Snow Country

There is a famous and dry novel by Kawabata Yasunari that I read a few years ago with the same title. Perhaps someday it will become necessary for me to go through it again in the original language, but if that happens I won't be able to look at it the same way again...not after this tour to Fukushima Prefecture's Aizu-Wakamatsu region.

Once a semester, my university sponsors field trips to different parts of Japan so its exchange students can experience the surprising fact that not all of the country looks like the depressing sprawl of Tokyo, Yokohama and their suburbs. This was no American excursion, for in that case we would have been allowed to wander the streets and do a little exploring. No, "field trip" over here means that everything is planned out for you; our schedule budgeted 20 minutes for one history museum!

Not that I am bitter; there is definite comfort in turning over the reigns of your time to someone else's control and enjoying new sights. Beyond that, it was an interesting cultural experiment in how Japanese people generally take tours. But apart from the glorious relaxation of the hot baths + sauna at the hotel or the neat experience of painting on lacquerware, it's hard to look back on the two-day trip and think that I'd do it again. Especially odd for me was the everyone-must-win Bingo game we played both directions of the trip and the continual warnings to "watch our step" in the snow, even when only a few feet separated us and the destination.

The food was also interesting but not my preference. Styled after the kaiseki or formal, Kyoto-style cuisine favored in high-class settings, this well-
compartmentalized meal was pleasing to the eye but not exactly satisfying to my quantity-oriented stomach. At least they had a little dish of pickles, which I love in almost any form but the super-sour plum.

I wish my camera batteries had cooperated long enough to show you the amazing snowstorm that we enjoyed on the ride up, but at least I can show its results on the castle we visited.











Winter is still here, but not here to stay; the sun is outside my window and by the Lord's mercy will probably be there tomorrow. And though I have mixed feelings about having just penciled my return date on the calendar, I will miss the snowball fights when I'm back in California. Good thing we weren't warned against those.