Tokyo to Sapporo - Episode 3 "The Snow"

There were some issues getting past the gate in Hakodate. Nobody told me I was supposed to insert all 3 tickets, so I almost didn't make it to the train. This Hokuto train has a diesel engine and go as fast as 81 mph but only averages 50 mph. Hakodate is the southernmost tip of Hokkaido and serves as its entry point to Hokkaido by train. Initially, the seaside shoreline can be seen, followed by ships and factories. Another incident was upon reaching Sapporo, I could not exit without swiping my Suica card which was then blocked. This might be because using your Suicas for parts of some journeys and JR Passes for parts of others. If you didn't tap out properly at the end of the journey, your card will stop working until you take it to a ticket office for the staff to fix.