Winter, mountains, and snow
2012年01月31日
Japanese archipelago keeps taking a cold weather now.
In the temperate zones on the globe it is the rule that every year they have
cool or cold winter seasons.
When I try to point out what is conspicuous for Japan’s winter, though, I’d like to say that it has so thick snowfall.
Why does Japan have so much snow in winter? – The reason lies in its
geographical features.
Japan is struck by a very cold seasonal wind in winter blown from Siberia.
It blows from the continent through Sea of Japan, and while it passes
through the sea water it gets wetter and wetter.
The cold but wet wind lands on Japan, and when it collides against high
mountains of Japanese archipelago it turns into so much snowfall.
Because of such a feature of Japan’s geography, we have different
weathers between northern and southern sides of mountains in Japan.
Now I live in Kyoto, western Japan.
Kyoto has a rather cold winter, but it hardly sees much snowfall and dry
days continue here.
Only 50 kilometers up northward from Kyoto, however, this year it snows
heavily in San-in and Hokuriku Regions (山陰・北陸地方).
Between Kyoto and San-in and Hokuriku Regions there are mountains that
part two of the weathers.
Japanese mountains with white snow are beautiful, though.
I’d like to pick up the beauty of snowy mountains as one of the most
beautiful landscapes of Japan.
White mountains can be seen even from many big cities in Japan. Many cities
lie near mountains in Japan.
As for Kyoto where I live, we can see Hira mountains (比良山地) covered with
glittering snow to the north, when I stand at the place called Toba (鳥羽),
southern part of the city.
From Toba we can see Kamo River (鴨川) flow through Kyoto City, Mount Hiei
(比叡山) stand in the foreground, and Hira mountains glittering with snow on
the background.
The total landscape of these river, city, and mountains in winter is nice,
I think.
Once upon a time Toba had a gorgeous detached palace of the Imperial House,
around a thousand years ago.
Now there is no palace left, but mountains and rivers remain.
Standing at Toba in 21st Century I can imagine how ancient nobles enjoyed
the landscape from the palace that once stood here.
(Oda Mitsuo : Yueisya/JITEN)
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