HOKKAIDO: AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNEY

Shikisai no Oka

If you've been following me on Instagram, you may have already spotted some pictures of my latest trip to Japan through stories. After visiting Tokyo last year, this time I wanted to discover a completely different side of the country.

This summer, I spent a couple of weeks travelling through Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, moving from Sapporo to Furano, then further east towards Sounkyo, Shiretoko and Kawayu Onsen, before continuing to Hakodate, with the last few days back in Sapporo before flying home.

I had never explored Hokkaido before, and I was curious to discover what it would feel like compared with the Japan I already knew. There were flowers and forests, mountains and lakes, hot springs, small towns, wide-open landscapes, unexpected wildlife, colourful festivals and more.

I think the lasting impression of Hokkaido for me was its Summer colours, in particular the small mountains softly covered in trees and greenery, under a bright blue Summer sky. The hills become intensely green, which made them particularly fascinating to me as an illustrator.

I began and ended my trip in Sapporo, staying close to Nakajima Park, which became a pleasant place to return to after long days of walking.

The same goes with the Sapporo Summer Festival, which takes over several parts of Odori Park, apparently one of the great summer traditions of the city, with large outdoor seating areas to drink and eat: a unique and lively vibe.

From Sapporo, I headed towards Nakafurano, where I spent a few days exploring the famous flower fields of the area, like Farm Tomita, which was also the first place where I decided to sketch on site during this trip.

I found a quiet enough spot and spent some time trying to translate all those beautiful colours onto paper: yellow and red flowers against the blue sky.

Farm Tomita's Summer atmosphere was certainly one of the things I anticipated the most from this holiday, and it became one of the loveliest memories of the trip.

The following day, I also visited Shikisai no Oka in Biei, extremely beautiful gardens spread across around fifteen hectares of rolling hills, with bands of flowers creating a one-of-a-kind landscape against the Tokachidake mountains.

The weather was wonderfully sunny that day, perhaps even too sunny for me to think about sitting down and painting; that's why I decided to create an illustration inspired by Shikisai no Oka only once back in my studio, the one opening this post.

While staying in Nakafurano, I also happened to attend the Lavender Festival & Fireworks Display, totally by chance! Food stands, performances and fireworks: a perfect Hokkaido summer evening.

From Furano, I travelled through Sounkyo Onsen, where I had one of those unexpected encounters that make a trip memorable: I saw some deer wandering around the area on my path to see some waterfalls!

From there I continued towards Shiretoko and Utoro, a lovely place where I also ate Jingisukan, a Hokkaido speciality of grilled mutton, in a cosy restaurant with a unique atmosphere.

Shiretoko was certainly one of the nicest moments of the trip. The Shiretoko Five Lakes are surrounded by forest, with views towards the Shiretoko mountain range and the Sea of Okhotsk. The lakes are peaceful, reflecting the surrounding trees and mountains.

I decided to sketch there for the second time on this trip, this time finding a spot under the trees at the Fourth Lake. The weather was good, slightly hot, which made the experience of painting outside a little more demanding. But sitting there with the mountains, forest and water in front of me was exactly the kind of moment I had hoped to capture through this trip.

After Shiretoko, I continued towards Kawayu Onsen and Akan-Mashu National Park. Almost by accident, I came across Mount Io, also known as Atosanupuri, an active volcano near Kawayu Onsen. It was probably one of the most unusual landscapes I saw during the entire trip: volcanic rock, steam rising, and bright yellow sulphur crystals popping up from the earth; it definitely reminded me of my previous trip to Iceland last year.

Hakodate was certainly one of the highlights of the whole trip, with lots to visit: the old port area, historic Western-style buildings, churches, markets, and then Goryokaku.

Goryokaku

Formerly a fortress, it's now a large star-shaped park, whose unique shape is best appreciated from above, on the adjacent Goryokaku Tower. I had a really lovely time in Hakodate, but since the time was limited and I really wanted to enjoy all its different spots, I decided to create an illustration based on Goryokaku only once back in my studio.

Another nice memory of this time was going up on Mount Hakodate in the evening to see the famous night view, with the city lights appearing almost like a constellation below: a truly breathtaking view.

I also visited the Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples, which allowed me to discover more about Ainu culture. I was particularly fascinated by the clothing and accessories in the permanent display, with their unique shapes, decorations and embroideries; as someone who works with colour, pattern and visual details every day, I found myself instinctively fascinated by the look and history of the garments.

I then returned to Sapporo for the final days of the trip, which felt strangely familiar already. I also wanted to do one more last sketching session before leaving.

I decided to visit the Hōheikan in Nakajima Park, close to where I was staying, a beautiful Western-style wooden building which used to be a hotel before. After visiting the interior, I spent some time outside sketching the building and its surroundings.

The weather was lovely when I started, although it became slightly cloudy towards the end. I enjoyed the quietness of the park and the contrast between the light blue of the historic building and the greenery around it.

Sitting somewhere for a few moments, looking carefully at what's in front of me, makes me experience a place in a completely different way and helps me create unique memories of the places I visited.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this journey was simply discovering a part of Japan I didn't know at all. The endless green of the hills and forests. The intense blue of the summer sky. The yellow of the flowers and sulphur. The deep blue of the lakes. The lights of Hakodate at night. These are possibly the things I will remember the most. And the sketches I created along the way are my own way of keeping a little piece of the journey.

Since my last trip to Tokyo, I have also tried to improve my Japanese a little, and this time I was able to exchange a little more with local people, although I know I still have a long way to go!

I am very happy to have had the chance to discover Hokkaido this summer, and I can't wait until next time.