Showing posts with label Hokkaido. Show all posts

Field trip, Hokudasai and Ramadhan Karim in Hokkaido


Welcome June, this is the third month I stayed in Sapporo. The weather is getting warm and also there is so much beautiful green scenery in Hokkaido University. This month, there is a lot of activity that held in June. The first one is my laboratory field trip, than Hokkaido University Festival (Hokudasai) and Ramadhan Karim, the holy month of muslim community that start in this month also.
First, I’d like to tell my laboratory fieldtrip experience. In the beginning of June, 2 and 3 June, I have laboratory fieldtrip. Our laboratory member, students and professor join this trip. In my laboratory we have eleven students, two Indonesian, two Japanese, four Chines and one Vietnamese than two professor. In this field trip, we spent two days and one night. In the first we visited Hokkaido Research Organization, Agricultural Experiment Station. In this place we are looking for the crop technology that farmers in Hokkaido used. To manage the farm, researcher and farmer collaborate each other by using GIS technology, so farmers can easier manage their farm. After that, we take lunch and went to outdoor school. This kind of school usually using for out bond activity and we stay one night in this place.

Figure 1. Fieldtrip Laboratory Member

Second day, we continued our trip to Takinoue Park. In that place there is a beautiful waterfall and also lot of flower. After that we continued to Ainu Museum. This kind of museum provide us about the history of Japanese people in the past like what the wear, what kind of tools that they use for transportation and other activity. After that we are going to fruit and vegetable company. The name of the company is J-farm. In Hokkaido, maybe it’s hard to plan some vegetable or fruit because of the weather is little bit extreme. J-farm build a greenhouse technology to plant tomato and the other vegetables and also they make some product using their crop like ice cream tomato, tomato jam and etc.
The next day in 3 June, there is Hokkaido University Festival held in campus. Hokudasai start from 1 June until 4 June. This festival provide a lot of entertainment like cosplay, dance, and the best things is food festival. Indonesia Students Associations of Hokkaido University also participate in this program. We make Indonesian food stand during the festival. At least four kind of Indonesian traditional food and one kind of drink we sold in Hokudasai. The festival was very attractive. There are so many people came to the festival because not only we also can tried the others food from the other country like Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, India, China, Thailand and many more.

Figure 2. Hokudasai

Figure 3. Indonesia Food

Figure 4. Indonesia Students Association

In the last, the important things that happen in this month is Ramadhan, the holy month of muslim community. We have to fasting from sunrise until sunset. It’s the first time of me to fasting outside Indonesia. In Indonesia actually we fasting around 12 – 13 hour but in Sapporo, I have to fasting around 17 – 18 hour per day. But the weather in Sapporo is cool and sometime warm so it’s not too hard fasting here. I hope I can complete my fasting until the earlier of July.がんばて。

Figure 5. Iftar Party







Posted in , , , , | Leave a comment

Welcome Sapporo

Hai everyone, genkidesuka, Let me introduce myself first. My name is Agus Wahyudi. I’m graduate student from Bogor Agricultural University. Now, I stay in Sapporo around six month to take long term PARE Program in Graduate School of Agriculture in Hokudai. I came to Hokkaido in 23 March last month, before that, I spend two weeks in Thailand. There is a lot of amazing experience while in Thailand. We visit beautiful place and spend good time together with other PARE Members from Thailand, Japan and Malaysia. We make a lot of group discussion and presentation (Thanks it has ended). Thailand is nice country, I hope that I can visit Thailand again someday.

Fig 1. Thailand Floating Market

While in Thailand, I ask Hokudai student about the weather condition in Sapporo right now. They said that there is still snow there and the temperature around zero C degrees. I can’t imagine how cold there. So, when I arrived at the first time in Sapporo the weather is very cold. How can these people live in these kind of place. First three days in Sapporo, the snow still come down and I love it, but I don’t like the cold temperature. But in the third day I have to go to campus and visit PARE office and also go to the others office such as bank, ward office and etc. I go to that office with my supporter student from my laboratory (Thanks Yamaya san for accompany me).

Fig 2. OIA Building

The first building that I visit in Hokudai is Office of International Affairs (OIA). I meet Saori Sasaki who’s staff of PARE office that always contact us, IPB students via email before wecome to Sapporo. She talks a lot about the PARE student procedure and also she is very kind. She give me a handkerchief because my hair is very wet because of the snow.  After that I went to ward office, Hokkaido Bank and Post Office to prepare all the things that I need while I stay in Sapporo. After finish all, I go to my laboratory, Environmental Informatics to meet my supervisor Hiroshi Tani Sensei and also meet my labor mate and one of them is Indonesia student that take Doctoral Degree (Yoroshikuonegaishimasu, HerrySenpai).

Fig 3. Agricultural Faculty

In my dormitory also, there is Indonesia students there. They tell me everything about Sapporo, halal food, masjid for pray and also teach me how to be survive here. There is also Indonesia Students Associations (PPI) in Sapporo. They lend me a bicycle that’s very useful here to go anywhere (Arigatougoizamasu for the bicycle, YassirSenpai).


Fig 4. The Bicycle

Fig 5. Hokudai Scenery in Winter

Fig 6. Hokudai Scenery in Spring

Sapporo is nice city. The people are very warm and I hope that’s everything will be ok while I’m stay here. There will be a lot of good experience for me. I hope that I can visit many place in Hokkaido especially the mountain. Yeah, I have to climb mountain here. Come, join with me, Minna. ( ^ ͜^).





Location: Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan
Posted in , , , | Leave a comment

Wonderful Hokkaido (part 1)


Do you know who the first Japanese astronaut is? The answer is Mamoru Mohri. He was born in Yoichi, a wonderful town in Hokkaido. Yoichi is not only famous due to birthplace of the first cosmonaut from Japan, but also it provides a lot of attractive things that are heavily recommended to experience.
In middle of June 2015, I and my lab mates had a chance to travel in west side of Sapporo. Yoichi is the first town that we visited. Located in on the southeastern of the Shakotan peninsula, Yoichi is close to some municipalities such as Otaru, Niki, Akaigawa, and Furubira. Additionally, it is also attributed to Nikka Whisky, a predominant alcoholic beverage in Japan. Furthermore, fresh fish-based foods are also the most interesting part in Yoichi. Fresh Salmon with a unique texture and white lines on the meat and salmon eggs (ikura) are indispensable. To taste this food, we visited Kakizaki, a combination of seafood restaurant and fresh fish market. Itokodon is a great menu here, although it is less famous than another fresh salmon-added food.

Itokodon in Yoichi
Mishima "pink blossom" garden
 The next destination is Kutchan town (Niseko). We visited “a pink garden”, attributed to the pink color of Shibazakura which covers the garden. Mr. Kazuo Mishima has created this garden and dedicated it for public recreation. No entry charge is given for all visitors. Mishima Garden is like a man-made heaven, blanketed in magnificent Shibazakura (pink moss) blossoms. Furthermore, a tremendous landscape combined with Mt. Yotei panorama mesmerize tourists and bring them great happiness. However, it was so cloudy which “hide” the mountain. This spot was even attended by one couple for wedding pictures (do you want to try?).
Unfortunately, full attraction of these pink blossoms is not available all years. I think May and June are the best time for coming here where tiny pink Shibazakura flowers will blanket this area. For this reason, making a good plan and scheduling is required. 
Enjoy the trip

Location: Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan
Posted in , , , | Leave a comment