Winter in Japan can mean a variety of things. For some, it’s the charming image of playful anthropomorphic monkeys bathing in a steaming onsen, and to others it’s Tokyo Tower decorated like a Christmas tree. However, in the Hokuriku area on the Sea of Japan side, winter is a living breathing entity pummeling the west coast with record-breaking amounts of frozen water each year.
The answer to this seasonal phenomenon lies in the JPCZ (Japan Sea Polar Air Mass Convergence Zone). When cold air flows from Siberia across the Sea of Japan into the Japanese archipelago, it creates a high pressure area and the air becomes humid, bringing a surreal abundance of snow in a short period of time. Moreover, Hokuriku’s annual snowfall often rivals that of its northern neighbors of Aomori and Hokkaido in the Tohoku area.
Niigata
We start in Niigata Prefecture, which is known as the “Snow Country” and for good reason. Flush against the Sea of Japan, this mountainous swath of land is annually caught in the throes of heavy moist snowfall that threatens whiteouts each winter. As such, select spots such as Mt. Myoko and Echigo-Yuzawa are prime ski locations, while the rooftops of Takada are equipped with extended eaves (the longest in the nation), providing passersby with safe access through the snow. Indeed, the expression “Takada lies underneath” was coined in honor of the sheer amount of precipitation buildup.
According to research, Niigata prefecture’s snow depth reached a record of 708 cm in 1936, specifically in the heavily-laden area of Uonuma, which is coincidentally the home to Japan’s highest-ranking rice: Koshihikari. Indeed, the mouth-watering rice is a direct result of the vast amount of melted snowfall that waters the area’s fields.
Toyama
Neighboring Niigata to the south, Toyama prefecture is an easy target for the JPCZ and accumulates vast amounts of snowfall starting in November and lasting until March. Toyama’s towering 3,000-meter Tateyama mountain range gives way to “Snow Valley”, or the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, a snow-white sightseeing road surrounded by a wall of snow that can reach up to 20 meters via strong winds. On the plus-side, harsh winters bring in generous hauls of red Shinminato snow Crab, as well as mouth-watering fatty yellowtail caught from Toyama Bay.
For those looking for something a bit more off-the-beaten path, the gassho-style houses populating Gokayama’s 40 small villages of Ainokura and Suganuma are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are a guaranteed ticket back through time.
Ishikawa
Continuing down the coast, Ishikawa and its jutting Noto Peninsula are no strangers to cold blasts of harsh weather, but here, the prefecture’s fastidious denizens prepare themselves well in advance. One of the winter highlights in Ishikawa is heading to Kenrokuen Garden and enjoying the iconic yukitsuri: bamboo and rope supports that protect the trees from the weight of the heavy humid snow. While you’re in Kanazawa, watch how snow transforms the Higashichaya District’s townhouses and Kazuemachi Teahouse District into hushed picturesque Edo period scenes.
Further inland, around the Kaga Nakatsuhara area, the Hakusan mountain range absorbs the blunt of snowy impact, but rewards powder-hounds with ideal ski slopes by day and steamy onsen to unwind in by night.
Fukui
Lastly, in the elephant-trunk shaped prefecture of Fukui, winter unleashes heavy wet flakes down to a degree that many citizens never leave the house without an umbrella. However, thanks to sea breezes, Fukui’s Echizen coast is surprisingly spared from the snowy onslaught, and instead beds of daffodils defiantly populate the sloping hills. The real winter action happens in the precipitous Okuetsu region located in the Ryohaku Mountains, where you can hit one of the largest slopes in Western Japan at the Ski Jam.
No trip to the prefecture in winter would be complete without sampling Echizen snow crab, an emblematic symbol of Fukui and the only crab in Japan that has been presented to the Imperial Household.
A winter in Japan’s Hokuriku region is unlike any other you’re likely to experience anywhere else. Sure, you could spend the entire season safe from the elements, but then you would miss out on a singular culture carved out of snow, seemingly isolated but warm and steeped in its own timeless traditions. If you’re not opposed to a little inclement weather, hop a Shinkansen and submerge yourself in the Snow Country, but just be sure to dress appropriately.
Josh Furr
Joshua first came to Japan with his family over 10 years ago and it completely ruined his life (in the best of ways). When he’s not trying to pass the JLPT, he’s researching Japanese history, enjoying 80s J-Pop and dreaming of 牛丼. He’s currently writing, writing, writing…mostly about Japan and video games.
