Nipponica

The Red Star is set to debut in February 2027 to coincide with the drift ice season along the Sea of Okhotsk. The round-trip service will span two days between JR Sapporo and Abashiri stations.

The Blue Star will be in service from June to September, mainly during the lavender blooming season, between JR Asahikawa and Biei stations, and JR Furano Station.

The more trains the better even if some of them are mini Snowpiercer expresses for the rich. Train travel is already normalized for much of the world, but if we lure some people with big wallets on these experiences then maybe they will fund similar things in the unenlightened world.

A relatively strong earthquake struck the Hokkaido region at around 0:10 p.m. Monday. The magnitude is estimated to be 5.3, and the eastern Hidaka and southern Tokachi regions measured 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale.

Principal Miki Okada remarked, "In recent years, even Sapporo has experienced dangerous heat levels. Last year, there were days when the temperature inside the school building exceeded 30 C. Air conditioning is essential not only for creating a conducive learning environment but also for protecting students' lives."

Following the record high temperature of 36.3 C in Sapporo in the summer of 2023, the city began installing air conditioning in all municipal schools and kindergartens (312 facilities, approximately 6,000 rooms) starting in fiscal 2024. This summer, 39 schools (roughly 580 rooms), accounting for 12.5% of the total, had permanent air conditioners with outdoor units for the first time. The education board is expected to have 67.3% coverage by the summer of 2026, with all schools equipped by the summer of 2027.

As a Hokkaido-jin, this is a sad but necessary reality. This year’s summer was horrendous and most infrastructure was never built to need AC. I have never felt so lucky to have AC in my building than I was this year.