I watch the world transform from gray Tokyo cityscape to blinding-white, snow-covered mountains from my shinkansen window. This Niigata Prefecture scene was once famously described in Yasunari Kawabata's "Snow Country," but I'm not trying to retrace his steps — instead I'm heading to the town of Tokamachi to spend my birthday visiting contemporary artist James Turrell's "Hikari no Yakata" or "House of Light."
"Yōkoso! Welcome!" a townsman greets my friends and I with a cup of local amazake (a sweet, fermented rice drink) almost immediately upon exiting the train station, as if he expected us. I reach out a frozen, ungloved hand to accept the cup, which cools before even reaching my mouth.
The townsman guides us through a small tunnel carved through a pyramidal snow sculpture that opens up into a snow-walled maze. Encouraged onward by the sounds of J-pop, the icy labyrinth leads to a plaza — a winter wonderland complete with giant snow sculptures and a snow stage upon which dancers are throwing packets of rice and sweets to children below. Asking around, I discover my visit fortuitously coincides with Tokamachi's 69th annual yuki matsuri (snow festival).
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.