For Japanese people living on Honshu and the northern islands, snow is a very familiar seasonal feature.
However, there are many overseas visitors who have never seen snow before, and even a light dusting of snowflakes makes them very happy, saying “I’ve seen snow for the first time!”
Today, I’m going to talk about snow.
Japan is One of the World’s Leading Snowy Countries
Japan is relatively located in the south in terms of latitude, but it is one of the countries in the world with a large amount of snowfall.
It is surprising to learn that the latitude of Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture, a large city with a lot of snow, is further south than Athens in Greece and San Francisco in the United States.
It seems that the conditions for snowfall are in place due to geographical factors such as the cold seasonal winds that blow from the Eurasian continent during the winter, the Sea of Japan, which provides the water vapor that is the source of snow, and the high mountain ranges.
In particular, the area centered on the Sea of Japan coast from Gifu Prefecture northwards, including the northern Kanto region where we live, has a lot of snowfall, and the wisdom of living well with snow has been passed down as a culture.
When and Where Can You See Snow?
Even though Japan is a country that gets a lot of snow, there are not many opportunities to see it in the three major metropolitan areas (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Aichi, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo) and surrounding areas, which are visited by 72% of overseas visitors, even in winter.
The areas with the best chance of seeing snow are those north of Ishikawa Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side, northern Nagano Prefecture, and northern Gunma and Tochigi Prefectures.
The season is from the end of December to the end of February.
How to Enjoy Snow
If you travel to snowy regions around Japan, you can enjoy the culture and food that are unique to that area.
Living wisdom and lifestyle for getting along well with snow
In areas where there is a lot of snow, the wisdom of living to get through the winter has become a part of the culture.
Snow-hanging and snow-covering
Snow-jamging to hold branches with ropes and snow-enclosing to cover with straws are methods used to prevent tree branches from breaking or being damaged by the accumulation of snow.
They are famous as a seasonal feature of winter in places such as Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
Steep thatched roof house
In places such as Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, you can see steep thatched roof houses.
This type of construction has a steeply pitched roof to prevent the weight of the snow from crushing the house, allowing the snow to fall off naturally.
Winter Preserves
They are products for getting through the long winter when the snow closes in, which include pickled Nozawana (a type of green vegetable) from the northern part of Nagano Prefecture and frozen Tofu, which is also produced in Nagano and is the largest producer in Japan.
There are also many traditional preserved foods that make use of the cold that remain in areas with deep snow.
Getting to know the snow with a nature guide
In the area where I live, there are snowshoe tours and backcountry skiing tours that take you to wetlands where you can admire the precious moss, which is a natural monument and is closed during the snowy season.
Although there are many Japanese-language web pages, it may be difficult to find a bilingual nature guide whom you can enjoy the snow with.
If you let us know the area, the schedule, and what you would like to experience, we will help you find a guide, so please feel free to contact us.
Skiing and snowboarding
There are also many ski resorts in Gunma Prefecture, where I live.
Japanese ski resorts are highly regarded for their snowfall and dry, light snow quality, and ski and snowboard enthusiasts from all over the world are flocking to ski resorts in Japan.
In particular, the Niseko area in Hokkaido and the Hakuba/Nozawa Onsen area in Nagano Prefecture are popular with foreigners.
Backcountry skiing is also becoming popular these days, but there have also been a number of accidents leading to fatalities, so be sure to hire a professional nature guide who knows the area well before you go.
Snow events
There are also many events throughout Japan where you can enjoy the snow.
The most famous and largest is the Snow Festival in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
The Kamakura in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, and the Zao Juhyo Festival in Yamagata Prefecture are also popular.
Winters in Japan, especially in the snowy regions we have introduced today, are very cold.
However, you can experience an emotion that will overcome that cold.
By all means, please come to Japan to see the snow.
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