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Feb 13, 2010
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Filling the mold for a tall neck of a dinosaur.Feb 13, 2010
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Guess what this part will be.Feb 13, 2010
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The reinforcement beams are covered with snow. A crane is used to carry the snow to high places.Feb 13, 2010
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They install wooden beams serving to reinforce the snow structures.Feb 13, 2010
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Destroying Iolani Palace made of snow.Feb 13, 2010
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Now see how another giant snow sculpture is built. It's the same process. A giant box is filled with snow.Feb 13, 2010
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The day after the snow festival ends, all the sculptures are promptly destroyed for safety reasons. With sadness, I watched it being destroyed. You can see the reinforcing wooden beams inside.Feb 13, 2010
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Iolani Palace in snow, lit up at nightFeb 13, 2010
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This snow sculpture of Iolani Palace was larger and more detailed than the ice sculpture of the palace built in Feb. 2010.Feb 13, 2010
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The statue of King Kamehameha did not come out that well, but I was happy to see it nonetheless. He was the king who unified Hawaii while the different islands were still ruled by different chiefs. Feb 13, 2010
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The Iolani Palace was built in Feb. 1982 to commemorate direct flights between Sapporo and Honolulu (since discontinued).Feb 13, 2010
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Iolani Palace stage event. This photo was published in a book called "The Companies We Keep 2," published in Hawaii by Bob Sigall in Jan. 2008.This photo was also featured on Hawaii's TV talk show "Nighttime with Andy Bumatai." See the segment at YouTube here.Feb 13, 2010
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Done and almost like the real thing. The Iolani Palace is in Honolulu, Hawaii, originally built by King David Kalakaua in the 19th century when Hawaii was still an independent kingdom. It is now a major tourist attraction.This photo was published in a book called "The Companies We Keep 2," published in Hawaii by Bob Sigall in Jan. 2008. The book is a compilation of various tidbits and trivia about Hawaii (my home state).

This photo was also featured on Hawaii's TV talk show "Nighttime with Andy Bumatai." See the segment at YouTube here.
Feb 13, 2010
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As the days pass, their progress becomes ever apparent as the building becomes more and more familiar.Feb 13, 2010
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Feb 13, 2010
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They even included a now statue of King Kamehameha, the king who unified the Hawaiian islands. Iolani Palace actually does not have a statue of King Kamehameha. But there is a statue of him across the street from the actual palace.Feb 13, 2010
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A drawing of Iolani Palace helps the carvers to carve the sculpture accurately.Feb 13, 2010
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The facade is shaped...Feb 13, 2010
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You can't be afraid of heights while working on these giant sculptures.Feb 13, 2010
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They take off the mold's wood paneling and start carving the huge block of snow. Scaffolding on all sides, almost like constructing a real building.Feb 13, 2010
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Japan's Self-Defense ForcesFeb 13, 2010
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They continue filling the giant box with snow. They are making Iolani Palace out of snow.Feb 13, 2010
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Filling up the mold...Feb 13, 2010
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The local Self-Defense Forces build the giant snow sculptures. Power shovel piles up the snow inside a rectangular mold or box made of wood.Feb 13, 2010
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Seeing these naked guys dancing on ice in front of Iolani Palace made my day. It was my festival climax before I had to leave to catch my 8:50 pm flight back to Tokyo.Feb 13, 2010
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Now some photos of the 1982 Sapporo Snow Festival. This was when they built Iolani Palace out of snow (not ice). These are army trucks hauling in snow to the Odori Park site in early Jan.Feb 13, 2010
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Then the boys took off their clothes and jumped around. It must've been very cold. More Sapporo Snow Festival 2010 photos here.Feb 13, 2010
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Very lively group.Feb 13, 2010
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Also see my YouTube video here.Feb 13, 2010
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They kept jumping up.Feb 13, 2010
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This yosakoi soran group was from Hokkaido University.Feb 13, 2010
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Notice how the colored lighting varied between dark orange and white lighting.Feb 13, 2010
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On the final night of the snow festival, they had yosakoi soran groups perform. They turned out to be the entertainment climax in front of Iolani Palace.Feb 13, 2010
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All they had to do is wear something Hawaiian and it would've been perfect. But of course, nobody thought of that.Feb 13, 2010
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Even though I was seeing all this entertainment totally unrelated to Hawaii, I have to say that the icy Iolani Palace made a great backdrop for these performers.Feb 13, 2010
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Sure it's cold to perform here. But look at these girls in shorts. They weren't shivering. This is another local wannabe Hokkaido girl group called "Cream."Feb 13, 2010
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And no one performed hula or anything Hawaiian in front of this Iolani Palace ice sculpture. It was sad and a wasted opportunity. They dance the hula everywhere in Japan except in front of an Iolani Palace sculpture?? Does that make sense to you?Feb 13, 2010
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As I was watching all this entertainment, how I wished there would be hula dancers too. Iolani Palace, being the home of King David Kalakaua who promoted hula in Hawaii, is a symbol of the hula movement. Feb 13, 2010
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Para-para dancerFeb 13, 2010
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A trio of girls perform the para-para dance.Feb 13, 2010
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Another boy group called B-Luck.Feb 13, 2010
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Other entertainment included amateur rock bands.Feb 13, 2010
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Rear view. HVB should round up the Hawaii folks living in Japan to help them promote Hawaii. Especially now, with the Internet, blogging, and word-of-mouth being so important for PR. But us guys in Japan haven't heard one peep from HVB.Feb 13, 2010
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ハワイPRの絶好のチャンスを完全に無視、逃がす。2百万人の来場者へのPRがパー。HPにもまったく掲載なし。Feb 13, 2010
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Look how beautiful this Iolani Palace ice sculpture is. I was red-faced not only from the cold, but also that no one from Hawaii did anything here.Feb 13, 2010
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No Hawaii events/entertainment in front of the Iolani Palace ice sculpture at the 2010 Sapporo Snow Festival. Hula is so popular in Japan, and no one danced hula in front of Iolani Palace in Sapporo??Feb 13, 2010
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Get in touch with people from Hawaii living in Sapporo/Hokkaido. They would volunteer to pass out Hawaii brochures or maybe even perform hula on the icy stage.Feb 13, 2010
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Hawaii needs more tourists to visit, especially the Japanese market. Why isn't HVB here promoting Hawaii with Iolani Palace in ice? This was a golden opportunity to promote Hawaii and NOBODY was doing it.Feb 13, 2010
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2 million people visit the Sapporo Snow Festival, many from China and Korea. Many of them would love to be in warm Hawaii.Feb 13, 2010
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I just CANNOT BELIEVE that HVB's English and Japanese Web sites neva even mention the Iolani Palace at this year's Sapporo Snow Festival.Feb 13, 2010
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It was very impressive and made my trip to Sapporo worthwhile. The lingering question remained: Where was the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau??? Why weren't they here passing out Hawaii PR brochures?Feb 13, 2010
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In the late afternoon, they start to light up the sculptures. Feb 13, 2010
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Iolani Palace ice sculpture lit up at night. The sculptures are lit up nightly till 10 pm. Ice sculptures in particular become very beautiful when lit at night due to their translucence.Feb 13, 2010
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The color lighting scheme also varies slightly. The sculpture is basically backlit with green lights in the middle and orange lights on the sides. At the same time, blue lights shine on the front of the sculpture.Feb 13, 2010
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Girls in Hokkaido look healthy, thanks to Hokkaido's clean environment, wide-open spaces, and good food.Feb 13, 2010
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北海道美人Feb 13, 2010
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Also see my YouTube video here.Feb 13, 2010
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They should be cheerleaders.Feb 13, 2010
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I could only wonder if these girls knew the significance of the sculpture they were performing in front of.Feb 13, 2010
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They turned out to be very lively. When you're dressed this lightly, it's best to move a lot to keep warm in freezing temperatures.Feb 13, 2010
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This is a local Hokkaido group dressed as school girls calling themselves Moegi-iro Jogakuin. もえぎ色女学院Feb 13, 2010
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Now for some entertainment in front of the Iolani Palace ice sculpture as the crowd waits.Feb 13, 2010
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Unfortunately, there was no sign in English explaining the Iolani Palace ice sculpture. I looked at this list of supporters and sponsors and found no one from Hawaii listed.おい、ハワイ州観光局はまったくいないぞ。Feb 13, 2010
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Like the other big sculptures, various free entertainment was held on a stage in front of the Iolani Palace sculpture. This was the entertainment schedule. I was very disappointed to find nothing Hawaiian.Feb 13, 2010
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Rear view of the Iolani Palace ice sculpture. Scaffolding propped up colored lights.Feb 13, 2010
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The Iolani Palace ice sculpture had a slim profile. This is a side view.Feb 13, 2010
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Facing the Iolani Palace sculpture were food stalls such as this German almond food stall. I couldn't comprehend why there weren't any Hawaii-related stalls instead. How about selling macadamia nuts or having a Hawaii Visitors Bureau booth??Feb 13, 2010
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The ice sculpture was built by over 250 members of the Japan Ice Sculpture Association. Most of the 250 were from the Sapporo chapter working as chefs at Sapporo area hotels. In Japan, ice sculptures are often featured at high-priced buffets, etc.Feb 13, 2010
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This was not the first time Iolani Palace was at the Sapporo Snow Festival. It was also featured in Feb. 1982 when it was made of snow (photos below).Feb 13, 2010
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Today, Iolani Palace is a major tourist attraction. Guided tours allow you to see the rooms inside, including the throne room and the small bedroom where Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii's last monarch, was held prisoner by Westerners who overthrew her. Feb 13, 2010
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The Iolani Palace is Hawaii's most famous building in Honolulu, Oahu. It is America's one and only former royal palace. Built in 1882 by King David Kalakaua as his residence. It had electricity installed, which was rare at the time.Feb 13, 2010
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It took about 2 weeks to build Iolani Palace out of ice. They started building it on Jan. 15, 2010. The sculpture was planned by Mainichi Shimbun Newspapers.Feb 13, 2010
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The Iolani Palace ice sculpture is 16 meters wide and 8 meters high. It was built with 700 large blocks of ice weighing 135 kg (298 lb.) each. Feb 13, 2010
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The 61st Sapporo Snow Festival was held during Feb. 5-11, 2010 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Among the giant snow sculptures was Hawaii's Iolani Palace made of ice. It was the reason why I decided to see this festival again.Feb 13, 2010
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Iolani Palace, a giant ice sculpture at the 61st Sapporo Snow Festival during Feb. 5-11, 2010. During the day, it has a translucent, blue look. It is the festival's largest ice sculpture. This block is officially called the Mainichi Shimbun Ice SquareFeb 13, 2010
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Jul 15, 2009
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Goryokaku Castle ParkJul 15, 2009
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Hakodate PortJul 15, 2009
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Give back the Northern TerritoriesJul 15, 2009
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Mashu Maru, a ferry which plied between Hakodate and Aomori.Jul 15, 2009
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Morning Market. Photo by Hokkaido Tourist Organization.Jul 15, 2009
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Goryokaku Castle ParkJul 15, 2009
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At night from Hakodate-yama is the Million-Dollar View.Jul 15, 2009
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Hakodate Red Brick WarehousesJul 15, 2009
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Jul 15, 2009
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Hakodate Minato (Port) Matsuri paradeJul 15, 2009
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Old Hakodate Station. Jul 15, 2009
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A bird's eye view of Hakodate from Hakodate-yama. The city is pretty compact. Easy to tour on bicycle.Jul 15, 2009
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Jul 15, 2009
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Fireworks as seen from Hakodate-yama. The fireworks were part of the annual Hakodate Minato (Port) Matsuri festival in early Aug.Jul 15, 2009
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Goryokaku Castle Park. Frustrating that you cannot photograph the entire star-shaped castle. Unless you're in an airplane.Jul 15, 2009
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Old Hakodate Station. Jul 15, 2009
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Jul 15, 2009
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Hakodate Red Brick Warehouses at night. Photo by Hokkaido Tourist Organization.Jul 15, 2009
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Old Hakodate Station. Jul 15, 2009
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Hakodate PortJul 15, 2009
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Hakodate Morning MarketJul 15, 2009
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Old Hakodate Station. A new station was built in 2003.Jul 15, 2009
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Photo by Hokkaido Tourist Organization.Jul 15, 2009
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Sea gulls in Hokkaido all face the same direction. They must be Japanese birds who like to conform to the group.Jul 15, 2009
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Hakodate's main attraction and landmark is Mt. Hakodate-yama, accessible by ropeway.Jul 15, 2009
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Going up Hakodate-yama, Hakodate, Hokkaido.Jul 15, 2009
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Hakodate-yamaJul 15, 2009
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Lookout deck on Hakodate-yama.Jul 15, 2009
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Across from the former Nippon Yusen Kaisha is this Unga Park which has former warehouses of Nippon Oil, built in 1920. 運河公園May 22, 2008
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Former Nippon Yusen Kaisha cargo storage warehouse, built in 1906. 旧日本郵船(株)小樽支店残荷倉庫May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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WallpaperMay 22, 2008
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Former Nippon Yusen Kaisha cargo storage warehouse is next to the Otaru Branch. 旧日本郵船(株)小樽支店残荷倉庫旧日本郵船(株)小樽支店残荷倉庫May 22, 2008
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Staircase to the 2nd floor.May 22, 2008
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Ceiling lampMay 22, 2008
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Conference room on 2nd floorMay 22, 2008
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Vault entranceMay 22, 2008
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Conference roomMay 22, 2008
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Hallway of rear buildingMay 22, 2008
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Staircase to the 2nd floor.May 22, 2008
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2nd floor corridorMay 22, 2008
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Reconstructed office desk and chairs of the period. You can even sit in the chair.May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Inside the vaultMay 22, 2008
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Lamp with bare bulbMay 22, 2008
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1st floorMay 22, 2008
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The first floor was the main office.May 22, 2008
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Former Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Otaru Branch. It's on the fringe of central Otaru. Admission 300 yen.May 22, 2008
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The first room you see inside.May 22, 2008
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Otaru Orgel-doMay 22, 2008
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Inside Otaru Orgel-do, full of music boxes of all kinds. 小樽オルゴール堂May 22, 2008
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Clock in front of the Otaru Orgel-do (Otaru Music Box Hall)May 22, 2008
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Otaru Orgel-do (Otaru Music Box Hall) is one of the more famous buildings. Built in 1912. 小樽オルゴール堂、旧共成(株)May 22, 2008
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Marchen Intersection メルヘン交差点May 22, 2008
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Plaque of Gastown Vancouver, CanadaMay 22, 2008
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Kitaichi 北一May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Sakai-machi-doriMay 22, 2008
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Inside KitaichiMay 22, 2008
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Hokke, 500 yen eachMay 22, 2008
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Trolley busMay 22, 2008
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Uroko fish marketMay 22, 2008
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CrabMay 22, 2008
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Inside Kitaichi Venetian Art Museum with a real gondola once ridden by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.May 22, 2008
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Kitaichi Venetian Art Museum opened in 1988. Facade is modeled after the Palace of Grassi.May 22, 2008
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Uroko fish market popular with tourists.May 22, 2008
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Gondola displayed in Kitaichi Venetian Art Museum. The art gallery charges 700 yen admission. Gift shop sells Venetian glass and masks.May 22, 2008
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Glassware makersMay 22, 2008
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Shop selling konbu or seaweed. The ceiling is covered with konbu.May 22, 2008
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Konbu shopMay 22, 2008
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Former Dai-Hyakujusan National bank, Otaru Branch, now a gift shop. 旧第百十三国立銀行小樽支店May 22, 2008
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Old fire hydrantMay 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Another glassware shop.May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Former Motosaburo Kaneko Store, built in 1887. 旧金子元三郎商店May 22, 2008
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Inside former Hyakujusan Bank, Otaru BranchMay 22, 2008
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Former Hyakujusan Bank, Otaru Branch, now a large glassware shop. 旧百十三銀行小樽支店
May 22, 2008
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Former Takasaburo Natori Store, now the Taisho Glass Shop. 旧名取高三郎商店、大正硝子館May 22, 2008
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Inside Taisho Glass Shop 大正硝子館May 22, 2008
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Wind chimes along a canal.May 22, 2008
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Otaru Post OfficeMay 22, 2008
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In central Otaru, the Ironai-dori and Sakai-machi-dori streets are lined with numerous historic buildings. Architecture buffs will love this street. This is the Otaru Unga Terminal, formerly Mitsubishi Bank's Otaru Branch.May 22, 2008
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Inside the Otaru Unga Terminal, formerly Mitsubishi Bank's Otaru Branch. This area is known as the "Wall Street of the North" due to the many banks and finance-related companies that were here.May 22, 2008
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Rickshaw service available at the canal.May 22, 2008
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Warehouse along the Otaru CanalMay 22, 2008
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East end of Otaru CanalMay 22, 2008
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Restaurant near Otaru Canal.May 22, 2008
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East end of Otaru CanalMay 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Murals showing some history of Otaru's marine transportation.May 22, 2008
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Otaru CanalMay 22, 2008
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Otaru CanalMay 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Some artists show their work here.May 22, 2008
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Otaru Unga. "Unga" means canal.May 22, 2008
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Otaru Canal is a short walk from Otaru Station.May 22, 2008
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Unga Plaza inner courtyard.May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Inside Unga PlazaMay 22, 2008
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Otaru Canal has a large walkway alongside.May 22, 2008
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Karaoke place designed to blend in and conform to the area's building code.May 22, 2008
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Miyako shopping arcadeMay 22, 2008
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Chuo-dori road looking toward Otaru StationMay 22, 2008
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At the end of Chuo-dori is Unga Plaza which used to be Otaru Warehouse. Now find tourist info counter and gift shop.May 22, 2008
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The former Temiya Line, Hokkaido's first rail line linking Otaru and Sapporo. It was discontinued in 1985.May 22, 2008
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View of Chuo-dori road from Otaru Station. Walk down this road to reach Otaru Canal.May 22, 2008
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Miyako shopping arcadeMay 22, 2008
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Former Yasuda Bank. More of Otaru historic buildings here.May 22, 2008
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Sign in English, Chinese, Korean, and Russian.May 22, 2008
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Otaru Station and bus terminal on the left.May 22, 2008
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Temiya LineMay 22, 2008
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Chuo bus terminal next to Otaru Station.May 22, 2008
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Inside Otaru StationMay 22, 2008
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Sign promoting the shinkansen to be built to Hokkaido.May 22, 2008
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Billboard busMay 22, 2008
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Otaru StationMay 22, 2008
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Otaru StationMay 22, 2008
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Sign promoting the Hokkaido Shinkansen to be built.May 22, 2008
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JR Otaru StationMay 22, 2008
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Otaru in sight from the train window.May 22, 2008
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Otaru Station platformMay 22, 2008
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Otaru StationMay 22, 2008
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Inside train to Otaru. It takes about 40 min. by regular train, and costs a mere 620 yen.May 22, 2008
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Milk shake with a Yubari melon flavor.May 22, 2008
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My favorite train station name: Zenibako Station. Zenibako means money box.May 22, 2008
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Sapporo Station, morning train for Otaru.May 22, 2008
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View of the coast.May 22, 2008
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View from Akaiwa of Cape Takashima. Todo Rock island on the left.May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Climbing Mt. Akaiwa. Almost rock climbing with a ladder and rope.May 22, 2008
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May 22, 2008
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Mt. AkaiwaMay 22, 2008
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View of Otaru as we head toward AkaiwaMay 22, 2008
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Yodobashi Camera store on west side of Sapporo Station.May 21, 2008
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Toilet with a view in JR TowerMay 21, 2008
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Yodobashi, Hokkaido's largest camera and electronics store.May 21, 2008
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