By Rhena Imamura

I came to Sapporo from Sasebo, Nagasaki prefecture to enter Sapporo University. During the days between receiving the letter of acceptance and entering the university, I wondered about Hokkaido a lot. For example, Sapporo might be larger than Nagasaki prefecture, and Hokkaido, which is located in the northern part of Japan, will have a lot of snow which I have never seen, I may have troubles, and so on.

Therefore, I studied a bit about Sapporo. I was surprised to find that the population of Sapporo is more than 1.8 million which is about three times larger than Nagasaki prefecture with a population of about 600,000.

I told my acquaintances about my going to Sapporo, and I was surprised to know that many people had visited Hokkaido or lived there before. My teachers and classmates in my high school were interested in my move to Sapporo, because most of them did not have a plan to study or work in Hokkaido like me. Some worried about me, because Hokkaido is so far away and cold. However, I had no anxiety, and I always thought of joyful things I would meet there.

I really like snow, so I thought cool and fresh Hokkaido would fit me rather than hot and humid Nagasaki. I'm very pleased to have a chance to study here.

By the way, did you know that Nagasaki prefecture has snow in winter? It snows just enough to make a snowman, and whenever it snows, we enjoy making them.

Let me tell you about my hometown, Sasebo, briefly. The population is about 240,000. Surrounded by mountains and the sea, Sasebo has a good port, and a U.S. navy base is located there, so many foreigners live there.

The most popular tourist attractions in Sasebo are the theme park Huis Ten Bosch（meaning "a house in the woods" in Dutch） which is a reproduction of a Dutch city, and the Ninety-Nine Islands which are a very beautiful sight.

Nagasaki was the first place in Japan to have relations with foreign countries and it has especially associated deeply with Holland, China, and the United States.

Because of this, many Christians live in Nagasaki prefecture and there are many churches. Most churches were built on the heights of the city, so the view of the blue ocean and white churches are beautiful and eye-catching. I think this scenery is one of the best symbols of Nagasaki prefecture.

Sasebo put hamburgers on sale for the first time in Japan. When you wander around the city, you see crowded "The Father of Sasebo Burger" shops. So people who come to Sasebo for the first time say that Sasebo seems like a foreign city.

Getting back to Hokkaido, most Nagasaki people's image of Hokkaido is a combination of the Snow Festival, lavender fields, and sea food, such as crabs. I had almost the same image about Hokkaido as everyone else. I'd like to find many other fascinating things about Hokkaido.

Now I live in Sapporo and have many things to do. First, I want to enjoy the Sapporo Snow Festival, ice sculptures and houses made of snow, which can be seen only at the festival. Next I want to visit the Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, which is about 1 hour and half from Sapporo by train.

Asahiyama Zoo is great because the zoo does not make any fences between human beings and animals. I'm especially looking forward to seeing a polar bear which can not be seen in the zoo in Nagasaki. Now that Iﾕm in Hokkaido, I want to go to other places where I can get in touch with the vast nature at any cost.

Actually, when I came to live in Hokkaido in March, I was interested in the glass enclosure at the entrance of houses, and the sand box laid at the roadside of slippery slopes. As a result of snowing, more money is needed for extra facilities and equipment and it is interesting to know their wisdom in being harmonious with the climate. There is something like a living wisdom.

Since I got accustomed to life in Sapporo, I feel a little dissatisfied. It is about the sea. Nowhere in Sapporo can we see it. Now I realize that I always lived with the ocean when in Nagasaki, and I feel a kind of loneliness now, but I am looking forward to seeing the sea from Ishikari and Otaru sometime in the future.

One more thing which bothered me is the public transportation access. Subway and bus lines are quite complicated for the new comer.

There are so many depots that it's hard to understand what line to ride and where to get off however hard I try. On my way back from my entrance ceremony I was just like a lost child.

When I graduate from university four years from now, I hope I will be an expert about Hokkaido. I want to enjoy my university life on campus and in Hokkaido.