Ephemeral construction, snow festival

Sapporo Snow Festival is held in a beginning of February.
Here is Sapporo, Hokkaidō.

These are completely made of only snow.
A lot of such statues are made.




Very large quantity of snow are carried in a town from the suburbs. And snowy lumps are sculptd various form.

Social topics become the subject.　This is a statue made in commemoration of interchange with Korea.




The festival of the Far East is lively all. 　Therefore, it is difficult to appreciate the beauty of the sculpture calmly.

When the festival is over, they are completely dismantled...

The "Void (Kū)" is the important subject of Far East.

"White" Japanese calligraphy

"白" (haku, or shiro). It is translated as white, pure, bright.
This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.

Etymology :　This character originally showed an acorn.
The character acquired its current meaning of white from the color of the acorn's meat.
The original meaning has been lost.

Original meanings and forms change really during long time.
It often happens in human society.

"Snow" Japanese calligraphy

"雪" (setsu, or yuki). It is translated as snow.

This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.

The original character is "䨮"

Etymology :　 雨 (rain) + 彗 (broomstick)

The original meaning is sweeping the ground.

The person who devised a kanji is a poet, surely.

In the silver world, hot spring "Onsen"

　There is one hot spring inn in the other side of the way of this cliff.
　We walk to there.

　Innumerable hot spring (Onsen) spread through the whole country.
　Because I was born in a south area, I like Onsens of the winter.




　There is an outdoor bath in the other side of this hut.

　Here is Semboku, Akita Prefecture.
　It is a "nyūtō onnsenn village" in Towada-Hachimantai National Park.
　The heart of a mountain is dotted with hot spring inns.




　In this magoroku-onsen, color is white.
　The hot spring of Akita especially has the atmosphere of the old good Far East.

　Paradise in the intense cold.
　The onsen in the snow scene may let a person rebear.

The way of the Middle Ages, Nakasendō

This way prospered as a main street until about 100 years ago.
It is a way called Nakasendō which links Osaka to Edo.
There were 69 post towns (Shukuba) on the way.

Because post towns (Magome, Fukushima, etc) are famous as a tourist attraction, there may be the person knowing.




Most of the people of the Edo period did not have freedom of the movement.
Samurai or Merchant came and went on this way.

The most people were farmers.




Most of the neighboring houses are left as those days.
They are inns and stores. 　The part of those is still used.
It is surrounded both sides on the high mountain.

Now, the person going is few desolate way.

The trace of the dream. 　
Here is Tsumago, Nagano Prefecture.