Urasa "Naked Man" Festival - March 3rd

Occasionally Japan throws up those moments that are completely out there and the Naked Man Festival is certainly one of those.

Walking up from the station you would be forgiven for thinking that this is just another town winter matsuri, with food stalls lining the roads. But the closer you get to the Bishamon Temple, the stranger things get. The chanting gets louder, there are processions of men wearing little more than loincloths ( there is snow on the ground!) being escorted by similarly dressed men with giant candles and everyone seems to be drunk.

The loincloth-clad celebrants jump into a pool of icy water for purification, then dash into the main hall of the temple to join the throng of other half naked men to try to force their way into a small opening in the inner temple to obtain a blessing. The mob in the main hall are a steaming pile of bodies and it is quite a sight.

It is pretty out there as a festival and is a great night out. There is a real festival atmosphere and there is lots going on in and around the temple. Even if you don't fully know what is going on, you can't help but be blown away by this celebration that has an incredibly long history. The temple itself is a pretty amazing building and definitely worth a visit at another time.

Otodama Snow Studio @ Kandatsu Kogen

Kandatsu Kogen is a resort on the way out of Yuzawa that is probably best known for its good terrain park which attracts a young crowd. It also has a big base building with an onsen and a huge event space. It has been the location for some great parties and is being put to good use on the weekends this winter as the home of the Otodama Snow Studio.

Accustomed to running a similar blend of events in the summer, they have moved out to the snow this year. The idea is you can go hard all day and then continue on into the night with live acts, great music and a big crowd of other party goers. There's food and onsen to add to the mix to make for an awesome weekend out in the mountains. There is a full line up of interesting acts and some big names among them.

Get in amongst it.

Snow Country Wildlife

There are plenty of animals skulking around Snow Country and it is not uncommon to stumble across them when you are skiing. Rabbits, deer and monkeys frequently make appearances during winter and bears & boars can be sighted from time to time too.

Takaragawa Onsen have some Japanese bears at the onsen if you want to check them out. Monkeys are a pretty common sight, most often by the side of the road watching the skiers drive by. They also have quite a reputation for being mischievous.

Over at the Tanigawadake Ropeway website they have a picture of a kamoshika - one of the Japanese breeds of mountain deer. There are plenty of them over that way and they can often been seen as you ride the ropeway up to Tenjindaira ski field. You may well startle one as you explore the backcountry up that way.

Minami Uonuma Liner

We always have an eye out on ways of getting to Snow Country that are quick, easy and affordable. Local trains and bullet trains run daily to and from Snow Country but another option are the buses. There are highway buses that run from the Tokyo area to different Expressway Interchanges and there are also some buses that serve hotels or specific resorts.

The Minami Uonuma Liner is a great option if you are coming to the area as it stops at Ishiuchi, Maiko and Joetsu Kokusai. All three are great ski areas or good jumping off points if you are trying to go somewhere else.

It's a great price. A return trip is 4,800 yen or a one way is just 2,400 yen. It takes just over three and a half hours to get up to Snow Country, with the bus leaving from Shinjuku and taking a rest stop on the way up.

For those on a budget this is an awesome option.

School Holidays in Snow Country

School holidays, half terms and mid-term breaks are all fast approaching. It is a great opportunity to get out as a family and enjoy the outdoors. Hitting the snow is a great idea - fresh mountain air, exercise and a break from the norm. The kids get to evening time and they have spent so much energy that they are exhausted. Days are spent experiencing the beauty and the fun of the natural environment.

Skiing and snowboarding are great options as everyone in the family can have a great time at their own level. Or there are plenty of other activities from snowmobiling, snow shoeing, sledging, cross country skiing or airboarding. Festivals and onsens also abound. It is a great time for the whole family.

What are you waiting for? Let the little monkeys off the leash and let the fun begin.

Snow Country Literary Walk

The novel Snow Country was set in Yuzawa town and the author, Yasunari Kawabata spent time in the town while he was writing. Influences for the novel are all around if you know where to look, and to help you out there is a handy leaflet to guide you round the main sites of interest.

The leaflet and map can normally be found in the Information Center just outside the West Exit of Echigo-Yuzawa station and there is even the guide map for the walking route located on a billboard just outside. The walk doesn't take too long and there are plenty of points of interest along the way that are carefully explained in the leaflet.

Yuzawa Town History Museum, Takizawa Koen Park, Takahan and Suwa Shrine are all stops on the walk. The leaflet on its own is an interesting read, with bits of history and culture scattered through its pages but for the full experience, the walk is highly recommended, especially if you are reading/have read the book.

Tsunan - One of the snowiest places in Japan

It was on the news last night that Tsunan is currently one of the snowiest places in Japan this winter. We've rolled into February in the middle of a period of heavy snowfall that is keeping everybody busy. It is an exceptional year and rivaling the winter of 5 years ago when Tsunan was also among the snowiest places in Japan. That year the Self Defence Forces were out in force to help with the snow clearing effort and students had to be airlifted from their homes to get to their college entrance exams.

To get an idea of how much snow is actually falling in Snow Country you can keep an eye on the Tsunan Town website where they have table with the snowfall for the year. It makes interesting reading. The data is for two locations in the area and the columns, left to right are
Temperature at 9am
Amount of snowfall for the day in cms
Total amount of snow built up at the location at 9am
Last year's total build up on that date.

From 26th to 31st January over 3 meters fell with an amazing 112 cms falling on 28th alone.

Snow Country is living up to its name. The silver lining though is that will be plenty of snow for the snow sculptures for neighboring Tokamachi's Snow Festival in the middle of this month.