Following up on last week’s post, on June 29th, I spent the day out at Otaru! First, my third Otaru pride around noon, and a barbeque with my friends at Ranshima beach afterwards.
From my friend’s house, I headed to Yoichi station and took the 10:20 train to Otaru. It was a little early, but the next train would have been too late! I checked in to reception, and hung around until the parade officially started at 12. Apparently, the main committee for pride-related events disbanded last year, but demand for the parade was so strong that they formed a committee just for the parade this year. No wonder I didn’t hear about it until late, and unfortunately the parade was much smaller this year. Still fun, and much more intimate. They even had a band this year…
I walked with my friends throughout the duration, and when it was over, headed over to one friend’s house to pick up stuff for the barbeque. Then we trained over to Ranshima! After a quick stop at the 7/11, we met up with some others. Across from the 7/11 was Ranshima’s local shaved ice shop that I always wanted to try. A friend encouraged us to get it now instead of later, in case they sold out. So we had an impromptu shaved ice run!
They had a ton of interesting flavors! From strawberry, to tiramisu, to cheesecake, and even seasonal cherry. I opted for the hojicha milk. It was not too big, not too small, and a nice portion for one person. Mine came with red bean and shiratama balls.
The shaved ice was so good. The ice was fluffy and light, and thoroughly soaked with hojicha flavor (the ice itself might have actually been hojicha ice?). The red bean paired perfectly as it was not too sweet, and both toppings added a nice texture. Highly recommend this shop.
Then we got started on the bbq! Shoutout to my friends for buying meats and drinks, and for providing bbq materials too. For anyone interested in Ranshima Beach, it’s a nice beach with a long stretch for plenty of people to hang out. If you’re driving, there’s a beach house that charges 1000 yen for parking, but until 5pm, unlimited use of the bathroom, changing room, and water spout for rinsing. I think they also sell refreshments too.
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