A Taste of Home Beneath TOKYO SKYTREE
TOKYO SKYTREE in Tokyo's Sumida City is the most prominent landmark on the city's skyline. During the day, its massive structure soars into the clouds; when night falls, its lights illuminate the city, creating another captivating view.
In April 2023, we visited TOKYO SKYTREE and unexpectedly came across a familiar and welcoming Taiwan Festival. Red lanterns hung overhead, crowds bustled about, and all kinds of Taiwanese street food filled the streets of a foreign country. For a moment, although we were traveling in Japan, it felt as if we were back at a night market at home.
Compared with the strong local Japanese culture of Fukuoka's yatai food stalls, the Taiwan Festival beneath TOKYO SKYTREE offered a different kind of cross-border exchange. Taiwan's warmth and Japan's orderliness came together naturally in this modern city—not in conflict, but in remarkable harmony.
As we gazed up at TOKYO SKYTREE and enjoyed the familiar flavors of home, the sounds of Japanese streets filled our ears while memories of Taiwanese night markets appeared before our eyes. Perhaps the most captivating part of travel is unexpectedly finding a familiar feeling in an unfamiliar city.
TOKYO SKYTREE(R) TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN(R) | Review by 陳泰任
Other Reviews by 陳泰任
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Hotel Classe Stay Sapporo
Located in Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hotel Classe Stay Sapporo is an apartment-style hotel featuring 91 guest rooms. Just a 2-minute walk from Nakajima Koen Station-only three stops away from Sapporo Station-it’s ideally positioned as a convenient base for sightseeing or business travel.
Sapporo APA Hotel Dinner and Travel Notes
Our Hokkaido journey brought us to Sapporo, and tonight we stayed at APA Hotel & Resort Sapporo in Minami Ward. The hotel lobby was spacious and bright, with stone walls, vintage lighting, and Japanese displays creating a calm and elegant atmosphere. An antique-style carriage and horses were also displayed in the center, evoking Hokkaido’s history.
For dinner, we enjoyed a generous Japanese meal with steaming hot pot, fresh fish, tempura, sashimi, rice, and a variety of side dishes. Everyone sat together and sampled the flavors of Hokkaido, adding a sense of warmth and satisfaction to our journey. After dinner, we returned to the hotel and strolled around, admiring the Japanese-style decor, bringing a relaxing end to the day’s travels. The Sapporo night outside the window was peaceful, and our travel fatigue slowly faded amid good food and laughter, leaving us with another warm and unforgettable memory of our Hokkaido trip. -
Otaru Orgel Doh Main Hall
This music box specialty shop has branches in various locations such as Otaru, Hakodate, Furano, Yokohama, Kamakura, and Kyoto. Its main building, which is the main shop, was built in 1915 (Taisho 4) and is designated as a historic building by Otaru City, preserving the remnants of the good old days.
Otaru Steam Clock & Its Vancouver Sister Clock |
Walking through the streets of Otaru, Hokkaido, I arrived in front of the European-style music box hall, where a tall, elegant steam clock came into view. In the photo, crowds stream past the clock tower, while the classical buildings, streets, and power lines intertwine, adding even more of Otaru’s unique nostalgic charm.
This steam clock is about 5.5 meters tall and weighs 1.5 metric tons. It was created by Canadian clockmaker Raymond Saunders and is the sister clock of the steam clock in Gastown, Vancouver, Canada. Steam powers its whistles, which play a melody every 15 minutes, giving the cold metal clock tower a warm sense of life.
Standing in front of the clock and watching people come and go, it feels as if time slows down here. **One clock connects the two cities of Otaru and Vancouver, while also leaving a treasured memory of time spent traveling in Hokkaido. -
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Otaru Sakaimachi Dori Shopping Street
Located just one street away from the main thoroughfare facing the Otaru Canal, Sakaimachi-dori flourished during the Meiji and early Showa periods, becoming Otaru's main street.
Otaru Canal | Travel Notes
Stepping into Otaru, Hokkaido, feels like entering a nostalgic cityscape painting. Strolling along the Otaru Canal, the old stone warehouses, gas lamps, and street scenery give off a unique northern charm. Along the way, I admired the well-preserved historic buildings around the canal and got a sense of Otaru’s former prosperity as a port city.During the trip, I also visited neighborhoods with a foreign flair, admiring distinctive clock towers, churches, and red-brick buildings. Every casual snapshot captured scenery worth keeping. I stopped at a cozy cafe along the way to have coffee and chat with family and friends, adding a touch of leisure and warmth to the trip.
Otaru’s beauty lies not only in the canal itself, but also in the unique charm created by its old buildings, streets, people, and Hokkaido’s fresh air. This trip to Otaru left me with more than just photos—it also gave me wonderful memories worth savoring.
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