Tsunan Snow Festival 2013 - March 2

We seem to be on a bit of a roll with snow festival dates at the moment so just to make sure nowhere gets left out, here's the save the date for the Tsunan Snow Festival - March 2nd

Live music, treasure hunts, food and drink, igloos, snowmobiles and other winter-themed goodies. The really cool thing at the Tsunan Festival is the sky lanterns. These clever contraptions lift themselves up with their own hot air and hundreds of them illuminate the night sky. It is an amazing sight and one that you will not forget in a hurry.

Tsunan is constantly up there as one of the snowiest places in Japan so a trip here can be an eye-opening experience.

Yuzawa Onsen Snow Festival - March 2nd

Here's a date for the diary - Saturday March 2nd. It seems a long way off but will be here before you know it. It is the date for the 61st Yuzawa Onsen Snow Festival which is always a great event.

The main activities take place around Yuzawa Kogen and Nunoba Ski Fields, with fireworks, candle displays, snow sculptures and a torchlight descent. There is also a whole street of food stalls where you can get some nice warming drinks and snacks - dried fish in hot sake anyone? Last year there was a clash between the Yuzawa Snow Festival and the Naked Man Festival in Urasa so the food stall were a bit few and far between. This year though the Naked Man Festival is on the Sunday so there should be plenty of eats. If you are here for the weekend it would be a good double-header of festivals.

Tokamachi Snow Festival 2013 - 15-17 Feb

Another "Save the Date" post so you don't miss out on the best of Snow Country this winter. One of Japan's most impressive snow festivals takes place in Tokamachi every year and it is certainly worth seeing.

There is masses going on all weekend so you'll want to check out the event schedule a little closer to the time to make sure you are in the right place. There are snow carvings, a carnival, fireworks and loads of other events in and around the town.

There are some amazing sights and you really need to see some of the creations in person to fully appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into them. Check out some of these images to whet your appetite.

Tokamachi Snow Festival

Candle Live 13 - January 19th

One of Yuzawa's best loved winter events is just around the corner.

A festival of light and sound, the center of Yuzawa is lit up by over 10,000 candles. It is an amazing sight with points of light shining in the snow. It kicks off around 1800 on Saturday January 19th and will be in the Chuo Park again this year just by the Culture Center.

There will be food, live music and it always draws plenty of visitors. Wrap up warm and enjoy the show.

A Snowy Start to 2013

One of the favorite pastimes of snow-lovers is making predictions about what each winter will bring. There are many methods of forecasting but a wait-and-see approach is our one of choice.

So far it has been a good season for skiers and boarders and conditions right now are fantastic. We had early snow in December which allowed the resorts to put down a good base and open on schedule, and since then there have been regular top-ups of snow. Most of these have been followed by a few days of blue skies and some pink, sunburned faces have been spotted around town.

We are just coming to the end of a 3 day storm that has dumped masses of snow on Snow Country with over a meter falling in the past few days. Some of the off-piste runs have been almost too deep to ski. According to the forecast we have a couple of days to clear away the built up snow before another big snowfall is expected to arrive mid-week.

It is a great time to hit the slopes. The New Year holiday crowds have thinned and conditions right now are first rate. Time to enjoy the snow in Snow Country and see why it has earned that name.

Bridegroom Tossing - Jan 15th

Winter has a whole host of festivals and the first ones to come to mind are the snow festivals that dot the calendar here in Snow Country. However there are plenty more around and many of them are a little more obscure. It might have something to do with being cooped up in your home trying to deal with mountains of snow.

Matsunoyama Onsen certainly has one of the more "out there" winter celebrations. Any male resident of the village who was married in the previous year is thrown down a snow bank!

As if marriage wasn't tough enough already...

This takes place at about 2pm. Straight after that people get the ash from the bonfire, mix it with a little snow, and go around painting each other faces with it, chanting "Congratulation".

It is quite a sight, and a great time is had by all. Head up there for a very interesting day.

10 Great Reasons to Go Skiing in Japan

We've mentioned JapanTourist before - articles and photo stories about life and places in Japan, written by people who live here. For those of you who are weighing up a winter trip to Japan, here are 10 reasons to stop delaying and get over here.

You don't just have to take our word for it. Snow, onsen, backcountry and food all get a mention, and also friendliness/customer service. It is just a great all-round experience, and no matter what you are looking for, there is bound to be an area or resort that caters to your wishes as there are so many of them.

Full article. And there are plenty of other pieces related to Snow Country if you are interested.