In Episode 28 of the podcast I speak with Mark Davis, a Tokyo-based landscape photographer whose work focuses on the natural environments of Japan. Mark’s photography takes him into many areas of regional Japan with a particular interest in the snow country and its varied seasons. As such, his photography tells a more complete story of the snow country, and Japan in general, in revealing the transient of beauty of spring, summer and autumn in addition to its celebrated winter.Originally from ...
Episode 27 of the podcast takes us back to Yamagata Prefecture and onto Tsuruoka, a city known for its diverse and rich traditional food culture. In 2014 Tsuruoka was designated a UNESCO ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ in recognition of that food culture including continued agricultural practices and use heirloom crops and wild plants foraged in the forests and mountains, along with creative use and contemporisation of those gastronomic practices. It was the first city in Japan to be awarded th...
Episode 26 of the podcast transports us along one of the snow country’s most popular destinations – the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Located in Chubu Sangaku National Park, the Alpine Route is a popular sightseeing route that transports visitors across Japan’s highest mountain range – the Kita Alps or North Alps. It takes a series of mountain transports to do so that operate between different stations, eventually ascending to Murodo Station at 2450 metres / 8038 feet above sea level, from wh...
Today's episode - Episode 25 of the podcast - kicks off Season 3 as we make our way north to Hokkaido and onto Japan’s largest national park, Daisetsuzan. Established in 1934, Daisetsuzan National Park is known for its alpine landscapes, abundant flora and fauna, and seasonal beauty including its deep snow of winter. For many, Daisetsuzan is the crown jewel of Japan’s 34 national parks and without any doubt, is one of the snow country’s most rewarding destinations.In this episode I speak with...
Season 3 of Snow Country Stories Japan begins on Tuesday 2nd April 2024. In the coming season we’ll be exploring the snow country in spring and summer before heading into the beauty of autumn, starting with Japan’s largest national park, Daisetsuzan. Considered by many as the most impressive of Japan's 34 national parks, Daisetsuzan occupies a vast area dominated by volcanic ranges and many peaks of over 2000 metres / 6600 feet, with an abundant alpine flora and fauna and striking beauty from...
In Episode 24 of the podcast I speak with Shoko Baba, a member of the international sales team, of one of the snow country’s most celebrated sake breweries, Hakkaisan. Located in the heavy snow area of Minami-Uonuma, Hakkaisan Brewery produces high quality sake that reflects the pristine surrounding environment and traditions of this beautiful area of Niigata. Shoko and I discuss the heritage and pedigree of Hakkaisan including their celebrated snow-aged ‘Yukimuro’ sake, while also delving in...
In Episode 23 of the podcast I speak with David Laichtman - a doctoral candidate at Sophia University in Tokyo - about the historical and contemporary practice of bear worship in Japan by cultures including the Matagi in Tohoku and Ainu in Hokkaido. In doing so, this episode draws attention to the often-overlooked fact that Japan is home culturally and ethnically distinct people, many of whom are most identifiable in the snow country. This episode includes discussion regarding traditiona...
In Episode 22 of the podcast we head north to the small rural village of Nukui in Nagano Prefecture. It is here that we find craftsman and musician Gianpaolo Camplese. Originally from Italy, Gianpaolo moved to the snow country in search for a home for his family, eventually discovering a rundown ‘kominka’ (traditional farmhouse) in the picturesque Nukui. In this episode we speak about Gianpaolo’s journey to the snow country of Japan, why he loves it, where and how he found his home, and the p...
Episode 21 of the Snow County Stories Japan podcast brings us to Nagano City, the capital of the large, landlocked and mountainous Nagano Prefecture. Host of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games, Nagano is blessed with heavy snow and home to fantastic ski resorts, many of Japan’s highest mountains and multiple national parks. As the largest city in the region, Nagano City is the primary transit point for visitors heading to those ski resorts, mountains and national parks with many if not most people...
Episode 20 of the Snow Country Stories Japan takes us back to Aizu in Fukushima Prefecture and Japan’s newest ski resort, Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain. In this episode I speak with Ishiuchi Kei, an accomplished snowboarder with a lot of experience working in the ski industry and genuine enthusiasm for Nekoma and the Aizu region. A true snow guru, Kei speaks about Nekoma Mountain with genuine enthusiasm.Nekoma Mountain consists of two older resorts – Alts Bandai and Nekoma Snow Park - that ...
Episode 19 of the podcast takes us into the deep snow country of Tokamachi in Niigata, where we venture into the beautiful, heavily forested hills and minor mountains of that area, and onto the secluded Mithila Museum to speak with its director Hasegawa Tokio. An avant-garde musician and artist, Hasegawa-san founded Mithila Museum in 1982, and today, the museum houses one the world’s major collection of Mithila or Madhubani art while Hasegawa-san remains an active, innovative and legendary mu...
Episode 18 of the podcast takes us once again to Niigata Prefecture and the snow country area of Matsunoyama. Famous for its very heavy snowfall, Matsunoyama is a place in many ways defined by that snow. In this episode I speak with Kamimura Shotaro, a regional revitalisation coordinator based in Matsunoyama. Shotaro’s work tasks him with revitalisation of the community and as such, we discuss the multiple challenges being faced by the people of Matsunoyama while also exploring the opportunit...
Episode 17 of the podcast takes us to Niigata Prefecture and the deep snow of Myoko Kogen. Located on the flanks of Mount Myoko, Myoko Kogen is a collective named used to refer to five ski resorts, renowned for their very heavy snowfall and some of Japan’s best powder riding. In this episode I speak with Billy Halloran, a talented snowboarder and operator of The Greenhouse Myoko, a self-contained lodge tucked away in picturesque village near the base of Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort....
Episode 16 of the podcast brings us back to Nagano Prefecture and one of the snow country’s most popular destinations, Jigokudani Yaen Koen – more commonly referred to as the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Located in the enclave of Yamanouchi – 50 to 60 minutes from Nagano City – the park is home to a curious troop of Japanese macaques known for the love of bathing in hot springs. This episode has everything you need to know to plan your visit to the monkey park including just why the monkeys a...
Episode 15 of the podcast takes us to the north of Honshu and the prefecture of Akita. Known for its natural beauty and wild landscapes, Akita is a place that my guest Eli Sooker spends much of his time. Eli is a conservationist, writer, wildlife photographer and eco tour guide based in Japan whose current research focuses on bear conservation and specifically, bear attacks. His research is the launching point for our conversation about wildlife conservation and the potential of wildlife tour...
Episode 14 of the podcast takes us once again to Nagano Prefecture and Son of the Smith Hard Cider brewery. Opened in 2020, Son of the Smith Hard Cider are in many ways forging a new era for cider in Japan – a country that doesn’t have a strong cider tradition. In this episode, I speak with head brewer Ikeuchi Takuro about the brewery’s founding vision and the cider they are now producing – work that is redefining what is possible when it comes to cider. As Ikeuchi-san explains, his backgroun...
Episode 13 of the podcast – and the first of Season 2 – brings us back to Nagano and Japan’s largest ski resort, Shiga Kogen. A host venue in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games, Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort is Japan’s largest and highest ski resort and enjoys the longest season of any resort in Nagano or Central Japan. Despite this the resort remains relatively unknown to international visitors…In this episode I speak with Robel Zemichael, manager of Shiga International Ski School. Robel is a two-t...
I am happy to announce that Season 2 of ‘Snow Country Stories Japan’ begins on Tuesday 19th September 2023. And I’m just as happy to say, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming season! As we head toward and into another winter, Season 2 of the podcast will take us deeper into Japan’s snow country including episodes covering some of Japan’s best ski resorts and the fantastic skiing, snowboarding and backcountry on offer here. Of course that’s just part of the snow country story and in ...
Episode 12 of the podcast is the first of my intended travel guides for recommended destinations in the snow country. Located just outside of Nagano City, Togakushi is home to some of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines and one of the snow country’s most important cultural landscapes. Mount Togakushi has been a focal point of devotion for more than 1000 years with its shrines and the story of Togakushi linked to Shinto creation myths, giving it true significance within Japanese cultur...
In Episode 11 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Yuki Iwanami, a renowned photographer based in the snow country area of Aizu in Fukushima. Yuki’s photography explores the humanity of man-made and natural disasters such as war, trafficking and earthquakes. As such, his portfolio features his work in countries including Nepal, Pakistan, China, India and Cambodia along with his home country of Japan.As of March 2011, Yuki was working as a photographer for The Yomiuri Shimbun - one of J...