Spring in Hakodate

Hakodate
We arrived at a small but ultra-modern train station. Our few nights there were in a hotel only 3 days old. The rest of the visit was an historical concoction from the last 200 years.
Hakodate's unique appearance is due to Japan's reluctance to allow foreigners to enter the country until the mid 1800s. After this time only a few ports were opened, including Hakodate.
In fact, only Russian, USA, Dutch, British and French were allowed to trade. This caused a concentration of foreigners in each of the selected ports. The others were Yokohama and Nagasaki.
As people do when abroad they tried to re-create familiar churches, buildings and gathering places.
The joy of visiting Hakodate is the ability to visit a genuine Russian Orthodox church ( rebuilt 1916), stroll a few minutes and have tea in what was the British Consulate (built 1913) and then into a Chinese temple. In between are old and new Japanese houses and buildings.
The Russian church is known by locals as The Gangan-dera, which translates as the Ding Dong temple. The tolling bells were unusual to the Japanese at that time.
The foreigner's graveyard have all western nationalities especially those from the countries listed earlier. The graveyard was placed high on a hill and according to the sign outside placed facing east so the dead could face their homeland.
The consulates and the old Japanese town hall are built in a federation style. Many would not look out of place in San Fransisco or Savannah, GA.
We stayed at the Hotel La-Vista. Built in the docks area. The ground floor had been an old warehouse. The flooring was the original wooden fittings and the brickwork had been reworked but still had the feel of another era.
On the roof was an open air hot spring bath (onsen). From here there are fantastic views of the city, countryside and port.
The onsen area was not mixed sex. The routine for bathing was the same as the rest of Japan. In brief, go to the changing room, leave ALL of your clothes in a wicker basket, carry your modesty towel down to the bathing area. After a thorough clean and rinse in the shower you are free to lounge in the very hot water.
Some people stay in for hours. Thirty minutes is usually my maximum. After the soaking no need to shower again, dry off and get dressed.
Afterwards most people feel relaxed, clean and with a great appetite. This is great as the food is amazing.
In Hakodate all types of Japanese, Asian and Western food is available. However, there are two classic Japanese dishes associated with this area. Ramen ( a hot noodle soup usually made with pork or squid) and the freshest seafood you could imagine.
The climate is cold and the tendancy is the food to be warming and nourishing. The local beers are refreshing and compliment the food well.
During the day an old fashioned tram system runs from the old dock area to the modern centre. The trams are original items and are very old. For around $3 (US) a daily pass is available.
Whilst walking around the city we came across a public foot spa About 5 metres lond by 1 metre wide and about 30cm deep. As we were soaking our feet it was also used by some young mums, high school boys and an Italian tourist. We all sat around gently flapping our feet, the locals chit chatting the boys looking serious ( so were probably not talking about girls, more likely exams or university places) but all appreciating a few moments of foot onsen.
Hakodate is on the south side of Hokkaido, the second largest of Japan's islands. A population of 6 million but nearly always placed at the back of any travel guide. Probably more famous for the powder snow and great skiing Hokkaido has much more to offer out of the ski season.

Golden Girl

I merely followed. The lady in front of me was golden. She was treated with respect. She was not expected to queue. She was smiled at. Every effort was made to keep her happy. Even unavoidable bureaucracy was managed to reduce her time spent in the building.
The lady infront of me was my wife. She still is. She is not royal. Her family are not rich or powerful. She is not ( at least I hope not ) connected with the infamous Yakuza crime organisations.
She simply has an unblemished Japanese driving licence.
Driving in Japanese cities is neither cheap nor convenient. Parking costs are almost the same as renting a small apartment. Driving speeds are slow, the roads very narrow and laws are enforced with gusto. Many areas have police on the beat and on bicycles who have little to do except book badly parked cars and issue speeding tickets.
To drive a car in the city means at some stage everybody will feel the white-gloved hand of the law.
Like many countries a licence is issued for 5 years and needs to be renewed. In Japan this involves an eye test, a new photograph ( no smiling or peace signs allowed ), payment of a fee and a lecture from a driving instructor. The golden people are those with no infringements.
On arrival a form is completed and handed to a clerk. Once the records have been checked and golden status established the clerk smiles and very politely points the driver in the correct direction. The various formalities are completed in a similar efficient and polite manner.
A caste-like system applies to the drivers. Those with a couple of fines, silver if you will, are treated politely but a little more business like. Some of their queues are a little longer. The lecture from the driving instructor might last an hour or so, twice the time of the golden lecture.
The bronze group are usually there most of the day. They spend a long time having lectures. Queuing takes up a lot of their time. The instructors are very firm with them. They are reminded they are close to losing their licence. They receive few smiles during their day.
Many of the bronze group are drivers for their work. They usually have most points as they spend more time driving. If they can not drive they can not earn. The consequences for not renewing their licence are huge. The instructors remind them one more ticket and they will be banned.
This is done not in a nasty or vindictive way. It is to remind them their current practice is unacceptable. To imply to a Japanese person their habits are not socially acceptable can cause great shame. It is this shame which is the planned catalyst for change.
However, when it comes to shame as in any caste system there are the untouchables. Usually shielded from view are a sad collection of those who have lost their licence and now applying for it back.
These poor souls wear a yellow sash, with slogans such as, " Safety Driving is my Aim" and, " I will drive with safety in mind."
They use different stairs to everybody else. The look like condemned men, heads low and not at all proud of their sash. Nobody actually shouts at them but for the brief glimpses I had they all did as they were told. I would not imagine a foreign husband would be allowed to follow their wife around either.
People are nice to golden drivers and their gaijin husbands as well.
The lecture for the golden drivers was similar to a coach at half time. The team is comfortably ahead at half time, all is going well but do not sit back on your laurels and get too confident. The instructor ( and all I saw were male) informed them about some new laws and then a bow, a smile and that was it for five years.
My wife is very proud of her golden licence. She now has ten years of blemish free driving. Even the lecturers bow deeply to her.
Maybe I am a little cynical, but I do think living in Australia has helped, especially how she was bronze before she left and has not driven in Japan for, well there is a coincidence, ten years.
Rob