Years ago, I visited Sapporo for the snow festival with my brothers, which was a great experience, except for one small distraction. Some of the sculpture builders were JSDF, and we took a picture with him, heh. To this day, when people see that picture in my office, they give me a quizzical look and ask, "...uh... is he a relative?" Sure, it's a random act to take a picture with a stranger, especially a soldier, but to me the idea of a Japanese soldier was somewhat novel at the time.
I also visited the
Historical Village of Hokkaido. I am not sure if you've ever been (locals the world over tend to overlook their own tourist attractions), but it was an amazing experience. It's essentially the Japanese version of colonial Williamsburg, with locals dressed up in garb appropriate for the time, brewing hot sake from rice that you can try (delicious, especially on a cold winter day), and seeing the architecture of the day.
I probably should have posted this in your Hokkaido thread, oh well.