i need a drink [Music] at last a much needed drink thank god what do we got we've got cider yes and we've got beer like alcoholic beverage beer like alcoholic substance what what the hell is that it's for you do you know what this is right it's the i've heard it's tales of it it's this uh it's it's like tax cheaper so they don't have to make it officially beer what is this yeah so in japan there's a tax loophole if you've got a low amount of malt you can call it a beer-like substance but not a beer right so it tastes like beer it does and so this is about 110 yen about 1.10 but real beer costs about 1.80 180 yen why i'm saying it's like 70 cents what are we hurting for money on this trip you've got the thrills of beer at a race a raised level oh very crisp ow yeah it tastes like dog piss that's awful what do you recommend on the kansas kansas cabin personally i love it it does kind of give me the vibe of going crazy like we're in the shining or something but other than that it's like i've never i haven't been home in like nine years but yeah this is a long time oh no i'm broke so oh no i hope we find the shop where you bought this god forsaken mug the moment we arrive in wakanaway if god forbid we arrive in wakanda you're gonna call natsuki and you're gonna find out which shop he got this mugger yes i'm worried i'm terrified but i'm hopeful that this trip will all be worth it good luck chris and on to one hell of a journey tomorrow all right here we go well it's now day three and we're on the home straight to japan's most northern point but we're just 200 kilometers to go to wakanda and cape soya pete is feeling rather worse for wear this morning i wonder why i have to say that red barn was pretty magnificent especially in the morning like we arrived there at night so we didn't really get to see it but woke up this morning went outside and the red barn kind of contrasting the white snow and absolutely beautiful it's the sort of place you uh you go to write a novel how are you doing anyway pete yeah i think i had a few too many of those beer-like substances too much beer right no no that is not beer do not call it that they were quite alcoholic still six percent yeah despite the phenomenally cheap price yeah they'll get you there but you'll pay the price well given we've got about six hours to drive today i uh i hate to set but we're not gonna be able to stop anywhere for lunch that's good what wait what about like a convenience store yeah maybe can wait can you please help me accomplish one of my little bucket lists one of your little bucket lists yeah yeah i've always wanted to have ramen in the snow while it's snowing some people want to go to the stars others just when i've cut needles in the snow oh man dreams do come true don't they well they're brought on the abroad japan channel oh it's so cold my car is so cold i can't get my glove on my hand it's like frozen so uh what do you think though it's nice that we have the option to eat a quick meal in a when you're in a tight spot i feel like this is a really crap commercial for cupcake the way you're marketing it but no it's very convenient like in a convenient store in japan only can you get the miracle of cup noodles but you can get it filled up with hot water as well and in fact pete himself prepared both of our cups using his incredible cooking and preparation skills well done pete it's one of the few things i can do well is pour hot water into noodles what flavor did you get i got the um curry curry what about you standard the problem is it was filled with boiling water about five minutes ago when we got it and uh the water's now frozen and it's just eating cold noodles so it seems good on paper in theory but in practice um it doesn't really work unfortunately thanks for letting this dream come true buddy anything for you pete all right i'll see you in the car yeah it's pretty cold i don't know why we're doing this it's not very fun back in the car [Music] oh my god i don't believe it guys but we finally made it to wakanda in one piece japan's most northern town uh we still got a little bit of a drive another hour to cape soy most northern points but uh come on then let's get this mug the sooner we get the mug the sooner we can get onto capes it's all good i've got them lined up on the phone right now answers are coming soon my friend all right all right here we go [Music] everybody hey natsuki long time hello natsuki it's chris here as well hello vista uploading japan together what is but i i dropped it and i broke it oh sorry [Music] a few weeks ago i called you and i asked you where did you buy the mug and you said and i quote i bought it in a store in wakanae which store did you buy it in huh sorry natsuki which store in wakanae did you buy it in china karima said why can't i not wakanda the town yeah natsuki why did you say you bought it in wakanae oh this way in the winter for nothing when i'm through with you pete this mug won't be the only thing that's broken [Music] i know you want to kill me i'm i'm really sorry about the mug but at least we had some fun right [Music] okay um all right what was your favorite part of the trip so far okay i'll go first um you know what there was no one particular moment that i found impressive i would say it was the journey it was the adventure that we had along the way much like the wizard of oz chris let this be a lesson to you it's not about the end result even the wizard of oz had a relatively satisfying conclusion this whole trip was predicated on you getting a mug that doesn't exist yes that's true but imagine all the other treasures that we acquired along the way so um you've had some time to consider it what was your favorite part for me it would have to be the icbm the intercontinental buddha missile uh buddha in a missile silo you know what though i do feel like we're at the edge of the world right now right i mean cape sawyer i guess it is the edge of the world japan's world right yeah but beyond that it's just nothing that's let's see and russia [Music] i don't believe it we've actually made it to cape sawyer and there it is and it looks remarkably desolate and cold do we have to get out the car it's going to be brutal yes absolutely we have to go come on bundle up get your scarf get your gloves i mean how bad could it honestly be [Music] this is so cold oh my god here we are the northernmost point of japan let's go back it's cool there we are folks the end of the line there's a monument up on the hill over there the korean airlines flight 007 which was shot down by the soviets in 1983. tragically 269 people lost their lives and the plane actually went down i think about 100 kilometers in that direction this is the closest point in japan to where the plane went down other than that there's uh yeah there's really not much here and of course today we can't see russia we can't see sakhalin because the weather is unfortunately against us but uh back to the car i'm currently defrosting while pete is in the shop buying some souvenirs i can only hope it's food here he comes is it food i got it please be food it's not food it's better better than food yeah so i haven't eaten in ages why are there no restaurants open i'll wait because nobody comes in winter well i didn't get the bear mug but i did get this what is that this is a a mug it's a bug this is a mug commemorating the northernmost point of japan and it is my treasure forever thank you very much try not to break this one yeah i'll be careful don't want to have to drive all the way back here to replace it again but seriously thank you for being the architect of this absurd adventure it's been a lot of fun thank you thank you you can check out pete on his twitch channel premiere 2. that's the one he's on twitch every other day of the week there's no escape he plays a lot of video games a lot of retro games and things right that's right come have some fun with us but i want to say really thank you very much for bringing me all the way up here for a mug don't mention it it was definitely worth it but for now guys as always many thanks for watching abroad in japan check out the abroad japan patreon for more behind the scenes content but now we've got a drive back to akanai long trip back to our hotel now that we've been to the most northern part of japan i was thinking about our next adventure no we're not going to the most southern part or the eastern part or the western part we're not going anywhere else ever again no you had it right as far south as we can go in okinawa i have an old broken periscope that i got in ishigaki that i need repaired a broken periscope well it wasn't broken when i got it oh no can you sail no i can't sail well you're you're from england that doesn't mean i can sail okay then we'll bring a sailor we're gonna bring popeye now just imagine it chris sandy beaches crystal clear water and when was the last time you had spam oh good make it stop that was so awkwardly staged that was so awkwardly staged i'm sorry

Channel: Abroad in Japan

Views: 1,543,421

Rating: 4.9657202 out of 5

Keywords: hokkaido, cup ramen, japanese food, hokkaido food, abroad in japan, trash taste

Id: UlRraQXerGg

Length: 28min 30sec (1710 seconds)

Published: Sat May 01 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/Forbiddencorvid]

This video was so cute. Chris couldn't keep up his grumpy Englishman act and giggled the whole time.

[u/mendezmen]

Looks like the bot has been broken for a while

[u/[deleted]]

Chris is such a great filmmaker.  Dude could easily have a show on BBC.

I wish he would do a full OG "Journey Across Japan" in Hokkaido over the summer, and go to like every nook and cranny of the island.

[u/jzsang]

I liked Pete. I’m not sure if he’s been in any of Chris’s other videos or been on the podcast (I’ve been watching the videos for several years, but only started listening to the podcast a few months ago), but it was a nice to see another face working with Chris. Pete definitely added something new. I say that, not because Chris needs to work with someone new - Pete was just fun. Great work guys!

[u/mohicansgonnagetya]

I love the setup for the trip.
It was a bit basic but nicely done!

[u/yourmomdotbiz]

Loved this but Pete was just way too amped...like too much caffeine 24/7 or something. My least favorite collaboration so far, but overall still fun and enjoyed the content anyway