Winter Always Comes

winter always comes

we wait, and we remember

winter always goes

Seasonal ‘wagashi’ (Japanese sweets) for December

Seasonal ‘wagashi’ (Japanese sweets) for December

Seasonal ‘wagashi’ (Japanese sweets) for December

Out the classroom window – the first snow

A cold morning on the lake – a clam fisherman collects shijimi

Corner drugstore

In winter, camellias bloom

Streets of Kitahori

Streets of Kitahori

Ice on the moat

A winter’s walk

The moat in winter

We have a lot of moats, actually

Argos – A fantastic little bookstore

A warm corner

A cold road

Neighbourhood bridge

A thin skimming of ice

A blustery day on the lake shore

Brightness on a cold day

Asagumigawa in winter

Winter reflections

Snowy bankside path

River town

Tenacious ivy

Canal

A shrine lit for Setsubun – the last day of winter

Winter in Japan, while not as cold as winters in my Canadian home, can be a miserable time. I once read in a book on the Edo period that winters and summers in Japan were seasons only to be endured. The Japanese winter, at least in this quiet corner of Japan is invasively damp, and the cold is hard to escape. Japanese houses and schools are not well-equipped to repel cold, and people rely on electric heaters, kerosene heaters, heated carpets and the wonderful and seductive kotatsu – a heated table with a blanket that you can tuck yourself into on a cold night, and never leave.

Despite the cold weather, I like winter here. The snowfalls are gorgeous. As the temperature is rarely much below zero degrees celcius, the snowflakes are fat and fluffy, and fall with slow grace. In my thick coat, gloves and hat – overdressed by Japanese standards – I am warm and cozy as I walk. The snowy nights are peaceful. Snow only briefly stays in this city, so I enjoy its ephemeral beauty.

Still, I look forward to the spring, and warm spring days to come.