Japan - 雪 雪 雪(Snow Snow Snow)

It truly seems like snow falls every night.

If you were to sum up Hokkaido in January/February in a few words, SNOW better be at the top of the list. After three trips to Japan in the past two years I feel I am able to confirm that some of the rumors are true and the snow is as good as everyone says, and incredibly consistent.

In addition to this the Japanese are incredibly welcoming, happy to help and share their culture. As I sat on the plane staring out the window on my return flight, I already was making plans to return to this beautiful land.

In my mind pow clouds like this make a beautiful sound, if you could only hear them over the whooping and hollering of excitement.

A constant process. The snowbanks in front of our house were removed every few days, or would have been falling into the living room.

Bringing out the heavy machinery this day.

Morning tools.

The tricky part about all the snow, is being able to see where you’re headed, especially in the trees.

Getting comfortable to being on the other side of the road.

The sign says it all, beware, but an added portion to enjoy might be in order.

A small pillow popper with a unique angle can be way more interesting.

A rare moment when the sun popped out, a beautiful sight, even if only for 30 minutes.

Mauri using the gondola to get up, and his own legs to get down.

Guts, local Hokkaido snowboarder has two loves, the mountains and the ocean.

Guts demonstrating his love for the mountains with his incredibly smooth surfy style.

Fishing boats tied up until some calmer weather comes in.

The Sea of Japan is partially responsible for the significant amounts of snow falling on Hokkaido. Cold air blows across picks up moisture and lifts when it hits the mountains.

Sapporo, the 5th largest city in Japan, enjoys a quick break in the weather.