- 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)