A snow country (雪国 yukiguni) is an area in Japan that experiences high snowfall for extended periods. Most of these areas are in the western part of Honshū (本州)—the biggest island in Japan where the western front faces the Sea of Japan (日本海) and the eastern front faces the Pacific Ocean—and it includes prefectures and areas in northern Japan and southwards from there.
Snow countries are much snowier compared to other regions in Japan because of their geographical locations, mountainous terrains, and weather conditions. Seawater from the Sea of Japan evaporates to form moisture-filled clouds which are then blown towards the western front of Honshū by the monsoon winds from Siberia.
Upon contact with the frigid mountain air, condensation occurs which results in massive snowfall on the land below. Because of this, snow countries such as areas in Niigata and Yamagata often experience cold and wet weather compared to areas facing the Pacific Ocean, which experience relatively warmer and drier days.
Snow countries thus regularly experience record snowfall each year, and the Tohoku Region is home to some of the honours. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Aomori Prefecture recorded a snow depth of 5.66m on 26 February 2013 in the Hakkōda Mountains (八甲田山系). Some rural and mountainous areas may experience snowfall even higher than that; for example, JR Morimiyanohara Station (JR森宮野原駅), a station that Joyful Train Oykot passes through, recorded snowfall of 7.85m in 1945, making it the highest snowfall at a JR station.
An event of Olympic proportion
High snowfall is often seen as a bane, especially for people living in snow countries. However, sometimes it can be a boon, as in the case of Nagano. The prefecture hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998, which brought international attention to the region. The Olympic games also spurred major developments in the region: the construction of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線) from Tokyo to Nagano (formerly known as Nagano Shinkansen) was completed in 1997 to usher in the games, new highways were built, and roads were improved.
Snowy literature
Yuzawa (湯沢), a town that gained immense popularity for being the epicentre of Niigata Prefecture’s skiing resorts and winter activities, served as the setting for “Snow Country” (雪国 Yukiguni), a Japanese novel by Kawabata Yasunari (川端康成) that is widely regarded as a classic work of Japanese literature. It won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, and to this day his work is still widely read. One interesting feature in the novel involves a tunnel that the protagonist used to travel between Niigata (Yuzawa) and Gunma, and Kawabata describes the transitory experience between the snow country in the west and the sunny land in the east, two contrasting worlds that serve as an important theme to the story.
Living with the snow
Seeing as how heavy snow will continue to fall indefinitely, the locals living in snow countries learn to adapt to the extreme weather conditions. Many households in these areas have thus made special arrangements to their homes to meet the challenges; for example, there are snowslide-style houses (落雪式住宅 rakusetsu-shiki jūtaku), which have been gaining popularity since 1965. They feature slanted roofs so that snow can slide off and not accumulate on them, and a three-level foundation.
Because of the high snowfall, the first floor can get completely buried in snow and sunlight will be blocked out. Because of this, the garage and storeroom—both of which are not usually frequented by households—are located on the first floor, which is made from hard concrete to withstand piling snow. Snow enclosures (雪囲い yuki-kakoi) are installed outside the windows on the first floor to prevent snow from caving in and breaking the windowpanes, and they are designed in such a way that they can be uninstalled during non-winter seasons.
The second and third floors are where the living room and other rooms are located, and a second door is even made on this level to provide access on days when the first floor is buried in snow. Snow tunnels have also been dug to connect neighbouring homes in some cases, and locals must always ensure to clear snow from their rooftops so that they don’t cave in when snow falls.
Yamagata’s under-snow vegetables
Perhaps unbeknownst to most people, snow plays a vital role in producing vegetables that can be done only in snow countries. Take Yamagata, for example. Because of heavy snowfall, the locals often do not have access to wholesale markets, especially during winter. As a result, they have to think of ways to preserve food for the long haul since running out of food was a real problem. They tried burying their vegetables under snow as a form of natural refrigeration, and this resulted in under-snow vegetables (雪下野菜 yuki-shita yasai).
Up until 1955, this method was used mostly for private use, where households resort to under-snow vegetables for days when they have food supply shortages. Root vegetables such as radishes and potatoes were commonly kept under the snow to retard spoilage but this resulted in vegetables that not only taste sweeter than the average ones but don’t smell as earthy as their regular counterparts. This was how under-snow vegetables came to be, and a prime example of how wisdom is gained from livelihood, and how it is passed down from generation to generation.
Under-snow vegetables are sweeter specifically because of the storage methods. As the vegetables are stored in specific conditions—0°C, humidity levels of 90% or more, completely dark environment—protein turns into amino acids, the starch breaks down into sugars, and amino acids are naturally produced. This process, along with the method of burying them under snow, prevents freezing and helps render them more delicious. As the vegetables stay buried under snow, they undergo ageing where the odour disappears, and the texture and fibre become softer. Produce grown using this method in Yamagata include apples, cabbages, Chinese cabbages, radishes, and turnips.
Traditional winter festivals galore
Hachinohe Enburi (八戸えんぶり)
People who live in snow countries intimately understand that there is always a risk of disruption to the food supply because of the weather. Historically, they would pray to the gods that their harvest would prevail despite the weather, and resorted to folk rituals in hopes that their prayers would be answered. For example, in the city of Hachinohe (八戸) in Aomori Prefecture—perhaps the snowiest prefecture in Japan—there is the Hachinohe Enburi.
Hachinohe Enburi is a local folk dance performance traditionally done to pray for a good rice harvest, and is designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The name comes from the farm tool called eburi (エブリ) which was once used to flatten the ground to prepare for rice planting. The dancers are called tayu (たゆ) and they wear brightly designed eboshi (烏帽子) caps that are unusually shaped like horses’ heads. The dance troupe dances to the rhythm of the chants sung in the background together with flutes and drums.
Namahage Sedo Festival (なまはげ柴灯まつり)
In the coastal peninsula of Oga (男鹿) in Akita Prefecture, the locals have their way of celebrating during the snowy winter season, and theirs is a frightening one. It is the Namahage Sedo Festival, which is designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property as well as the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2018. Traditionally celebrated to pray for a good rice harvest, this festival involves scary deities (or at least humans donned in scary deity outfits).
Their presence is a reminder for the locals to work hard to ensure there’s always a food supply, especially during the harsh winter, and the only way for people to appease and make them leave is to offer rice cakes (餅 mochi).
How to chase the namahage away? By giving them rice cakes. | ©Akita PrefectureThe Namahage Sedo Festival began in 1964, and it’s been celebrated ever since, taking place at Shinzan Shrine (真山神社). There are also Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum (男鹿真山伝承館) and Namahage Museum (なまはげ館) nearby so that visitors can learn more about the history and folklore of this surreal ritual.
Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum / Namahage Museum (男鹿真山伝承館・なまはげ館)
Address: Mizukuzawa, Kitaura Shinzan, Oga City, Akita Prefecture, 010-0685
Access: 25-minute shuttle bus ride from JR Oga Station (JR 男鹿駅)
Yokote Kamakura Festival (横手かまくら祭り)
Yokote (横手) is a city in Akita Prefecture that also experiences a lot of snow, and like Tōkamachi, the locals also have their own snow festival. Named Yokote Kamakura Festival (横手かまくら祭り), this event has a history that stretches more than 450 years ago. It is devoted to the Shinto water deity, and locals historically prayed to it to seek ample water for harvests.
Visitors can witness igloo-like snow houses called kamakura (かまくら) with a snow altar built for the deity inside all of them. Visitors can come inside the snow houses and be offered rice cakes and amazake (甘酒), a warm and sweet sake beverage. In return, they can pay respects to the deity at the altar.
Tokamachi Snow Festival (十日町雪まつり)
Tōkamachi (十日町) is located in the mountainous interior of Niigata Prefecture, so it experiences high snowfall for extended periods. Rather than simply being inconvenienced by it, they decided to organise the Tōkamachi Snow Festival and use all the snow to make snow sculptures.
Visitors can witness amazing snow structures such as snowmen shaped after popular anime characters, and even a giant snow stage. This festival is similar to the more popular Sapporo Snow Fest, but on a smaller scale. Although not as grand as the one in Sapporo, Tōkamachi Snow Festival is more intimate and welcoming (which means it’s less crowded too) since it’s based in a rural area.
Walking in a winter wonderland
Yuzawa: the heart of Niigata’s winter activities
Located in southwestern Niigata, Yuzawa (湯沢) is a town that is wedged between the Sea of Japan to the east and the Japanese Alps to the west, thereby experiencing some of the highest snowfalls annually in Japan. Thus, many ski resorts were set up in this town and over the years, people from all over the world flock here to experience a winter wonderland. The entire skiing area is stretched over two train stations along the Jōetsu Shinkansen (上越新幹線), Echigo-Yuzawa Station (越後湯沢駅) and GALA Yuzawa Station (ガーラ湯沢駅). Skiing is such a big deal in this region that Niigata and Nagano are respectively ranked #1 and #2 for having the most ski resorts per prefecture!
The snow resorts of Yuzawa are one example of how people have learned to adapt to live and even enjoy the abundant snow that falls in snow countries, using it to turn a town into a man-made winter wonderland. But for those curious to visit a winter wonderland that is formed naturally by Mother Nature, we shall turn to another area known for experiencing consistently high snowfall.
Hachimantai: the snow wonder of Akita and Iwate
Hachimantai (八幡平) is a group of mountains that stretches across prefectures Akita and Iwate, and has an altitude of 1,614m. Snow is plentiful here not only because of the mountainous terrain, but also its geographical location: with Akita directly facing the Sea of Japan to the west, it experiences much more snowfall compared to other regions, as expected from a snow country. Plus, the area experiences high snowfall longer than most other places, starting from mid-November and ending in mid-April.
Hachimantai features some of the most spectacular snow-based formations you can witness in a snow country. Case in point: majestic snow corridors. Mention snow corridors and people would usually envision the Tateyama Snow Corridor on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) that stretches from Toyama Prefecture to Nagano Prefecture. However, Hachimantai has its own snow corridor along the Hachimantai Aspite Line (八幡平アスピーテライン), a 27km mountain sightseeing road running through the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, making it the longest snow corridor in Japan.
Another snowy observation seen in Hachimantai? Snow monsters (樹氷 juhyō). Usually, people associate snow monsters—snow-covered trees that resemble monsters—with Mount Zao (蔵王山) or Zao Ski Resort in Yamagata, the same way they associate snow corridors with the Tateyama Snow Corridor. Hachimantai also has their own frosted trees, and they can be seen right in the heart of winter. They are best enjoyed during non-windy days when the skies are clear, and you can witness these magnificent formations in full.
When you visit Hachimantai, you will learn simply how vast the entire area is. Take on the Hachimantai Nature Observation Trail, and you will see numerous lakes and ponds. Go up the Hachimantai Viewpoint, and not only will you see Hachimantai Pond (八幡平沼)—an outstanding water body that has become symbolic to the whole region―but another amazing snow formation on the Dragon Eye Kagami Pond (ドラゴンアイ鏡沼). Located near the peak of Mount Hachimantai, the pond’s ominous name comes from how the pond looks like a dragon’s eye because of the melting of snow. Visitors can witness this in spring from late May to early June.
Closing
As one born and bred in a tropical country, I find it hard—almost impossible—to imagine what my life would be like if I were to live in a snow country. Weather plays a significant role in shaping one’s livelihood, and the people living in snow countries have learned to co-exist with the plentiful snow that surrounds them. Why don’t you travel to a snow country in Japan, and have a glimpse of what kind of life you would be living instead? It will help to broaden your horizons and even change the way you view your way of life.
JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area)
The JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) is an affordable pass that offers unlimited train rides on JR East lines, including bullet trains, within the valid area for 5 consecutive days. It’s only ¥30,000, and you can use it to travel by train from Tokyo to Akita, Yamagata, Aomori, and Iwate. Pass holders can also reserve seats online for up to a month in advance for free on the JR-EAST Train Reservation.
JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area)
The JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area) is an affordable pass that offers unlimited train rides on JR East lines, including bullet trains, within the valid area for 5 consecutive days. It’s only ¥27,000, making it a considerable option for rail travellers.
Header image credit: Akita Prefecture
