By Bryce Major

When I return back home to New Zealand, my friend and family are going to ask me about my impressions of Hokkaido and what it was like living in the far north of Japan. Before I came to Hokkaido the only thing I knew about this part of Japan was that there was a city here with the same name as a famous Japanese beer and that the Winter Olympics had been held here during the year which I was born.

Admitting that gives away the fact that I am what is called a "Mature Student." In the West it is quite common for adults to return to university either for personal interest or to gain necessary skills for career advancement. However, this concept is not so common in Japan due to the lifetime employment system where group culture is considered more important and people receive in house training from their companies.

Even though New Zealand is slightly smaller than Japan, Japan has a population of 130 million people, whilst New Zealand has 70 million sheep and 4 million people. In fact, the population of Hokkaido alone is greater than that of New Zealand. I soon discovered that Sapporo is framed by mountains and that nature is never far away from the heart of Sapporo.

Soon after arriving in Sapporo I was introduced to the bright lights of Sapporo. Having grown up in a small farming town of only 5,000 people where the high point on a Saturday night is visiting the local supermarket, I was amazed by what I saw.

The large neon lights shone bright, electrifying the atmosphere. I saw girls in large puffy jackets hustling for business, trying to entice drunken salary men to part with their money in the pleasures of hostess bars. I saw school girls with their skirts cut so high that I wondered if they would catch exposure from the cold. I saw bars thrumming to the sounds of international music and people enjoying the moment. I also discovered that if you missed the last train home at midnight then that was a good enough excuse to spend the whole night in town. This city had rhythm──four bars with a back beat. I came to the conclusion that I had found the Soul of the City.

If Susukino is the Soul of the City then I would call Odori Park the Heart of the City. Although I have never been to France, my first thought when I saw the TV Tower in Odori Park was that I had caught the wrong flight by mistake and had somehow ended up in Paris. On the weekends during the height of summer, the park comes alive with humanity. It is like an oasis in the centre of the city.

On a hot day in summer, under the heat of the sun, people enjoy the company of others and relax listening to Spanish music being played by Latin American bands. At night it's a time to relax in the beer garden talking about the day's events and what the future might be.

Although I discovered the Heart and Soul of Sapporo, I still didn't discover the real Hokkaido──the land of beauty and pristine wilderness. So, I hired a car with some friends and with great surprise we discovered that the speed limit on the open road is only 50 km an hour. In New Zealand the open road limit is 100 km an hour, so it was very difficult to maintain such a slow speed. However, driving at that speed gave us ample opportunity to see the incredible Hokkaido landscape.

We journeyed through Daisetsu National Park and saw the amazing autumn colours. Autumn is my favourite season in Japan. In New Zealand the trees don't change colour, and to see the reds, oranges and yellows bring the forests to life was truly amazing. We traveled all the way to Wakkanai, to the most northern part of Japan, just to say we had been there. Many Japanese people thought we were crazy to do that. "Why go there?" they said, "there isnﾕt anything there." I have discovered over the years that many travelers often end up seeing more of a country than what the locals do.

Although autumn is my favourite season I am really looking forward to living in Sapporo during winter because I have never lived in a city with snow before. It will also be interesting to have snow at Christmas time. In New Zealand at Christmas time it is summer so I always go to the beach with my family. In fact, even though it will be winter in Sapporo I think I will still visit the ocean this year.

I am really enjoying my stay in Hokkaido, seeing the unspoilt nature and enjoying the Japanese culture. It is because of the cultural diversity and differences with our own countries that foreigners come to Japan. If all the countries in the world were similar, then no one would travel overseas and experience the delights which are available to everyone. To be a foreigner in Japan is something special and everyone returns home with good experiences to talk about.