The Story of How a "Stationery Store Traveling Japan" Rushed Through Hokkaido

"I'll spend next summer cooling off in Hokkaido."

It was in 2022, last year, that I made such a ridiculous yet earnest vow.
Because the building my shop is in is old, it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
Even if I wanted to install an air conditioner, the place to put the outdoor unit is too far away, causing various problems, and it has come to the point where installation is impossible.

If that's the case, I might as well do business in a cool place.
Like Tora-san, the wandering peddler my mother loved, following the wind and my own whims.
Why shouldn't a stationery store live a "nomadic" life, spending time in comfortable places? It is the 21st century, after all...

Delusions like that, which seem like they were cooked up by the heat, can be realized if you take a year.
August 2022.
I built a mobile sales vehicle and actually took on the challenge of being a "traveling stationery store" in three locations in Hokkaido over the course of a little less than two weeks.
I would like to share that record with everyone this time.
Feel free to view it as a travel diary.
Feel free to use it as a cautionary tale for those who want to try mobile sales.
I hope you enjoy this record of a stationery store's challenge and its culinary journey.

Day 1: Wednesday, August 2nd - Boarding the Ferry

The first day... although, the main part of this trip is Hokkaido.
I chose to travel from my physical shop in Osaka to Hokkaido using the "Shin Nihonkai Ferry."
There is a port in a place called "Maizuru," located far north of Kyoto, and from there, it takes "21 hours" of sailing to arrive at the destination, "Otaru Port" in Hokkaido.

Actually, this ferry route is quite familiar to motorcycle riders in the Kansai region.
I myself have experienced motorcycle touring in Hokkaido twice, and this is my third time using the ferry.
Although it differs in that I am using a car instead of a motorcycle, I adopted it because it was a route I could easily visualize.

That said, access from Osaka, which is closer to the Seto Inland Sea, to Maizuru Port is a journey of nearly 100 km and takes a fair amount of time.
The ferry's departure time is very late at 11:30 PM, but since the actual assembly time is several hours before that, early action is required. Basically, I finished packing my luggage the day before, limited myself to picking up forgotten items on the day of, and left the shop by car around 7:00 PM.

On the way, I encountered a fawn on a mountain road (incidentally, I didn't encounter any deer in Hokkaido), and despite incurring extra costs because I couldn't avoid the Google Maps navigation stubbornly suggesting toll roads, I arrived safely in Maizuru.
Immediately after boarding the ferry, I headed to the bath and decided to go to sleep in a 2nd-class berth (dormitory style).

Day 2: Thursday, August 3rd - Just the Ferry and Landing in Otaru

I woke up on the ferry around 8:00 AM.
However, even if you wake up on a ferry, I personally think it's better to go back to sleep if you can.
After all, there is nothing to do on a ferry.
Even if you try to surf the internet, the communication lines themselves don't reach when you are out on the open sea away from land.

Specifically, when sailing around this part of the Sea of Japan, the signal won't react at all.
What you can rely on is the food, books, games, and movies or music you downloaded before boarding.

Even though it's my third time on the ferry, boredom is boredom.
For the time being, I ended up spending time blankly while trying to take a bath again or turning on my Nintendo Switch.

That said, this digital detox time on the ferry might be considered precious time for modern people who are constantly exposed to information.
No, it's better to think that way to spend time healthily.
In this state, I continued to spend time until around 8:00 PM while gazing at the sea visible from the window.

As the arrival at port approached, an announcement was made, and I returned to my car to wait.
Just as I once was, there were many people boarding with motorcycles.
While nostalgically watching them disembark, I finally set foot on the land of Hokkaido.

However, since it is close to 9:00 PM by the time I disembarked, the places to go eat are limited.
Since Hokkaido means Seicomart, I decided to buy a simple meal and quietly head to my accommodation.

The inn I arrived at was "Wa no Kaze."
There is a guesthouse above an old-fashioned public bath, and I ended up staying in a form where I was mixed in with students from the Inter-High School Championships.

The atmosphere of the room was very nice, and inside there was an old-fashioned massage chair and even a bath set that I could take directly to the public bath downstairs.

Personally, the "Wa no Kaze" sticker on the air conditioner was my favorite part.
Thinking about such trivial things, I decided to go to sleep to prepare for the next day.

Day 3: Friday, August 4th - Travel Day from Otaru to Hakodate

Now for the third day.
It is finally time to start moving through the land of Hokkaido in earnest.
My destination is Hakodate, which is also the southern gateway to Hokkaido.
Since I have scheduled two days of sales from my mobile shop starting the next day, I must arrive there reliably without any trouble.

That said, Hokkaido is vast.
There is a distance of nearly 230 km from Otaru to Hakodate.
In order to keep costs as low as possible, I am planning to travel on local roads while allowing plenty of time, so a reliable route is necessary.

However, if I only traveled the direct route, I wouldn't be able to fully enjoy Hokkaido at all.
If I take a slight detour west from Otaru and head to the Shakotan Peninsula, there are tons of shops serving sea urchin bowls topped with delicious sea urchin, so I couldn't help but make the trip (a detour of about 70 km).
Moreover, since the "Ezo Bafun Sea Urchin Bowl" that had sold out when I stopped by last time was still available, I decided to take the plunge.
(From this point on, I abandoned any compromise on food and began to pursue delicious Hokkaido ingredients.)

I drove along the coastal road and arrived in Hakodate with time to spare by the evening.
I also greeted the staff at MUJI Siesta Hakodate, where I would be holding the pop-up event, and confirmed the location for the next day's shop.

From the event venue, I could see the streetcar station and a crosswalk, and that is where I found an interesting sign.

Yes. The "Golden Kamuy Exhibition" was being held right there.
Since I had time to spare, I had no choice but to stop by.

At the event venue, I happened to find a long towel with the scarf pattern that is the symbol of the protagonist Sugimoto, and I decided to buy it as a companion for the event.
It wasn't quite as arduous as the journey in Golden Kamuy, but I chose it with the wish that I could run through this trip like an immortal.
I tearfully gave up on the Shiraishi medal from a practical standpoint.

And in the evening, I enjoyed the scenery and food of Hakodate under the guidance of a former boss who works locally.
Looking back, it was truly a journey of repeating eating and moving.

Days 4-5: 8/5 (Sat) - 8/6 (Sun) - Shop open in front of MUJI Siesta Hakodate

Now, just when you might think this would end as a report on a trip of eating until you drop, the mobile sales finally started on the fourth day.
Actually, this pop-up in a mobile sales vehicle has "weekend business" as its main draw for attracting customers, but realizing that the question of what to do on weekdays becomes a major problem in terms of stay expenses was one of the issues I was made to realize in the vast, distant land of Hokkaido.

Since Hakodate can also be visited from Tokyo by Shinkansen, it was a very interesting location where tourists from Tokyo would also stop by out of curiosity.

Also, it was my first experience operating while streetcars were running right in front of me.
I was able to experience the scenery unique to a mobile sales vehicle that can turn anywhere into a shop.
The fact that small items like 330-yen accessory cases and 385-yen original ballpoint pens sold well showed that many customers stopped by after seeing the shop locally, even if they hadn't seen it on social media.

However, here the biggest problem with the mobile sales vehicle was quickly brought to light.

"Even if you go to Hokkaido, summer was hot."

This was an exquisite rolled omelet made by an eighty-year-old mother at a robatayaki restaurant that my former boss took me to for two consecutive days, but a record-breaking heat wave was hitting Hokkaido, with that very mother saying, "This year is the hottest in eighty years."A few days later, Hakodate actually recorded a record-breaking heat wave.It was a summer that recorded the hottest day not just in 80 years, but in the past 151 years.

Really, no matter where you go, summer in Japan is hot. I want to tell anyone who is thinking of starting a mobile business in search of a summer resort that there is no escape.

Of course, as a countermeasure, I brought the latest portable cooler, but in a mobile sales vehicle with the doors wide open during the day, it was literally "a drop in the bucket."
Despite devouring the electricity from the portable power supply, it was difficult to cool things down even locally.

As a result, it became a painful battle of continuing to sweat while being provided with plenty of hydration during the mobile sales.
I'm sure next summer will be hot too, so I hope those who aspire to mobile sales will use this as a reference.

That said, the sales from the mobile shop itself were better than I had imagined.
To everyone who stopped by in the heat, thank you very much.
However, it doesn't end with "happily ever after..."
I have to open a shop in Asahikawa and Sapporo the following weekend.

I ended up preparing for my next destination while eating sushi under the tower that soars over "Goryokaku," which appears in the climax of Golden Kamuy.

Days 6-7: 8/7 (Mon) - 8/8 (Tue) Hakodate → Hachinohe → Tomakomai

So, the morning after finishing mobile sales in Hakodate.
I woke up at 5:00 AM and lined up my car at the Hakodate ferry terminal.
My next destination, Asahikawa, is of course north of Hakodate.
Despite that, I was about to board a ferry heading south.

The reason is that when I decided to go to Hokkaido, I thought I might as well go visit an acquaintance in Aomori.
Yes, I was such a fool who thought you could drive through the Seikan Tunnel, so I planned the route without thinking anything through.

As a result, once I learned that you can only get to Honshu from Hokkaido by ferry, I decided to solve the problem by accessing my acquaintance in Hachinohe via the route shown in the diagram above.

First, I moved from Hakodate Port to Aomori Port on a morning ferry.
After that, I traveled by land to Hachinohe City and stayed there for one night. I spent the day in Hachinohe until nightfall, and then took a late-night ferry—not a bus—from Hachinohe to Tomakomai. By doing this, I was able to shorten the distance to Asahikawa while saving money on both hotel and ferry costs.

That's how I ended up at Hakodate Port in the morning, switching my mobile sales vehicle to office mode and doing a little work.

To create more space as a mobile sales vehicle, I had the driver's seat modified with camper parts so it could rotate; being able to use it like an office in this way is one of the features I came up with.
It's possible to clear through email work using pocket Wi-Fi internet in the time before departure.

Furthermore, the solar panel attached to the roof carrier, while difficult to use for powering a portable cooler, provided enough charge for my computer and smartphone.

Being able to store the generated electricity in this portable power station and live on the road without ever worrying about power is one of the factors that supported this challenge.

If I were to mention one more piece of travel equipment that was useful, it would be this mobile mattress.
On ferries and at cheap inns, there are many cases where the mattress provided doesn't suit my body.
I originally bought this mattress for sleeping in the car, but keeping it loaded in the vehicle was a big help in ensuring the quality of sleep needed to recover my strength every day.

Now, back to the story, I boarded the ferry and headed to Aomori.

Here too, I was able to enjoy delicious food and sightseeing thanks to the guidance of a local acquaintance.

And then, I boarded a ferry for the third time already, heading back to Tomakomai.

Days 8-9: 8/9 (Wed) - 8/10 (Thu) Heading North to Asahikawa

I was woken up by an announcement on the ferry heading to Tomakomai at 5:00 AM.
The reason was clear: the ship would arrive at the port at 6:00 AM, and passengers had to disembark with their vehicles.

That said, even if I disembarked at 6:00 AM, I wasn't in such a rush that I needed to drive off immediately.
My plan to enjoy delicious seafood at a famous restaurant open from the morning... was too optimistic, as the Marutoma Shokudo, crowded during the Obon season, had a line of over two hours.

Still, I didn't give up and properly ate the famous Hokki curry for breakfast to settle my stomach.

Now, from here to Asahikawa is about 230 km.
I decided to take two nights on the way to Asahikawa and arrive on the day.
The reason being, Asahikawa.
Business hotels were skyrocketing to over 18,000 yen per night, so there was no way I was in the mood (financially) to go to the zoo and take it easy.

On the way, I enjoyed working from anywhere while looking out at Lake Shikotsu.

In Furano, there is certainly no shortage of food, as I enjoyed Jingisukan and melons.

Also, once you drive this far, the "simply straight roads" that bikers love in Hokkaido appear one after another.

In Biei, I was able to be genuinely moved by the beauty of Hokkaido, focusing on classic spots like the Ken & Mary Tree and the Seven Stars Tree.

Tokachidake Onsen Ryounkaku offered a spectacular view that made the long mountain drive worth it, a hot spring with wonderful water quality (it was lukewarm, which is great for long soaks), and I was finally able to catch a glimpse of a fox along the way.

I returned to Biei to watch the sunset, thinking the day would end peacefully... but then an incident occurred.
While driving in search of a sunset spot, I discovered a car that had veered off the road and was stuck.
Since a hand was reaching out from the driver's seat, I hurriedly got out of the car and rushed over.
Fortunately, the driver was unharmed, which was a relief, but it also made me realize once again that I need to drive safely.

I also tried the Hokkaido specialty, Zangi, here.
And, since hotels in Asahikawa were expensive, I stayed in nearby Biei, where I received a baptism typical of Hokkaido: "a room with only a fan."

I had heard that because Hokkaido has been cool until now, many places don't have air conditioning, but with the temperature rising this much, it's tough at night.
If anyone reading this is planning to travel to Hokkaido next summer, please don't forget to check if your room has air conditioning.

Day 10: 8/11 (Fri) Mobile Sales in Asahikawa

Well, it's finally the tenth day of mobile sales life.
That said, most of it is travel and sightseeing, so this is only the third day of actual mobile sales, and I've started to realize that balancing the number of business days with the number of days spent in one place will be a future challenge.

I set up shop in the parking lot of MUJI Asahikawa Hanasaki, and since there was more space than in Hakodate, I was able to deploy the side awning this time.
By blocking the sunlight, I was able to create a sales environment that felt a little cooler for both the customers and myself.

The product display had already developed a pattern through conversations with customers, but unlike Hakodate, Asahikawa had many local customers, and it was very interesting that the products they purchased were slightly different.

Some customers who came after seeing my social media even brought me rock ice as a gift, haha.
Thanks to the frozen drinks I received, I managed to survive.
Customers who visited after seeing X (formerly Twitter) and those who had previously used our online store also came by, and I was able to gradually realize the possibilities of itinerant trade unique to this era.

And in Asahikawa, I had ramen at "Hachiya".
This unique flavor makes me want to come back to Asahikawa again.

Days 11-13: 8/12 (Sat) - 8/14 (Mon) From Sapporo Sales to Escaping Hokkaido

The day after sales in Asahikawa, the trip finally reached its final destination: "Sapporo."
I took local roads for about three hours, arrived in the early afternoon, parked the car at the hotel's affiliated parking lot, and did some sightseeing for a while.

I saw the scenery typical of Susukino,

I looked at the Clock Tower, which is hard to find no matter how many times I go, and spent the night drinking with an acquaintance and enjoying Sapporo.

And finally, the sales event in Sapporo.
As expected, it is difficult to sell from a car in an urban area, so I held a pop-up inside the MUJI Sapporo Parco store.

I am grateful that many customers came from the opening time.
Since it wasn't a car-based sale, it was interesting that most of the customers were those who knew about our shop through social media or the online store and came specifically for it.
I think the existence of a mobile sales vehicle means that the store itself functions as a means of "communication."
I was keenly reminded again through this in-store sale of the fun of starting a conversation with comments like, "It must be hard in this heat," or "Where did you come from?"

However, Sapporo was definitely the "coolest" place I sold in Hokkaido (air conditioning is the best).

Sapporo was where our most niche items sold, but as a result, it was very interesting that sales didn't actually vary much between urban areas and other locations.
In that sense, a mobile sales vehicle might be able to expect consistent sales anywhere.
I would like to continue verifying this in future mobile sales in places like Tokyo and Kyushu.

Well, the moment our pop-up at MUJI Sapporo Parco ended, we immediately started moving toward Otaru, which was 30 minutes away.
I considered staying at a hotel, but since the ferry departure was late at night, I could easily make it even after setting up and packing up, so I chose to head back that day to save money.

I ate sushi until the very last moment,

and since I didn't have the energy to join the battle for the bath on the ferry, I got everything ready at a nearby bathing facility.

We headed back on the ferry, spending another 21 hours traveling from Hokkaido to the Kansai region.
It was a bit shaky due to the influence of Typhoon No. 7 that had just formed, but considering that the next day's ferry was delayed and the following day's ferry was canceled, I think we just barely made it.

Four actual business days.
The 13-day journey involving mobile sales at three locations has now come to a close.

The journey continues on and on.

So, how was this 7,000-character journey of mobile sales in Hokkaido?
If you thought it was mostly food porn,
you have the qualifications to do mobile sales while eating delicious food in Hokkaido next year.

However, the challenge of the "Stationery Store Traveling Japan" does not end here.
On Saturday, August 26th, and Sunday, August 27th, we are actually coming to Tokyo!

"Light and Draw," a stationery store you can walk to from Shinjuku Station, is a shop with an incredibly sharp selection, so I'm sure those who like our shop will be captivated.

Everyone in the Kanto region, please come by.
I would be happy if you came to meet the Docket Store's mobile sales vehicle!

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