In October 2023, we were invited to speak at the Chikuma River Sea to Summit. During this event, we were welcomed in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese guest house. There we met the Kanoe family: Toshi San, his wife Hiroko San and their children Sho and Také, and the grandmother Kumi san and grandfather Shigeki San.

A few months later, we're back for an experience in the heart of the Nagano mountains. We're going to spend our winter in this little hamlet lost between forested mountains and snow-covered rice fields. It's a serene, peaceful and silent place. We feel that we are entering the heart of Japanese culture, and so we spend several weeks with this incredible family.

We are plunged into this white world. Only the sound of snow sliding across the roof breaks the silence of the dark night. Here, it snows a lot. The cold winds of Siberia bring an abundance of precipitation. When it snows, the flakes are as big as asteroids! as Nayla explains. 80 cm of powder when you wake up is not just a dream! Every time we make a turn, the snow files over our heads. And to our great delight, thermal water also springs up in this little village!

We enjoy skiing and snowboarding not just for the sensations, but also for the runs in storms and powder and for the mogul fields.

We love this deep connection with nature, wondering of the size of the snowflakes, the seas of fog, the high white mountains that loom all the way to Niigata,  the terraced rice fields of the valley. There are also the picnics and fondues with our friends.

Speaking about our friends, they came to visit us from all over Japan to spend a day or two with us.

Even Tatsuno San skied with us, while Shigeo San took us to discover the fabulous Hokkusai's paintings in Obuse, a painter, artist and sculptor from the 8th century. The Great Wave of Kanagawa remains the emblem of Japanese art, disproportionate, foaming and threatening.

Festival and traditions

Sebsubun

In February, it's time to chase the demons out of the house! We celebrate Setsubun by eating sushi in a north-north-westerly direction! Then suddenly the Oni appeared! So we had to chase it away vigorously with peanuts! "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi" "Demon comes out of the house, happiness flows into our lives".

Hinamatsuri

In March, it was the girls' festival: Hinamatsuri. Nayla and Fibie slowly dressed up, wrapping themselves in their kimono and tightening their obi. They slipped their feet into traditional shoes and added a colourful clip to their hairstyle. The traditional wedding statuettes have been displayed in the hall for several days. They are the symbols of this festival, celebrated in every home where a girl is born. With the Kanoe family, we drank amazake, a fermented rice drink. For desert, the mochi with red bean paste and sakura leaves were a magnificent delicacy.