I find it so strange, in Japan, that in a blink of an eye, you can go from a clear, sunny landscape, to one filled with blankets of white snow. As I made my very long journey to Nagano last weekend (a 7 hour one-way trip), I was almost taken aback by the beauty of freshly fallen snow extending into the horizon and covering the mountaintops. It was such a contrast to sunny, warm Okayama. Had this part of Japan not been told it was spring?
Nagano, while difficult and expensive to reach, I feel is a very beautiful and traditional prefecture. Seeing traditional Japan set against the beautiful snowy landscapes, made for a wonderful contrast. Who knew a castle could be so photogenic!
This is Matsumoto Castle – one of three original standing castles in Japan. The interior is much like Himeji, but with steps standing at 70-degree angles, it was far steeper than I expected. I cannot imagine how soldiers would climb these stairs in haste if under attack. However, they do make a great defense tactic! The real attraction with this castle is its great reflection against the moat. With the snowy mountains in the distance and a clear reflection – it’s almost impossible to take a bad photo.
Photo Credit: Tepley, J (2015), 'All My Temari...', Flickr.
Matsumoto city is also famous for ‘temari’ (‘te’ meaning ‘hand' and ‘mari’ meaning ‘ball’). ‘Temari’ are a traditional Japanese toy originally made of leftover silks from kimonos. The balls originally started in China and were later introduced to Japan in the 7th century. While at first they were considered a toy given to children to play with, they soon transformed as a way to display your creativity and skill. Now, ‘temari’ are a symbol of loyalty and deep friendship. It is often a tradition for mothers to make one for their daughter as a New Year gift. Many also believe brightly coloured and designed ‘temari’ symbolise a wish for the recipient’s happiness or good luck.
A very popular place to visit in Nagano is Jigokudani Park, home of Japanese snow monkeys. 'Jigokudani' literally translates to ‘Hell Valley’ to describe the steam and boiling water that emerges from cracks in the frozen ground. The surrounding jagged mountains and ominous forests covered in snow, also help give this name substance.
I must admit that Jigokudani is beyond anything I could expect. The monkeys appeared quite accustomed to human visitors, walking about their normal routineor playing with their friends. I could stand a metre away and the monkeys would not flinch.
Perhaps one of the unique features of Jigokudani, are the monkey hot springs. Yes, you read correctly, these are hot springs in which the monkeys bathe and relax! While the park is open all year, winter is definitely the right time to visit, as the monkeys will voluntarily enter the pools without coaxing by staff. Fortunately, it snows for around one third of the year at Jigokudani, so monkey season is long!
North of Nagano prefecture lies the small, nearly forgotten town of Obuse. While mainly famous for it’s chestnut produce,inside Obuse lies an almost missed treasure called the Hokusai Museum. For anyone who knows me well, I have a high interest in art. During high school, I studied ukiyo-e – a traditional Japanese woodblock printing. It involves artists carving their design into wood, before printing onto paper using an array of colours and planning. The result can be spectacular! One of my favourite ukiyo-e artists is Hokusai. So, being able to visit his museum seemed like fate!
Hokusai is most famous for his 36 views of Mt Fuji. Perhaps you have seen his picture, featuring a tsunami-like wave and Mt Fuji in the background?
Photo Credit: Nguyen, M (2011), 'Under the Wave [by Hokusai]', Wikimedia.
Late in his life (around age 70) and being fascinated with Mt Fuji, Hokusai began to create works from numerous angles. In his sketchbooks, he drew well over 100 views of Mt Fuji, but published only 36. His art always features ‘life’, with figures of animals or people who almost appear like they are moving on the page. His ability to capture movement and produce it in his carvings are a unique skill I admire. I don’t think any other ukiyo-e artist will be able to achieve the same effect.
During my time in Nagano, I stayed in an onsen (hot spring) village. This village is very quaint and peaceful – an escape from the bustling town life. As a guest at ShibuOnsen village, I had free access to the hot springs in town. With 9 in total, each hot spring is said to cure a specific ailment: scars, stomach, nerve damage, and other specific diseases. Visiting all 9 hot springs is said to bring good luck and health to the person. Your hotel provides you with a yukata to wear while touring the baths. I definitely felt I had travelled back in time, wearing a yukata and traditional geta shoes!
The bathhouses are separated into men and women, and are quite small compared to other onsen houses. They are of course natural hot springs, with water coming directly from the mountain (the same as the monkeys). It therefore surprised me to discover that many of these baths were around 50 degrees! Needless to say, I would only stay in the baths for around 10-15 minutes at a time!!
If ever you have a chance to visit Japan, Nagano is a worthwhile journey. It is also a lot easier to access from Tokyo than Okayama!!
