came night time and still it felt like we were so few in this industrial town of Obihiro, little did i know that the island of Hokkaido holds the record of having the highest rate of depopulation in Japan. 
it was so odd that even at night time despite all the lamp posts' on, you can almost count the number of people walking. ones energy can be drained by its silence. did i mention that it was still approaching seven in the evening?
the Obihiro Centennial Hall was all lights but seemed like there was no one performing. it indeed felt like i was Robert Neville for a moment. but this city is nestled by vast expanse of green fields with barns and few houses and in few miles the East Coast. it has a large agricultural sector of beans, wheat and potatoes.
finally it seemed like i finally found the place where people were gathering, the dining block which was just across the Obihiro Station. there were several food stalls with lanterns that lighted the small alley. they call the place "Kita No Yatai", popular as it holds foods from different countries.
Sashimi, Sushi, Miso soup at its best matched with the local beer Sapporo while enjoying Hokkaido's sweet climate. with a kimono served in the hotel room, just the way i wanted the nigth to end.how to get there:
by plane: take a domestic flight from any Japan airport to Tokachi-Obihiro Airport
by train: take the JR line from major Japan train station to JR Obihiro station with scenic views of the mountains of Hokkaido.
location:
island: Hokkaido
prefecture: Tokachi
escape factor:
accessibility: 3.5
city walk: 3.5
parks: 4.0
climate: 5.0
overall escape factor: 4.0
GPS location:
42^ 52" 22' N
143^ 12" 20' E
27 comments:
Dong, thanks so much. Reading posts from u is like having an adventure.. traveling with you to far away places even though i dont have the cash :)
Ganda talaga dyan sobra
Mahal nga lang sobra2x
Hehe
This place remind me of the place I currently working at. Pretty much like a ghost city at night.
It looked so quiet and already so dark by seven. Nice coverage of the island in the previous post too. My sister is heading there in June. Seems like everyone going to Japan this year.
I would like to visit Kita No Yatai!
ang sarap ng food.. namiss ko tuloy mga japanase food :D
the place is very relaxing..the food is great!!
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I felt the silence and the stillness as I made my way through this post.
this is the 1st time I encountered the word "depopulation"
it's nice to know that right next to a super populated city, there's an unpopulated area too.
I thought it's only me. Same with you, Chyng...and then I googled DEPOPULATION. Hahaha.
I think this is my place. I want to go somewhere na tahimik. Ang ganda ng mga night shots, pati ulap nacapture. :)
I would do the same in this quiet place, cap the night with a good meal, or should i say an overload of salmon sashimi :)
Looks like a ghost city... I don't think I could live there :-0
Did you eat that fish head ? ;-)
even with the bright lights, i still feel an old country vibe about obihiro.
i like it.
who is robert neville? so where are the japanese from this place going? pag nabalitaan yan ng mga pinoy, i bet susugurin na yan. haha. and kasalanan mo. :D
what caused depopulation? is it migration or people aren't reproducing at a rate that would sustain population?
the city is lovely in bright city lights, but it can be quite eerie that the streets are nearly empty.
so it only proves that people in hokkaido are not morning nor evening people since they dont get up early and they go to bed early. lol. nah, it only proves that there is not much people in that place. and you were right about that robert neville thing...i would also feel the same way if i were there. its i am legend in japan. god i love that movie. hehe
hi kuya dong,,, musta? ;)
Parang ghost town Dong! Haha. Eerily peaceful.
Fascinating night views. A pleasant atmosphere in those empty streets.
apparently, people will flock on food places. japanese food pa, sarap!
Yum! That fish looks very inviting!
your photos proved na mas maganda talaga sa japan pag gabi!
Expert ka talaga sa mga night shots! Napasmile naman ako ng makita ko ang isda (last photo) Parang ng hello siya sau.
A quiet scene like these photos you captured is something one will never see in Manhattan or Manila.
fresh yung fish? ay honga pala, Japan nga pala yan. kaya ko cguro kainin yung iba except yung ulo nyang fish.
Your post reminded me of the time I was in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the early 70's. It was noontime and there were just a few people in the streets of the city. I was amazed! It turned out to be an ordinary day occurence after I asked somebody where everybody was.
That was something hard to comprehend for somebody whow grew up in Manila, spent the better part of a year in Tokyo, lived in San Francisco for a month and was living in LA at that time.
napa elegante ng place kaya lang walang tao. sana you post a photo of yourself here. so that's the way you wanted to end the night, a beer and a soup. :)
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