Asahikawa Airport Hokkaido Experience
Asahikawa Airport Hokkaido Experience
Overview
In this concise travel update, John Daub takes viewers inside Asahikawa Airport in Hokkaido before catching a domestic flight back to Tokyo. Unlike the massive hubs of Narita or Haneda, John highlights the charm and manageability of Japan's small regional airports. He tours the newly renovated food court, browses the souvenir shops filled with Hokkaido specialties, and walks viewers through the efficient security and check-in process.
The video also serves as a bridge between locations, as John briefly shares footage of the stunning Aoi Ike (Blue Pond) in Biei, which he visited earlier in the day despite heavy rain. He discusses the unique products available only in Hokkaido, from specific beers to famous cookies, and offers practical advice for travelers flying domestically within Japan, such as liquid restrictions and booking strategies.
This episode captures the transitional moments of travel—the quiet spaces between destinations—while showcasing the local flavors and convenience that make traveling around Japan distinct. It is a practical guide for anyone planning to visit Hokkaido's regional areas and need to understand the airport experience outside of Sapporo's New Chitose.
Highlights
- 00:06 John spots his arriving flight from Tokyo and explains the quick turnaround process.
- 02:25 Tour of the brand new food court featuring tempura, ramen, and unique curry-coffee combos.
- 04:34 Explanation of domestic security rules, including the ability to bring water bottles through.
- 05:27 Souvenir shopping for family and Patreon supporters, highlighting Marusei butter sando and Shiroi Koibito.
- 07:37 Inserted vertical video of Aoi Ike (Blue Pond) visited earlier despite heavy rain.
- 09:09 Showcase of Hokkaido-specific craft beers including blue beer from Abashiri.
- 10:11 Tips on flight pricing and the competition between ANA and JAL stores at the airport.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Intro & Arriving Flight Observation
- 01:03 Walking to the Food Court
- 02:25 Food Court Tour & Menu Options
- 03:36 Gift Shops & Snack Hunting
- 04:34 Security Check & Domestic Flight Rules
- 05:27 Souvenir Selection (Cookies, Donuts, Potatoes)
- 07:37 Blue Pond (Aoi Ike) Video Insert
- 09:09 Hokkaido Craft Beer Selection
- 10:11 Check-in Tips & Airline Stores
- 11:11 Outro & Next Video Tease
Japan Travel Tips
- Domestic Security: You can bring water bottles through security on domestic flights in Japan; there are machines to check if liquids are dangerous.
- Airport Size: Regional airports like Asahikawa are small and manageable; security lines are usually 5 minutes or less.
- Flight Costs: Flying to regional airports can be pricier than Sapporo due to less competition, but booking 45+ days in advance can keep fares under $100.
- In-Flight Food: Domestic flights often do not serve food anymore, so buy sandwiches or snacks at the airport before boarding.
- Souvenirs: Airport gift shops carry region-specific items (Hokkaido potatoes, melons, cookies) that are great for gifts.
- Airline Miles: Both ANA and JAL have dedicated stores at the airport where you can use miles for shopping.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Aoi Ike (青い池): Literally "Blue Pond," a famous natural pond in Biei, Hokkaido, known for its striking blue color.
- Sando (サンド): Japanese abbreviation for "sandwich." Often used for dessert sandwiches like fruit sando or butter sando.
- Chuhai (チューハイ): Short for "shochu highball," a popular canned alcoholic drink in Japan, often fruit-flavored.
- Matane (またね): A casual way of saying "See you later." In Hokkaido, matane is culturally significant and used frequently as a greeting/farewell.
- Daimyo: Historically a feudal lord; John uses this term for a specific tier of his Patreon supporters.
- Regional Airport Culture: Smaller airports in Japan often function as community hubs with local food and products, contrasting with the transit-focused nature of major international hubs.
Food & Drink Guide
- Asahikawa Ramen (旭川ラーメン): Soy sauce-based ramen with pork fat floating on top to keep it warm; available at the airport food court. 02:25
- Hokkaido Melon Ice Cream: Ice cream made from famous Yubari melons; a classic Hokkaido souvenir. 03:36
- Marusei Butter Sando (マルセイバターサンド): Famous cake-like sandwiches filled with butter cream; John calls them addictive. 05:27
- Shiroi Koibito (白い恋人): "White Lover" cookies; vanilla sandwich cookies with white chocolate, a Hokkaido classic. 05:27
- Yubari Cinnamon Donuts: Donuts from Yubari, a city famous for melons but also known for these donuts. 05:27
- Abashiri Blue Beer: A beer from Abashiri colored blue to represent the Okhotsk Sea; visually unique. 09:09
- Yubari Melon Chuhai: Canned alcoholic drink featuring Yubari melon flavor. 09:09
People
- John Daub: Host and narrator. He guides viewers through the airport, shares travel tips, and buys souvenirs for his family.
- Kanae Daub: John's wife. Mentioned as a recipient of souvenirs (ice cream, snacks).
- Leo: John's son. Mentioned as a recipient of souvenirs (Tomica toys, cheesecake).
- Patreon Supporters (Daimyo): International supporters who receive boxes of Japanese snacks from John.
Key Takeaways
- Regional airports in Japan offer a stress-free experience with short security lines and ample local shopping.
- Hokkaido produces unique food items (potatoes, melons, dairy) that are best purchased locally or at regional airports.
- Domestic flights allow water bottles through security, but in-flight meals are rarely served on short hops.
- Booking flights to regional destinations well in advance (45+ days) can significantly reduce costs.
- The Blue Pond is a quick but stunning visit, best enjoyed when weather permits.
Notable Quotes
- 00:06 "That's pretty cool how the flights come from Tokyo, people get off, they clean it, and then they send it right back to Tokyo in air-due."
- 02:25 "Curry and coffee? What? Curry and coffee. Two foods, drinking foods I never would put together."
- 04:34 "You can take water bottles on domestic flights. Just a shout out for that. You don't have to worry about drinking at all."
- 05:27 "This is the land of potatoes up here. It's the land of many things, Hokkaido."
- 11:11 "I'll see you again in Tokyo, everybody. Sorry that it's not as long as before. But I better not miss this flight."
Related Topics
- Hokkaido Travel Guide
- Japanese Domestic Flights
- Asahikawa Ramen
- Biei Blue Pond
- Japanese Airport Souvenirs
- Regional Japan Travel
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #asahikawa #hokkaido #airport #travel #japan-travel #ana #jal #souvenirs #blue-pond #food-court #domestic-flight #regional-japan #asahikawa-ramen #matane
Full Transcript
00:06 John Daub: Here it comes. Focus! No! That's my flight going back to Tokyo, just arriving in Asahikawa. That's pretty cool how the flights come from Tokyo, people get off, they clean it, and then they send it right back to Tokyo in air-due, I guess it's ANA. So I wanted to show you around Asahikawa Airport. It's not something that I've ever done before. It's a small regional airport, and I found that the small regional airports around Japan are all kind of similar. They're small, they're manageable, they've got gift shops, they've got restaurants, but Asahikawa is all, it's kind of really new.
01:03 John Daub: So let me go, let me take you around this airport as my flight gets ready to prepare for takeoff to Tokyo. We can go do a little bit of shopping. Get some stuff for Kanae and Leo. Thanks guys for the support earlier. That's my flight coming in. That's the only flight here. Kind of chilly here. I was kind of disappointed that the landing was all blurry.
02:25 John Daub: What I love about this airport already was that they had this food court. It's all brand new in here. It looks new. It smells new. They've got tempura, Asahikawa ramen, a bunch of restaurants. They even have a ramen shop in here. I knew I could smell something really good. Curry and coffee? What? Curry and coffee. Two foods, drinking foods I never would put together. Very nice. Two points for the food court. Lots of seating here.
03:36 John Daub: Let's go take a look at the gift shops. These look like...that'd be a good sandwich to take on the plane with me. They don't have food on the domestic flights. Not anymore. I can't remember when I was fed on a Japanese domestic flight. Some more Asahikawa ramen. Hokkaido melon ice cream. Um, yes please.
04:34 John Daub: So this is just a short, short stream. Kind of introduce you to this airport. Give you an idea of how big or how small it is. You can see this is where you would check in for ANA and JAL. And over there is the domestic. There's actually an international terminal. So there's a couple of flights from China I think that arrive into here. The gate to check in to get to the gate. The security is really short. Usually it's about five minutes or less. And you can take water bottles on domestic flights. Just a shout out for that. You don't have to worry about drinking at all. They got you covered. There's some sort of machine that they use to check and see if it's something that's dangerous or not.
05:27 John Daub: Alright, let's look at the gift shops before we go into the gate area. Another ice cream place. Of course. These milk sando. I'm trying to find something to send to my Daimyo supporters on Patreon. So I found one thing and I'm going to send... I sent a bunch of boxes back. So I'll send those off to everybody internationally next week. Oh, there's the butter sando. The Marusei butter sando. These are so good. Addictive. I found that there are these cinnamon donuts from Yubari. Yubari, which is famous for melons, it's also famous for cinnamon donuts. So if I see that, I might pick one up. But most of the shops have kind of the same stuff. This one's kind of new. If you know the Shiroi Koibito cookies. These are so good as well. Classics. The Calbee stuff. A lot of the potatoes, if not all of the potatoes that they use for French fries and whatnot, come from Hokkaido. This is the land of potatoes up here. It's the land of many things, Hokkaido.
07:37 John Daub: So I was going to take you to the blue pond. So I'm going to have to insert it. And I'll probably show it again in another stream. But let me turn the sound down here. There's a vertical video of it. So this is where I was about two hours ago. But the rain was so bad, I couldn't stream it. I wish I could have. The rain was coming down. There were little breaks in it. And then it got really, really strong again. But the Aoi Ike, or blue pond, is really stunning. You can see I have my umbrella. I'm wearing rental clothing. It was OK. You'll see in the video. It's not very big. You could probably see it, like see it, see it in about 15 minutes. But a lot of people linger, look at it from different angles. You could spend 45 minutes to an hour here if you really want to be here. But you can hear the nature around there. And there's these rhythms where tour buses come in. And then they leave. And it gets really quiet.
09:09 John Daub: Oh, Tomica. Leo loves these. But I think I'll get him something. I was thinking maybe I'll get him a cheesecake or something. I still got some time. They got a bunch. Hokkaido's got a lot of craft beer as well. This is the good old Sapporo. This one is, they say only Hokkaido. But you can find it in a lot of places now. There's a Yubari melon chuhai. This is that chocolate beer. White chocolate beer. This one is from Abashiri. It's a blue beer. Like the blue of the Okhotsk Sea. So when you put it into a glass, it's got like this blue color to it. I'm not sure if that's good for you or not. But the airport certainly has a lot of gifts.
10:11 John Daub: The check-in is super fast. It's really empty. Compared to Tokyo, like no stress. This is the kind of place that you want to fly into instead of, it's more expensive to fly here than it is to Sapporo because there's just less competition. There's only a few flights a day for each airline. So there's not a lot coming in here. So it's a little bit more, a little bit pricier. But if you book 45 days in advance or more, typically the price is less than $100 for that. JAL and ANA have competing stores. There's the JAL store. And then this is the ANA Festa store. Why? Because you can use your miles at the ANA one or you can use the miles at the JAL one. So they are so competitive.
11:11 John Daub: All right, everybody. I'm going to go in and check in. I got to get to the gate and then eventually get back to Tokyo. The weather has been chilly. It's been rainy this morning. It's starting to clear up a little bit. But it was refreshing 24 hours. And I'm going to get this video up in October because it's for a client. And I'm kind of excited to show you this experimental project that they're doing on rental clothing. So that will be coming up really soon. I'll see you again in Tokyo, everybody. Sorry that it's not as long as before. But I better not miss this flight. There's not another one for a while. So I'll see you again. Matane.