Month: January 2026

January 29th, 7:00 a.m.

The scenery was stunning. The cold night air formed a sea of clouds, with snow-capped Mt. Asama rising above them.

I pulled over at a parking lot during my commute to capture this moment. It reminded me to take a breath and start the day with a positive mind.

Monday, February, at 4:30 a.m.
Moonlight at -10°C

Monday morning, 4:30 a.m. The air is sharp and freezing, but the world is silent. In the crisp winter air of Nagano, the full moon acts like a natural spotlight on the snow and white birch trees. A moment of peace before the school week begins.

Sunday, February 8th, at 8:00
The “Hidden Heroes” of Winter

It has been snowing steadily since Saturday afternoon, with over 60 cm of accumulation by this morning. As I was shoveling the walkway and the uphill path in front of my house on Sunday, a snowplow truck arrived. It was a huge help! The driver cleared all the fresh snow from the roads in our neighborhood, making my job much easier.

Sunday, February 8th, was election day. I intended to vote on Sunday morning, but the 50 cm of snow made it impossible. I couldn’t drive to the polling station at the Lake Megami Gym because the roads were buried.”

I finally made it! Thanks to the snowplow, the roads were clear enough for me to drive to the Lake Megami Gym and cast my vote. A huge thank you to the drivers who work so hard in this weather!”

February 28th

Spring is fast approaching—much earlier than a year ago. Where there was deep snow last year, the ground is now nearly clear. I feel a deep connection to the cycles of life and the changing seasons in this rugged landscape. As we leave winter behind, new sprouts are emerging, and cherry blossoms are preparing to bloom. Tabby and I couldn’t be happier to welcome the spring.

“Time flies—next week, it’s already March. It has been four years since I returned from Atlanta, and this season always reminds me that life is a cycle of coming and going. Spring truly is a season of transition. With graduation and entrance ceremonies taking place in schools across the country, we see so many departures and farewells, marking major milestones in people’s lives.”

Itinerary:

Day 1: Shinhotaka Ropeway, Hotaka-sanso, Maruyama, stay at the hut.
Day 2: Maruyama, Doppyo

Day 1, Saturday, January 3rd.

6:00 a.m.
Despite a severe winter storm warning issued nationwide, Sachi and I set out early Saturday morning for the Shinhotaka Ropeway in Toyama, located in Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. Heavy snow was falling steadily, but we decided to continue, fully aware of the challenging conditions ahead.

9:15 a.m.
We arrived at the Shinhotaka Ropeway to find only a handful of cars in the parking lot—far fewer than usual. Given the heavy snowfall and storm warnings, the quiet scene was easy to understand.

10:30 a.m.
We arrived at the trailhead station, put on our crampons, and started hiking toward the mountain hut along the snowy trail. The air was cold and fresh, and the new snow felt clean and quiet. Each step made a soft, crunchy sound as we walked through the snowy woods.

On the steeper parts of the trail, the crampons did not work very well because the snow was deep and soft. Near the hut, the trail was hard to see and almost disappeared under the snow. Even so, we could find our way thanks to marker poles placed about every ten meters, pointing us toward the hut.

11:30 a.m.
We arrived at the mountain hut. We had planned to climb Maruyama after a short break, but the weather was poor. Strong winds were blowing, and thick clouds blocked our view. We decided to check in at the hut and prepare for the next day instead.

Day 2, Sunday, January 4th

6:30 a.m.
It was a beautiful morning with clear weather as we set off toward Doppyo (2,701 meters).

As dawn broke, the sky turned red around the rising sun, revealing stunning mountain views. We could even see Mt. Fuji far in the distance. However, once we reached the ridge, we struggled against strong winds as we continued our ascent. Stopping to take photos or videos was especially difficult—the freezing winds quickly numbed our bare hands, putting us at risk of frostbite.

After two hours of battling the conditions, we unfortunately made the decision to turn back halfway.

Afterword

Thank you, Sachi, for everything you prepared. Although the climb was challenging due to strong winds and freezing temperatures, we were deeply impressed by the stunning white mountain scenery.