Someone once told me that the best festivals in Japan are the ones that are on a fixed date every year. These are the ones with long...

We’ve spent the last couple of days on the fascinating Snow Country Culture Workshop Autumn Edition, during which time we have learned...

Temperatures are cooling down and the season of summer festivals has almost come to an end for another year. One of the favourite summer...

Katakai is a small village in Ojiya City in Niigata that hosts an amazing fireworks display on the the 9th and 10th of September each...

The arrival of the cherry blossom season is a big event in the whole of Japan as it heralds the arrival of spring, and symbolises the...

The new rice is being harvested at the moment so all the restaurants are full of diners enjoying this year’s koshihikari rice. There is...

As well as the main Snow Country Tourist Information Office, each of the seven areas of the Snow Country Tourism Zone have their own...

August has ended and as we move into September it feels like summer is drawing to a close. People’s thoughts turn to the approaching...

Suwa Shrine is the original shrine in Yuzawa, and although the exact date it was founded is unknown, it is thought to date back to the...

We’re well into August and the heat of summer. If there is one thing that summer is famous for in Japan it is the festivals. Almost every...

Check out this great promotional video for Uonuma City. When the snow falls and the whole place is blanketed in white it might seem that...

The coming of spring is a time of joy in Snow Country, and there are many festivals around the region that celebrate the sights and...

The Tsunan Snow Festival takes place in March each year and we were lucky enough to go along on March 12th 2016. It is so popular that...

The Naked Man Festival at Urasa’s Bishamondo is one of the highlights of the winter festival calendar. It has a long history, dating back...

The Tokamachi Snow Festival is one of the highlights of the winter event calendar in Snow Country. It is a whole weekend of snow-related...

We were very privileged the other night to witness a Shinto ceremony at a sacred waterfall where pilgrims purify their spirits while...

February is mid-winter in Snow Country, and also happens to be when some of the most interesting festivals take place. Here is a run-down...

The Snow Country Region Information Center arrange a program of special tours to allow visitors to see the best of the region and get to...