Spring in Snow Country

Spring is traditionally a time of celebration in Snow Country - another long, hard winter survived and everything starts to renew. The snow melts and as soon as the fields are clear the next rice crop can go in. The green starts to return to return to the valleys after months of white.

There is still some skiing around. With a snow base of several meters it takes a while for it to all melt and the higher resorts will aim to stay open until the Golden Week holidays in early May - GALA Yuzawa, Kagura and Tenjindaira all intend to make the most of the snow and stay open for a while yet.

If you are looking for a break from the snow the outdoor adventure companies are all gearing up for a long summer of thrills and spills with Minakami being one of the best place in Japan for a dose of adrenalin with rafting, canyoning, bungy jumping, canoeing, mountain biking and paragliding all on offer from late April. If you are looking for a fun Golden Week then there are days of activities to be had.

Also as the snow melts mountain vegetables start to pop up and these are highly regarded as a seasonal delicacy. Local ryokan and restaurants will have these on the menu and should definitely be tried if you are here during spring.

Other things too come to light after months under several meters of snow...