Snow Country is full of great places to see the beautiful colors of a Japanese fall. If you have transport and you are up for a lovely drive, the Uonuma Sky Line is a fantastic choice. If you are going from the Minami Uonuma valley to the Tokamachi side of the hill you have to head up and over the mountains. When you get up to the pass there is a road that runs along the ridge and gives you some amazing views of the tree-covered mountain slopes and the valley far below. It 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 Tourist Association (contacts for each of there here). All of these are working hard to ensure that visitors get to the see the best of the region. We’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of a 5-star tour that they are trying to put together to highlight the unique way of life in the Snow Country Region. It is in the planning stage at the

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 winter, but before the deep snow comes we have fall, which is one of the best times to be in Snow Country. The rice is turning yellow in the fields in the bottom of the valley and it is almost time for harvesting. There will be festivals all over the region once the harvest is finished to give thanks for the new rice. The valley turning from dee

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 there is nothing there, but like everywhere in Snow Country, it deserves a closer look. #uonuma #festival #winter #onsen #food

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 of some of the ones happening around the region in what is normally the snowiest month of the year. (Taken from the Snow Country Freak site.) The Minami Uonuma City Snow Festival takes place in Muikamachi on 6th & 7th February。It is the 66th one this year and there is always lots going on. The Koide International Snow Ball Fight on February

This is simply one of the most amazing places to visit. Saifukuji Temple in Uonuma can be the highlight of any trip. The inside of the small prayer hall is decorated with the intricate carvings of some famous craftsmen including Uncho Ishikawa. The structure itself lets you know that something special awaits as a protective roof covers the small thatched Kaisando prayer hall. Fierce guardians are posted either side of the main gate to the temple grounds. The detail on these c

Eirinji Temple is an old temple in Uonuma, probably most well known for its carvings by Uncho Ishikawa. He carved the transoms between the pillars here and they are absolutely splendid. Each one is multi-layered and the back of each scene goes quite a way into the wood. It must have taken amazing skill to create and the details are really intricate. One of them has a lady peering out of the shadows of a hut and is carved so deeply into the wood that she is partially in the da