Revisiting Sapporo - a Cambridge weekend

It's been quite a while since I last visited Sapporo for work, and many things have changed - Centres have openned (and closed), people have moved on - physically and/or professionally. 

So quite a bit of trepidation 'going back', as a lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge, and an existing team of Speaking Examiners were probably not too excited about the organisational changes that have taken place. Maybe so, but I was relieved to meet a really nice team of  really 'can do' teachers who obviously care about the bigger picture of delivering Cambridge exams in Sapporo, and not carrying any grudges - just getting on with things.

Some of this group I have come across online through zoom certification meetings during covid, so this was a welcome opportunity to actually meet & get to know people, find the rugby/BBQ fans, establish who knows who & for how long, what the various hierarchies are & the employment faultlines etc.

I was very grateful to be accepted into the general flow of things, with JP026 Kawaijuku/Keiko Ohashi integral to making things go smoothly. We added new members to the team as well as re-certifying existing SEs across a number of levels - in all we tackled Young Learners Starters & Movers, A2:Key, B1:Preliminary, B2:First and C1:Advanced over the weekend, with folks coming & going like musical chairs.By the end, a bit of a blur, but a very good one. A number of new friendships established, I hope, and one in particulr rekindled.

Postcard from Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

View from Otaru Station

 A very quick side-trip to the lovely (touristy, usually?) & historic port of Otaru, just west of Sapporo. I was already going to be in Sapooro for work over the weekend, so what's another little train trip?!

19th century western influence immediately obvious around the canal (not many of these in Japan that are not actually moats), with stone warehouses & factories I guess, as well as remanants of Hokkaido's first railroad (to haul coal to the port, I think - sorry, not a planned trip but a whim!).

Charming unrushed feel to the place - a lovely sunset over the old dockyard...some yakuza having some sort of ceremony stylishly in a car park...tourists jostling to get into a 50m boat cruise along aforementioned canal!

Canal cruises - not ocean going!

Had to go for seafood - sushi & tempura - after sundowners in a German-style "beer garden" - my size of steins for once!

Shrimp tempura - divine!

Knocked off the Bucketlist

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to find my way to the Sapporo Snow Festival. Being on my bucket list for an exceptionally long amount of time, I was definitely overly excited that I got the opportunity to visit. Three days of sculptures, snow and a very large amount of seafood and I've got to say this festival deserves all of the hype it receives and more. It was even worth bracing myself for the sub-zero temperatures (and in my world, that’s definitely saying something). I was chased by human-sized bears, found my way into the media section of the festival and slipped over more times than I could keep track of; definitely an experience of a lifetime.

Ayumi's mini-guide to Japan

Japanese Black Bear

• This is a Japanese black bear.
• They live in the forest.
• They eat small animals and fish and honey.
• They are bigger than me
• They have thick black fur and long claws

Mount Fuji & Hokkaido

This is Mount Fuji.
It is the highest mountain in Japan.
It is beautiful.

This is Hokkaido.
It is the biggest prefecture in Japan.
It is beautiful.


Posted for Ayumi