We’re to spend the next couple of nights in Asahikawa, and boy does it snow properly there! By the time we arrive and get checked-in it’s getting dark, meaning another dinner before 6pm.

A lot of things are closed so we’re a bit stuck for options at this point. We make the trek a couple of km through the falling snow to get to Bikkuri Donkey, a family restaurant chain that I’ve seen before but never been to, always amused. It’s kitschy, in that weird way that Japan loves to replicate the American diner aesthetic. In any case the food is good and not too badly priced in the end, about 1700 yen each.

Something interesting I noticed, some patches of road have heated sections to prevent snow and ice buildup, kind of like the demister in your car. It’s a clever feature but obviously uses a lot of electricity. It’s not entirely clear how they choose which sections of road need it most, possibly just on inclines near intersections.