One thing I would change about Shikaoi

I had a short conversation with Kevin on our way back from lunch today that kind of relates to my trip to Sapporo this weekend. I was lamenting the fact that Shikaoi didn't have a train station. It use too; a long time ago but maybe 40 years ago it was dismantled. I haven't gotten to the bottom of why exactly it was dismantled but it has added an extra layer of difficulty getting out of Shikaoi. Not that I want to get out of Shikaoi, but sometimes the act of escape itself is rather cathartic. As it stands now, if I want to use the train I have to drive to the next city to the West, Shintoku. The convenience of Shintoku itself would only be eclipsed by the convenience of Shikaoi having its own train station. Shikaoi is separated from Shintoku by a twenty minute drive and one left turn. Parking is free (big plus) and the lot is safe overnight (hey, this is Japan). I try to take the train as much as possible here. It's many times more convenient than planes, in my opinion, because you can show up right before and just hop on. Trains here are plentiful and punctual and all round a great experience. On some of the smaller local lines, English becomes less and less prominent, which can become a problem. If one is an adventurous traveler I don't see it as a problem. Main lines and bullet trains are very modern, and while English can be sketchy at time, it should never be a problem to get where you want to go. I like the ability here to jump on a train in flat, slow, green, Tokachi, and step off a mere two hours later in a metropolis with big lights, tall buildings and lots of taxis. The ability to do this from Edmonton or Calgary is limited; the hoops one has to jump through to get, say, to Vancouver or Montreal for the weekend are many: both large and expensive. Whenever I take the train, I try, if possible, to travel while it's still light out so I can watch the sights wizz by. Something I never seem to get tired of doing. I had meant to make this a humorous post but I guess I used all my material up on my students.