Winter of Our Content: Eight Winter Wonderland Adventures

 

Although, I’ve never been the biggest fan of winter, Japan has slowly been winning me over with its variety of unique activities during this season. When going outside may be one of the last things you want to do, these 8 activities and places will be more than enough to get you out from under the kotatsu and enjoying the season.

1 Hatsumōde

Hatsumōde is the tradition in Japan to visit a shrine, typically Shinto, over the New Year holiday. During the visit, families are meant to pray for health and luck for the upcoming year. There are often a number of food and beverage booths surrounding a shrine as well with all the tasty Japanese treats you could want. If you’re in Hyogo the popular three tend to be Ikuta Shrine in Sannomiya, north of Sannomiya there is also Minatogawa Shrine, and finally Nishinomiya Shrine in, of course, Nishinomiya.

2 Kobe Luminarie (Dec 4 – 15)

A symbol of hope after the devastating Great Hanshin Earthquake, the Kobe Luminarie is held every December in the Motomachi area. With well over 100,000 hand-decorated lights outlining cathedral-like structures, the spectacle draws many people looking to get into the holiday spirit and is a prime spot to take that special someone in your life. However, if that’s not an option for you, surround yourself with friends by taking place in the HAJET event on Thursday, December 11.

3 Kinosaki, Hyogo

What better way to stay warm during the cold season than to hop in a bath full of scalding hot water. Sure there are onsens in most towns, but only Kinosaki offers seven opportunities, each said to have their own benefits. You can read more about Kinosaki and get wonderful tips from a travel review written by Brittany earlier this year.

4 “Naked Man” Festival, Okayama

Although a number of “Naked Man” festivals are held throughout Japan, the most famous one happens to be Saidai-jiEyo Hadaka Matsuri in Okoyama, where the tradition began. Held every third Saturday in February at Saidai-ji Temple, you can watch over 9,000 men wearing only loincloths claw and scramble over one another to the beat of drums in an attempt to grab the shingi, a pair of lucky sacred sticks. Even though the event doesn’t officially start until midnight, it doesn’t stop participants and onlookers from coming much earlier in the night to enjoy the festival. If you’re feeling brave and lucky join one of the many JET teams that are created for the event.

 5 Shirakawago, Gifu

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shirakawago is a mountain village known for its thatched roof houses. Thesegassho-zukuri – like hands in prayers – farmhouses when covered in snow look like the Winter Wonderland from your imagination. Similar to staying the night at a Buddhist temple at Koya-san, you can also reserve a night to stay at one of these houses.

6 Sapporo Snow Festival, Hokkaido (or Tokamachi Snow Festival, Niigata)

Probably the most well-known winter event among foreigners, Hokkaido’s Sapporo Snow Festival is your typical Japanese festival, but on a much larger scale. It’s a combination of immense snow and ice sculptures at three sites – Odori, Tsudome (slide down the hill on a tube), and Susukino – and delicacies such as butter ramen and lamb from the Ghengis Khan restaurant at the Sapporo Brewery. That being said, if you have time to visit the brewery on its own definitely do that too.

If Hokkaido is a bit too far or you simply don’t have the budget for it, the Tokamachi Snow Festival in Niigata prefecture is a bit closer to the Kansai region. Founded on the idea, “let’s not make snow our enemy, let’s make snow our friend,” it may be worth going just to find out who created that statement. The festival is from Friday, Feb 20 – Sunday, Feb 22 and ends with a fantastic fireworks show.

7 WakakusaYamayaki, Nara

As all the leaves finally fall from the trees and winter freezes or kills most things in nature (finally, no more fruit flies!), Todaiji and Kofukuji Temples and Kasuga Shrine take part in setting Wakakusayama’s dead grass ablaze. Besides viewing an amazing controlled fire climb up the side of a mountain, the mountain burning is also supported by a colorful fireworks display, tons of food booths, and the usual ever-present deer. Bring some folding chairs or a blanket to be comfortable while you watch.

8 Yokote Kamakura and Boden-sai, Akita

If you’re unfamiliar with what a kamakura is, it’s a carved out mound of snow similar to an igloo. With more than hundreds of kamakura dotted around Yokote City you can spend time by candlelight in your very own kamakura. Akita prefecture (one of Japan’s northern prefectures) also holds another great event called Boden-sai. Men are given boden, a long sacred wand, and race to the shrine on Mount Taiheizan. Perhaps not as intense or fleshy as Saidai-jieyo Hadaka Matsuri, Boden-sai is still a rather competitive event to see.

 

If these events haven’t influenced you to get out of the house, I’m not sure what else will. Hopefully it has, so start planning and pack warmly!

 

Sean Mulvihill