The literally hang out the flags for visitors to the small town of Nishikawa in the snowy foothills of Yamagata's Dewa Sanzan mountains. A large British Union Jack was crossed with a Japanese Hinomaru over the entrance to Tamaki, a riverside restaurant famous for its Hina ryori (Doll's Festival food), my first stop on what I hoped would be a restorative long weekend.

If the flag gave me delusions of grandeur, these were redoubled when a TV news crew waiting inside the restaurant filmed my entrance and recorded my thoughts on the 14-dish banquet that I was soon enjoying. It turned out, though, that the reporters weren't there on my account, but to capture the commencement of Hina celebrations at Tamaki, which include a spectacular display of dolls dating back to the Genroku Period (1688-1704).

The cameras followed me no farther, but the star treatment didn't let up for the next 48 hours. Whether it was a kimono-clad attendant tirelessly refilling my glass, a knowledgeable snow-trekking guide sharing forest lore, or a master-cutter letting me rummage through a box of semi-precious stones to select the perfect piece, I received attention and a welcome that was no less warm than the weather was cold.