Japan’s geography creates two very different winter experiences.
He packed his camera bag. He would leave for Tokyo in the morning. But as he slid under the kotatsu one final time, the warmth rising up his legs, the taste of mikan still on his tongue, he realized he wasn't the same man who had arrived. winter japan months
Coming of Age Day . On the second Monday of January, you’ll see young adults dressed in stunning formal kimonos visiting shrines to celebrate turning 20. February: Festivals & Ice But as he slid under the kotatsu one
, the winter season officially spans from , though snowy conditions can linger in the northern regions and mountains through March or even April . ❄️ Seasonal Timeline February: Festivals & Ice , the winter season
He resented the rituals. The way his aunt would place a kotatsu —a heated table with a heavy quilt—in the center of the room, and the family would slide their legs under it, eating mikan oranges that stained their fingers with sweet rind. They spoke in whispers. Kenji felt like a ghost in his own childhood home.
In February, the light changed. It was subtle at first—a softer gray, a longer dusk. Kenji walked to the Shinto shrine at the edge of the village. A row of kagami mochi —two stacked rice cakes with a bitter orange on top—had been left as offerings. Their surfaces were crazed with tiny cracks from the freeze-thaw cycle. He photographed them. Then he noticed the plum trees.
Similar to January, but with a hint of transition. It remains the best month for "monster" ice trees in Zao or seeing the snow monkeys in Jigokudani bathing in hot springs.