Taste of Eastern Hokkaido in Kuala Lumpur

Hi FUN! JAPAN friends!

In this article, we would like to introduce themes that fans of Japan in general, or Hokkaido fans in particular, will be thrilled to know about: 2 Hokkaido events in Kuala Lumpur! You can attend this event to know more about places that are worth exploring when visiting Eastern area of Hokkaido! Visit the events in KL to prepare for your Hokkaido trip!

Before going to the event, first thing first, let’s learn about Eastern Hokkaido ;)
These are several tourist destinations that you can visit in Eastern Hokkaido.

Top Eastern Hokkaido Tourist Destinations (winter edition)

1. Garinko Icebreaker Cruise

• A magnificent view of blue sky
  
• Drift ice
  
• Fresh and clear winter air
  

These are things that you can enjoy when you take Garinko ice-breaker, a red colored ship with two large drills to shatter drift ice on the Okhotsk Sea in Mombetsu, Eastern Hokkaido.

If you can read Japanese, you can read more about Garinko here: http://www.garinko.com/

2. Aurora: Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Cruise

If you want to

• Feel comfy and homey while enjoying drift ice
  
• Want to see a variety of wild animals in the drift ice season,
  

then, we highly recommend you to board Aurora. The ship will drift Abashiri, Southernmost point of Okhotsk sea.

If you are curious about the cruise, check them out here: https://www.ms-aurora.com/abashiri/en/

3. Lake Akan Frost Flower

If you are:

• Somebody who loves to take photographs during your trip
  
• Or somebody who loves nature tourism
  

One of winter wonders that you must see when visiting Eastern Hokkaido is frost flower. You can observe them in Lake Akan in Kushiro.

If you are curious about the secret behind frost flower beauty, learn more here: http://en.kushiro-lakeakan.com/overview/2824/

4. Jewelry Ice

Jewelry ice is a must-see for somebody who either:

• Loves photography
  
• Loves nature tourism
  
• Wants to enjoy beautiful sunrise/sunset
  

This is a natural phenomenon unique to Toyokoro, a town in Eastern Hokkaido. The jewelry ice forms when salt-free water from Tokachi River meets salty seawater and ocean tides at sub-zero temperatures.

Not only picturesque and instagrammable, the photo itself is worth travelling to this place.

5. Sounkyo Hyoubaku Festival

If you want to:

• Enjoy a festival with unique winter atmosphere
  
• Or enjoy winter with Japanese festivity,
  

then, Sounkyo Hyoubaku Festival is a great festival to attend.
In 2018 edition, visitors enjoyed stage performance, drinks at Northern Ice Bar, shopping, to get yourself Extreme Cold Certificate, to visit ice shrine and more.

Check out the festival website here (2018 program): http://www.sounkyo.net/hyoubaku/en/

6. Utoro drift ice walking tour

Not only with a cruise, but you can also enjoy Eastern Hokkaido drift ice by a walking tour.
One of the most famous walking tour you can take is the one in Utoro, a town in Shiretoko Peninsula.

Check out more about the tour here: http://shinrashiretoko.wixsite.com/shinra/ice-walking

You can also learn more about tourist destinations above at Hokkaido official tourism website: https://en.visit-hokkaido.jp/special/winter/superb-view/

Check out the website: - Eastern Hokkaido - Explore the Wonderland

In this cool website you can explore more about Eastern Hokkaido. You can check out information about tourist destinations, plan, gourmet and more. If you wonder about means of transportation to take during your trip, this website also provide detailed information on train, bus and other transportation you can take.

Access the website here: http://en.visit-eastern-hokkaido.jp/

Enjoy the Taste of Eastern Hokkaido in Kuala Lumpur

1. MATTA

To know more about Eastern Hokkaido, you can also visit the biggest travel fair held in Malaysia, MATTA Fair.

Hokkaido Tourism Organization will participate in the event and will promote Eastern Hokkaido here. MATTA Fair itself, an event held by the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents usually at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur, is the largest travel related event in Malaysia which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year.

In Hokkaido booth you can freely take photos, bring home pamphlet and ask the staff about your Hokkaido trip itinerary. You can also learn about the means of transportation during your trip in Hokkaido. And if you are muslim, there is a meal guide for muslim travelers.

• Date: 7-9 September 2018 (Friday - Sunday)
  
• Place: Putra World Trade Center 41 Jalan Tun Ismail 50480 Kuala Lumpur
  
• URL: http://www.mattafair.org.my/index.php/en/
  

These are some photos from last year MATTA ;)

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2. Travel seminar at Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA SEPANG

If you do not want to go to the travel fair, but want to learn more about Hokkaido while enjoying shopping, you can also visit a seminar held in Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA SEPANG. Hokkaido Tourism Organization will will also promote Eastern Hokkaido here

Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA SEPANG (MOP) is the biggest South-East Asia’s outlet mall which is located just 6km from the KLIA and KLIA2. Beside high-end products, you can also find many stores with Japanese brands’ products here.

In addition to learning about Hokkaido, you can also join a talk show about Hokkaido trip with Malaysian travel blogger, Janice and Hokkaido trip presentation by Malaysian radio DJ PHAT FABES in this travel seminar.

• Date: Saturday, 27 October 2018
  
• Place: Persiaran Komersial, 64000 Klia, Selangor, Malaysia
  
• URL: https://www.mitsuioutletparkklia.com.my/
  

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