{"id":79076,"date":"2021-03-20T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T02:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=79076"},"modified":"2021-03-19T18:08:01","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T09:08:01","slug":"snow-trip-family-iiyama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/snow-trip-family-iiyama\/","title":{"rendered":"Enjoy a Snowy Family Holiday in Iiyama City"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I didn’t see my first snow until I was five-years-old. Early in the morning, my mom rolled up a snowball from our front yard and placed it on my bedside table so it would be the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning. In retrospect, it was just a hard ball of ice, but for a child who had never seen snow before, it was a sphere of pure magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Now living in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, snow is a little more common in the winter. Nonetheless, it brings a tinge of excitement when I wake up in the morning to the sight of white flakes drifting down from the sky. But the snow accumulating on the streets of the Capital will rarely be more than enough to spur a low-key snowball fight or build a small and lonely snowman left to melt under a tree. No, for “big-game” snow play like sledding and building snow forts, one must leave the Kanto Plain lowlands and head to the mountains. Fortunately, thanks to the Hokuriku Shinkansen line’s extension in 2015, the perfect powder of Japan’s mountains is accessible to Tokyoites in just over an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Powder Snow of Iiyama City<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Iiyama City<\/strong> <\/a>is located in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture<\/strong> in an area where Nagano, Toyama, and Niigata prefectures converge in and around Japan’s Northern Alps. The area’s unique geography creates perfect conditions for nature to drop dump-truck loads of light and airy powder snow<\/strong> on the mountains around Iiyama, attracting skiers and snowboarders from all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A fresh coat of powder snow on the mountains of Iiyama<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Many ski resort areas around Iiyama became well-known due to international exposure from the 1998 Winter Olympics, but skiers largely overlooked Iiyama for many years. But as areas such as Hakuba<\/a> have become more popular with tourists seeking a lively nightlife after a day on the slopes, Iiyama has quietly enjoyed popularity with those seeking a more relaxed off-slope experience, particularly families with younger children. Consequently, resorts and accommodations in the Iiyama area tend to cater to families, providing an atmosphere the whole family can enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Play in the Snow at Iiyama Kamakura Village<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What makes the powder snow attractive to skiers and snowboarders is also a boon for kids who enjoy frolicking in the snow. Sledding is much more enjoyable when a wipeout lands you in soft piles of feathery powder rather than on a hard bed of ice with the wind knocked out of you. Tunnels and caves are easily carved out of mounds of powder snow, and snowball fights do not end in concussions for unlucky participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Iiyama City’s best seasonal attractions is the Kamakura Village<\/strong><\/a>, built on a wide snow-covered rice paddy from late January through February each year. Kamakura<\/em> means igloo in Japanese, and about 25 igloos are constructed and maintained by a group of hearty workers here. Visitors can enjoy a hot and hearty meal of nabe<\/em><\/a> \u306a\u3079 during this period, a Japanese hot pot dish shared among friends and family. The Iiyama version contains generous portions of local pork and vegetables in a miso-based broth.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n