Sapporo....the
word brings to mind ramen noodles and good-tasting beer. And wouldn't
you just know it....the city is chocked full of hole-in-the-wall ramen
shops and little streetside taverns. One of Japan's "newest"
and fastest growing cities, Sapporo is Hokkaido's biggest city and
capital. With a really efficient traffic and bus system, trains that
are crowded but not overcrowded, and a bustling but compact downtown
area, Sapporo is a great city to spend a couple of days in. The city
is notable mostly for hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics, its delicious
ramen and King Crab restaurants, and snowy-as-all-heck winters. But
Sapporo is also famous for having an....ahem.....underbelly called
"Su-su-ki-no"
where men go to.....umm......unwind.
I decided to spend a couple of days checking out downtown Sapporo
and Susukino and what it had to offer...without spending the big
bucks to pay for the.... 'health and relaxation services'. I know
it's kinda gross, but as an aspiring journalist, I wanted to see
what the fuss was all about. Taking in the sights, I found myself
in a part of downtown lined with ramen restaurants. I sat myself
down in one and ordered what ended up being the tastiest bowl of
ramen I've ever tried. 'Kani-miso ramen', or ramen with crab and
miso, is a Sapporo specialty. For a measley 700 yen (about $6 US)
you can slather your insides with hot miso, crab, and rice noodles,
washing it all down with a frosty glass of the local brew, Sapporo
beer.
I ventured on down to the bright lights of Susukino and was bombarded
by touts with megaphones screeching out their prices, trying to
entice the scores of woozy, half-drunken businessmen into their
establishments. Billboards decorated with female body parts and
lusty-looking ladies filled the avenues and I moved closer to check
out what exactly was being sold at these places and how much it
costed. Well, from the "soaplands" (places where women
disrobe and bathe men for a hefty price) to the "snack clubs"
(hostess bars where young ladies cater to the whims of paying customers),
Susukino was indeed a bumpin' place. If you're looking for a place
to stay in Sapporo, "Ino's Place" is highly recommended.
It's a new house about 10 minutes by subway from downtown, SUPER-clean
and run by a really nice young family who speak very eloquent English.
"Ino's
Place" Sapporo Guesthouse Site
