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Winter (and The Snow) is Here!

Winter is always one of the best seasons to enjoy in Japan! If you are coming from a tropical country and not familiar with winter but want to spend your holidays in Japan during winter, here are some tips for you.

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Find Snow in Japan!

Not all areas in Japan are snowy! Many foreign tourists mistakenly assume that Tokyo is snowy as well, but unfortunately no snow in Tokyo (except in special conditions where sometimes snow falls in Tokyo and surrounding areas due to a big cold wave like once in winter or nothing at all).

Snow falls in the northern area of Japan such as Hokkaido, Tohoku area (Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Fukushima, Miyagi), and some parts of the Kita-Kanto area (Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki), and areas at the Sea of Japan covering Hokuriku (Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui) and some part of Chugoku area (Tottori and Shimane that are facing the Sea of Japan).

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Clothes in Non-Snowy Areas

Like in Tokyo or other areas that are not really snowy, the wind is freezing! You will need an inner (preferably cotton), warm knit, muffler, and a winter coat. During the peak of winter in January and February, you will need warm thick knit, a down jacket, and preferably with a muffler, knit hat, and gloves. The point is, wear clothes in some layers!

Make sure to bring along lip cream and hand cream to prevent bleeding due to cold dry weather and make sure to keep yourself dry.

Clothes in Snowy Areas

The temperature in the snowy areas might drop very low, especially in the morning and night up to about -20 ° or so, depending on the area. Basically, you will need thick, waterproof, and windbreak clothes like ski wear, and wearing a long down jacket with a knit hat, muffler, ear puff, and thick gloves will be very helpful to keep you warm, in addition to an inner, a thin shirt, and a thick warm knit. On top of that, the most important thing is to wear slip-resistant boots because walking on the snow is extremely slippery!

Tips

・Make sure to put on some cream on your face to prevent the skin dry out.
・Warm the neck, wrist, and ankle will help to increase your body temperature.
・If you need more warmth or are in poor physical condition, using a stomach band is helpful to warm the inner organs and help the body condition to get better.

Winter Sports

Experience winter sports is something you can look forward to when enjoying winter in snowy areas. It needs a certain amount of snow before people can slide over, that’s why in some cases, ski resorts can’t decide their opening date too early because they are relying on the weather.

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Ski and Snowboarding; Where To Do and What To Prepare In Enjoying These Popular Winter Sports!

 

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The most popular winter sports are skiing and snowboarding. In most ski resorts, there is a ski or snowboarding class where first-timer can learn how to enjoy the sports. Besides, most resorts have ski and snowboarding wear and goods rental, so you do not have to prepare everything by yourself.

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