Winter approaches

29/10/14

The last few days have been a sequence of fantastic scenes,

coastline,

 more autumn colours, 

and scenes of preparation for winter. Fruit and vegies are being dried or smoked,

 (We Think these are persimmons drying!)

and trees are being protected from the snow to come. 

Sun rooms/foyers are erected from polycarbonate panels which are taken down in summer.

These roadside louvers are folded down in summer and erected in winter. They have the effect of directing the wind onto the road to blow away the snow. 

Cabbages have their outer leaves tied up over the head, perhaps to allow them to be safely covered in snow and stay alive, preserving them for eating in winter? 

A few days ago we had a hail storm in the evening, and in the morning there was a light dusting of snow on the mountains for the first time. 

This changing of the seasons is fascinating to me. I have never lived in a place with the four seasons. Wet and dry seasons are more familiar to me. I wonder whether people here feel a sense of anticipation as winter approaches, or do they dread the cold, long days? My language is not good enough to ask.

The next night we headed for the hills, towards a ryokan and rotemburro we had read about in Lonely Planet. When we got above about 500m altitude it started snowing! This is only the third or fourth time in my life I have experienced snow falling! 

Tsuro-no-Yu in Nyuto-Zan Onsen has been in the hospitality business for 400 years! It's mixed gender rotemburro (outdoor onsen) is said to be one that is not to be missed by any intending rotemburro afficionado - that's me! 

 39.80509°N 140.78031°E

For anyone who is shy about mixed Onsens this is the one to try. There are seperate changing areas for men and women, and a discrete area for women to enter the pool. The water is milky white so once submerged nothing is visible. It was quite an experience to be naked in a pool engaged in a spirited and light hearted conversation with two (naked) Japanese men and a woman (and Joe), with snow falling on and around us! 

Staying in a Ryokan (Trafitional Japanese Inn) is also a special Japanese experience. The room has sleeping mats and barley pillows, which are folded away during the day. There is a table with the makings of green tea which occupies the centre of the room during the day. Eating is done seated on cushions on the floor (ow!) and the food is presented in small bowls on individual low tables. This particular ryokan also has sand pit fire places, with coals for cooking some of the dishes, in the middle of the room. Guests are issued with bath robes and jackets which theywear to the bathing pools, and around the corridors. There are the customary sandals which must be changed when you move from one area to another. For example there are sandals for the toilet room only and they must not be worn out into the corridors. Your corridor sandals must not be worn into the bedrooms, or out into the foyer. 

All of these traditions make for a very entertaining stay. I highly recommend his particular one with its rotemburro.