A lot of my time in Hakodate was spent searching for a bike shop to replace one of tyres that had bitten the dust along the road in Hokkaido.

I still got to see a fair amount of the city though. Being stuck on a narrow strip of land concentrates a lot of the restaurant, shops and sights together – a nice change from the endless sprawl of most Japanese cities.

I stayed in a great guesthouse just on the outskirts of town at the foot of the mountain at the head of Cape Tachimachi. It was situated near a nice little Shinto shrine, where I passed an old man paying respect every morning.

My last night in Hakodate was the first night week long festival in the city and there was a fireworks display down on the waterfront.

With plans made and the next leg of the journey prepare, I went to bed early ready to catch the 7am ferry to Aomori. Well rested now, I’m looking forward to recommencing the tour.

There was a great atmosphere, delicious street food and the weather, at last, was clear. There was a speaker playing traditional Japanese music along with the fireworks, until the grand finale when they played Champagne Supernova by Oasis. I guess Japan had to add its own weird spin to it somehow.