(gentle music)
- We've just arrived in Tokamachi in Niigata prefecture.
And it's a pretty long trip from Fukuoka
but also a pretty long trip from Niigata city
but it was quite a beautiful train ride
passing all the scenery and seeing the snow pile up
as we headed closer into the interior of the prefecture.
I can't wait to get out there and explore,
let's go!
(laughs)
Look at this!
This is insane to me.
Look at this.
To walk down a street,
the snow has piled up taller than me.
One of the interesting things about Tokamachi
is that in spite of its extremely rural placement in Japan,
it seems to have a lot of modern development
and artistic spirit.
So we've just arrived at Mori No Gakkou Kyororo
in the middle of the mountains covered in snow.
You can't really see it.
There's like the tip,
right up there.
Apparently that's an observatory.
And from up there we should be getting some killer views.
Mori No Gakkou Kyororo is a natural science museum
located in the middle of a nature-rich mountain side area
geared towards teaching young children
about the local ecosystem
and the life that's supported by it.
It opened in the public in 2003
during the local Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
held at the same time.
Along with science displays,
you can also find works of art
stationed inside and outside the building.
So inside the museum
there is a tower that gives you a view of the entire area
but this tower is also an art installation
and it's dark.
There's a little bit of light.
You have to take your time
and be very careful when going up the stairs.
It's really cool.
- This tower has been designed
to be a total sensory experience
with 300 steps to the top of the tower.
You can only place your hand
on the guard rail and carefully make your way to the top.
Oh, and maybe don't look down.
It's getting brighter!
We're here!
Visitors who make it all the way
to the top of the observatory can see the landscape
from above and receive an educational lecture
explaining the dynamics of the forest.
You can rent snow shoes here!
Tokamachi is renowned for its record snowfall every year.
There's currently over three meters
of snow in the mountains.
It's not every day I get to rent snowshoes
and venture into the forest on three meters of snow.
We're heading over to the nearby forest,
Bijinbayashi.
Bijin is the Japanese word for beautiful lady
and in a poetic way,
this refers to the towering beach tree forest
as a forest of tall beautiful women.
Their appearance changes every season.
So this is a location you can look forward
to visiting several times throughout the year.
In the winter the area is so quiet.
You can hear the snow falling off the branches
and plunging into the powder below.
So it's lunchtime and I'm getting really hungry.
We've come to in Satoyama Shokudo in Matsudai,
and apparently this place is absolutely gorgeous.
It's very artistic.
Satoyama Shokudo is another one of the area's
many artistic spectacles that draws tourists
to the area every year.
So the way everything is designed
is that the tables have mirrors
and they reflect photographs
that are actually on the roof.
So when you sit at your table and you eat your food
you can also browse photographs
while also enjoying this gorgeous winter wonderland scenery.
Oh my gosh.
Wow!
So here is our lunch.
After a busy morning of snowshoeing
this is a great place to relax
and take in the scenery while enjoying delicious local food.
Next up is a trip to
the Museum of Contemporary Art KINARE.
Here, they have some uniquely Japanese displays
that are really interesting and worth checking out.
So this art display is meant to replicate the feeling
of being underneath a kotatsu.
It's underneath a giant kotatsu
so you can see that they have the table,
the table legs from real kotatsus.
And you can actually switch
the kotatsus
on and off.
Even if you're an adult this is a lot of fun
and super cozy.
A kotatsu is a Japanese heated table
that is typically used in the winter.
It is one of the many ways that Japanese people stay warm
over the cold months
and to be inside a giant one,
it was super amazing.
The sign says they are kotatsu cars.
Oh my God, is this a steering wheel?
This is so funny.
(laughing)
Oh my God.
I hit a pillar!
Why is she so good?
So with these nonbinding snowboards,
we're going to go up on the snow hill and try to slide down.
Hey, who says museums have to be boring?
And if I'm being honest, it was a lot of fun
to pretend like I was a kid again.
Nice!
Yay!
(laughing)
So now we are at Otogi No Kuni No Bijutsukan
and we're about to do an orimono taiken.
As you can see here,
there are so many different types
of woven fabrics across Japan.
Every prefecture has their own style.
I'm very familiar with hakata-ori
which is prominent here in Fukuoka where I'm from.
But today I'm in Tokamachi,
so I'm going to be learning how to do yoshizawa no orimono.
Woven fabrics are made all across Japan
and although they can look very similar,
the subtle differences between colors
and patterns used along with the quality of the thread
varies from region to region.
So I finished all the blue string
and now we've switched to yellow,
which will give it a bit of a different color pattern
to the next block.
- Yoshizawa orimono creates a sturdy silk fabric
that is woven thick,
perfect for luxury grade kimono
and other items that rely on durability and longevity.
(speaking Japanese)
Thank you!
Tokamachi has a lot going on.
Aside from hosting art displays
it's also a host town for the games.
And over the past few years,
Tokamachi has been gearing up
to welcome Croatia to Japan this summer.
Today we've arranged a special interview
to learn a little bit more about it.
(speaking Japanese)
What kind of area is Tokamachi
for people who don't know
or who have never visited before?
- First of all,
I think Tokamachi is very very similar to Croatia.
In 2002 when the Croatian national soccer team
chose this place,
they basically chose it
because it was very similar to Croatia.
The air was kind of dry,
also like in Croatia.
It reminded them of the places
they are usually training at.
I also snowboard.
So, you know,
in Tokamachi
it's kind of ridiculous
how much snow falls every year.
So, I mean,
I like it.
- As a coordinator for international relations
Sven has been working closely
with the city to bring the two cultures together.
In particular, these Croatian ties
are made from durable silk woven fabric from Tokamachi
and are a special item that members of the city
proudly wear themselves.
So one of the most famous foods in Tokamachi
if you come to Tokamachi,
you absolutely must try hegi-soba.
Soba is available all across Japan,
but what makes Hegi-soba unique is the way that it's served.
The soba is served in a looped shape
in a wooden tray,
with each loop equaling a mouth full of food.
It's definitely more organized
and a lot easier to eat this way.
I topped it off with some sake and some soba-zenzai.
Finally just before leaving Niigata
we dropped by the house of light,
a very fancy and luxurious ryokan style art space
where guests can rent the rooms and stay overnight.
With its elegant design and Japanese style bath
and sprawling views of the countryside,
this is a nice place.
I wouldn't mind staying here sometime
if I could get a reservation.
They're pretty hard as far as I know.
When you see a big block of snow,
you got to play in it.
I don't know when I'll be able to see this much snow again.
So we're taking this opportunity
to climb all the snowbanks.
(laughing)
After a quick jump in the snow
it was time to get on the train and head back to Niigata,
before heading back to Fukuoka.
The scenery out here is absolutely gorgeous
and there were really surprising ties with Croatia
that I didn't expect to find here.
I've been doing a lot of host town work this year
and I'm always really impressed
with the amount of effort and energy and love
that goes into building these relationships
with other countries in the world.
I really, really hope that all of their efforts
get to pay off this summer
and they get to strengthen their ties with other countries.
Thanks so much for watching.
And let me know if you enjoyed this video.
If you want to watch other videos
please check out my playlist and my channel.
Thanks.
And I'll talk to you guys again soon.
Have a great day.
Bye.
(upbeat music)