In Japanese yukiguni means snow country and is an area where vast amounts of snow falls. Yukiguni is now associated with an area spanning Niigata, Gunma, and Nagano Prefectures known as the Snow Country Tourism Zone where the cultures have been shaped over the ages by those snows. As one winter ends, the preparations for the next one begin. Since humans started to create settlements in one location over eight thousand years ago they have chosen to live in the Yukiguni area. The snow has always brought challenges, but also provided opportunities and blessings. Many outsiders look at the sometimes harsh climate and wonder why people chose to settle here. Life here is part of a cycle delineated by the seasons and each generation has learned how to adapt while using knowledge from those that came before.