When you're coming from sunny San Diego, where it's often above 70° Fahrenheit/20° Celsius in the winter, just about any other part of the world is going to feel chilly. Japan's winters are usually very hard on me, thanks to the combination of cold temperatures, the biting kara-kaze winds that blow down from the Japanese Alps, and homes that aren't well constructed because you're expected to tear it down and build a new one in 15 years anyway. But this winter has been an incredibly warm one, with temperatures more like March or April than February, and I haven't needed to put on multiple pairs of long underwear to keep from freezing to death even once. Every year in our prefecture there's an ice fishing event held on Mt. Haruna, when the lake at the top freezes, but yesterday it was announced that the event would be cancelled this year due to the warm temperatures keeping the lake from freezing completely. The warm summer is even affecting the Sapporo Snow Festival going on in Hokkaido right now, where hundreds of beautiful snow sculptures are displayed. The warmest winter temperatures in 18 years have made the snow watery and difficult to work with, which forced the city to truck in extra snow for the event.
Beautiful snow sculptures in Sapporo
7 comments:
Curious, here in the US it's been colder than usual, with more snow this winter than in the past few years...
Insulating houses is "Green"! Are there any signs of change coming in home construction?
When I was in Okinawa, it seemed that the homes while small, were well made. As there is little lumber, most were made of concrete. I never saw a home being demolished in the year I was there, but I didn't get out that much.
The Japanese army was taking over & renovating some of our barracks buildings, and they were more than 20 years old. Of course, at that time, Okinawans were very public in defining themselves as not Japanese ...
Our house is funny, part of it is 30 year old, part is 15 years old and part is 5 years old, so it uses a bunch of materials. But I had to insist on putting in good double pane windows in the main part, to keep the cold out.
I'll be taking Mom to Okinawa by the way, and going my first time. Anything we should see while there?
Oh, if there's anything I want to see in Japan is the winter festival in Sapporo! For what I've seen on pictures, Hokkaido must be a beautiful place! And after spending the winter in Quebec, nothing is too cold :D
you know whats really crazy about japan? whatever the weather is there, it is the same here in wilkes-barre!! we are getting a "spring wave" right now as well. :D it was nice to go outside (to take recycles out,) at NITE and feel a warm breeze :)
Yes, I'd love to go to Sapporo. Been there once, managing to go on Golden Week with no cash thinking, it's okay, I'll get money out of the ATM at the bank. But banks were closed all Golden Week back then. (Not anymore, thankfully.)
Danisa, of course because of my post, it had to get cold again. But it's still not normal. There's a lot less freezing rattle-the-house winter wind for example. Which is okay by me, all things considered.
Well, I was in Okinawa in the 70's, so nothing really stands out any more. I do remember driving the freeway the whole length of the island and back in an easy day (little Japanese cars just faded away from my big military vehicle - a Dodge van).
I know there are a couple of good beaches, but they were in "officer country" (near the golf course) so I didn't get to them.
I mostly wandered around town, doing a little shopping "on the economy" and trying to stay a way from the normal "camp town" attractions (hookers, strip clubs, bars, & drunken brawls).
I do remember visiting a museum that had some stunning lacquer vases & pots along with a lot of very nice screens - I haven't a clue where it was now, but if still there, it is probably easy to find with an Internet search.
The US Air Force base at Kadena was a popular destination for me because they had "normal" things like a bowling alley and really good American food, but I doubt that it would interest most tourists if it is even open to them.
Kadena is where I saw my first SR-71 (in-flight and on the ground - close up), and where I first saw just how fast a Cobra attack helicopter can appear and ruin your day.
Okinawa also has at least one museum about the WW-II battles, stocked with ordnance dug up decades later and lots of other stuff. They may now have tours of the caves where Japanese soldiers held out for a very long time - when I was there, they were off limits because they were still being cleared of unexploded ordnance.
According to Kill Bill, there is a sword industry, but when I was there I mostly saw camera & stereo shops catering to us servicemen.
If you're interested in Martial Arts, Okinawa has made some unique contributions - particularly in the use of farming implements as weapons. Again - check the Internet.
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