Go to Hokkaido to watch birds and exercise

While exercising, this bird separated from the flock, making tourists laugh - Photo: Duy Van

From the tropics with year-round temperatures above and below 30⁰C then go to Hokkaido (Japan) to discover the cold down to minus 10⁰C is a really interesting story. Having only seen snow fall in movies and on TV, the newly opened tourist route from Ho Chi Minh City to Hokkaido (*) brought us so much strangeness and excitement.

Watching penguins... exercise at Asahiyama Zoo is truly a unique experience. As one of the most famous zoos in Japan with 150 different species, including many from the land of ice and snow, this zoo welcomes about 3 million visitors each year, which is 10 times the local population.

The magical display takes place at 2pm local time every winter. All visitors are instructed to stand in line to watch the penguins parade. Under the freezing sky, the tropical inhabitants warm their hands, but refuse to “break ranks” despite the blinding snowfall.

Peoplelong lineeach other in order, under the instructions of the zoo staff through a handheld loudspeaker. Then the majestic penguins appeared. The visitors were in an uproar, a forest of cameras, amateur video cameras quickly recorded the lovely and cute moment of the ice animals being close to humans.

There was nothing much, the exercise of these birds was walking, but in front there was a guide holding a loudspeaker calling people to move aside to let the birds go. Behind there were three or four people escorting and helping in time when the birds slipped and fell. The birds were also playful, stopping to tease the tourists, so they were immediately pulled into line by the escorts...

According to tour guide Akemi Ito, this regular exercise regimen is to help the penguins avoid obesity due to lack of exercise in winter.

Being so familiar with humans, the penguins are not afraid at all. Some even slowly approach visitors to get acquainted. Some slip and fall.ch. The cheerful laughter and chirping of tourists seemed to bring the joy of having the opportunity to live closer to nature.

Otaru Canal is a cultural and historical relic of Sapporo (Hokkaido) - Photo: Duc Lien

Take the cable car to see the whole view of the Okurayama Stadium complex of the 1972 Winter Olympics (Sapporo) - Photo: Duy Van

For touristsFor Vietnamese tourists, immersing themselves in the snow is an unforgettable experience - Photo: Duy Van

But our favorite part of our time in Sapporo (the capital of Hokkaido) was watching the snow. Millions of milky white mists fell down, covering every roof and dyeing every street white like in a fairy tale.

In the white snow, you will hear stories that you probably never imagined about the lives of people in cold countries. From the story of how each household has to calculate the costs of the snow season, which lasts from October to March every year, from whether clearing snow is a woman's or man's job, to what the snow plows will do with the snow mountains that keep getting higher and higher each winter day.

At the Okurayama Stadium complex, where the 1972 Winter Olympics took place, young people enjoyed playing in the snow. Those who are not afraid of heights will be able to see the whole stadium after going up the mountain by cable car in the vast white snow, to admire the bravery of the "snow jumping" athletes and to enjoy ice cream on the snow viewing platform!

"Take a shower"fairy" in the hot spring in the middle of the ice - Photo: Duc Lien

When already frozen in the cold near -10⁰C, you are introduced to another unique tourist product of Hokkaido: bathing in the hot springs of Sounkyo natural hot spring. There is nothing better than soaking in hot water after shivering.

The hot spring area is located in the middle of the valley of Daisetsuzan National Park, with 40 hot springs.⁰C is directly piped from a mountain mineral spring, creating a wonderful feeling of relaxation and well-being. At the end of the day, you will be a little ecstatic with hot sake and snow-covered seafood such as salmon, hokkei fish...

Japan is not only about cherry blossoms. Going through winter with the Japanese, you can understand a few more details of a rich culture. Come here to understand why Sapporo people are more willing to open up to foreigners than other places in Japan, why Sapporo has the highest divorce rate in Japan but Sapporo is one of the places that many Japanese people want to live in the land of the rising sun...

All will be unforgettable experiences.

(*)Organized by Indochina Tourist & Trade Company (itt.com.vn) in collaboration with Japanese partners and Vietnam Airlines.

The Thanh