Kawabata's Snow Country

Snow Country (Yukiguni in Japanese) can refer to any place that gets high quantities of snow, but it has become associated with this area of Japan thanks in part to the novel of that name by Yasunari Kawabata finished in 1948 (though a work in progress for much longer.) He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968 (the first Japanese writer to receive the prize) and his Snow Country novel played a large part in that.

The novel itself is about a stark love affair between a Tokyo-ite and an onsen town geisha set against the bleak backdrop of a Niigata winter. There is a good English translation available for those interested in the story which is full of understated feeling and symbolism.

The novel begins with the train coming out of the Shimizu tunnel, the long tunnel under the mountains that connects Niigata to the Kanto Plains. It emerges into a different world blanketed in snow, and this is an experience that is not uncommon to modern travellers. It is still possible to come by that train but most visitors now arrive by shinkansen, though it is a similar experience. It is not uncommon to see no snow at all as you head up from Tokyo but after passing under the mountains you emerge into Snow Country and the change in scenery is surprising.

Kawabata spent time in Yuzawa writing the book and is familiar with the area. He stayed at Takahan Ryokan, a traditional inn set on a hill at the far end of Yuzawa that conducts great views down the valley. It has been remodelled since his day but they have kept his room and also have a small museum dedicated to the book and resulting films.

The museum is open to non-guests and offers some great period photographs and details about the author. While you are there you should take an onsen too as the source of the spring is right underneath the ryokan giving it some of the best water in the whole area.

The book is an interesting read and gives some insight into what life was like living in such a snowy area before many of our modern conveniences, as well as interesting information about the culture of the day. If you are in Yuzawa itself, the ground floor of the Yukigunikan also has a mock up of the room and some belongings of Kawabata, who committed suicide in 1972. Also as you come into Echigo Yuzawa Station you will see the main female character in the book, the onsen town geisha Komako, represented by the West Exit. The character was based on an actual geisha.