| |
August-September Weather
Summers in Japan are hot and HUMID (mushi-atsui). The use of air-conditioning is not widespread; the vast majority of schools and teachers' offices are not air-conditioned. August usually brings quite a few typhoons, lots of wind and rain, but no decrease in the temperature or humidity level. The combination of hot weather, 42 bodies in one room, and teaching-jitters make September classes a soppy business - keep a handkerchief on you so you don't rain upon those hapless first-row students! Things to Do and See
Despite the heat, summer is a wonderful time in Niigata-ken - the rice is high and green, the cicadas are singing, and the new wave of JETs provide a great excuse for lots of socializing. Niigata is a beautiful prefecture with lots of coastline and fabulous mountains, so summer is a good time to explore the ken while getting to know your fellow JETs. There is almost always a breeze at the beach and it is a little less humid in the mountains. Sado Island - a beautiful gem off Niigata's coast - is a great place for a weekend getaway of snorkeling, scuba or cliff diving, and mountain biking. Late July and August is the festival season - nearly every city, town, and village has its own natsu matsuri (summer festival) of fireworks, dancing and drinking. The Nagaoka Fireworks, touted as one of biggest fireworks displays in Japan, is usually the first weekend in August and attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers. The Niigata Matsuri is the following weekend - its highlight is dancing over the Bandai Bridge. Over 30,000 yukata-clad people join in the 600+ year-old dance. The Niigata Friendship Center gives out yukata (cotton, summer kimono) to foreigners and leads them in the dancing. This funny group of gaijin makes the local TV news coverage every year. Big groups of JETs always attend these events - they are both great fun. Be sure to also participate in your local matsuri. October-November Weather
Autumn brings lovely, clear, comfortable weather to Niigata-ken. Red dragonflies abound (they will fly in through your open classroom windows and amuse your students with their procreative antics) and rice is harvested. Niigata residents are extremely proud of the lovely autumn colours and will be astounded to learn that the leaves change in your home country too! Get used to hearing, "Does America have four seasons?!" (Especially annoying if you're not from America!) The only thing that puts a damper on this otherwise beautiful season is the burning of the rice harvest waste. The smoke can get quite thick some days (asthma and allergy sufferers, please be prepared), but it makes for lovely sunsets. Things to See and Do
Autumn is a fabulous time to go camping and hiking. The fall colours in the mountains are beautiful and the weather is pretty much perfect. Yahiko Yama (mtn.) is one of this season's hot spots. With a kiku matsuri (chrysanthemum festival) and changing leaves, fall is the best time to make the short (1-1.5 hours) hike to the top (or you can take the gondola). The view is good and yummy ice cream is sold at the summit. Another great place to see the changing leaves is at Osaki Dam, in the mountains of Yamato-machi. You can rent a rowing boat, feed the monster koi (carp), hike around the hills and caves, and drop in on the friendly monk who lives in the nearby temple and welcomes visitors with sake and a smile. Just above the dam is a large, western-style cabin (with sit-down toilets and barbecues) that can sleep at least 30 people. ALTs in the area usually organise a big party there or in other similar areas, in October or November. December-March Weather
Winter sets (and settles) in during these months. This season is damp in Niigata - so even though the temperature hovers just around freezing, it feels COLD. The coastal areas are subject to a constant, strong wind (apparently straight from Siberia). There is lots of precipitation in every form. Niigata boasts the largest amount of snowfall in the world for its latitude (Kawabata's Nobel Prize winning Snow Country is set in Yuzawa-machi, Niigata). The amount of snow you have to shovel off your walkway will depend on where you live - but everyone gets some. Niigata residents are even more proud of the ken's massive amounts of snowfall than they are of its crimson autumn leaves. They will be amazed that you have seen snow before. Get used to hearing, "Do you have snow in Canada?" Temperature control in your school/apartment will likely be very different from that in your home country. Central heating (like air-conditioning) does not exist in Japan on a large scale (businesses and large buildings have it, but the places you will be calling home most likely will not). Your school will probably have large kerosene stoves in the classrooms and offices. Your apartment will also be warmed by space heaters (gas, kerosene, or electric), so be prepared to heat and live in one room for the winter, and don't be alarmed to see your breath in the morning before you turn the heater on, or to find that it's actually colder in your house than it is outside! You've heard of those heated toilet seats? You will soon understand why JETs regard them as Japan's greatest invention! Things to See and Do
Ski, snowboard, onsen. Snowboard, onsen, ski. Onsen, ski, snowboard. Niigata-ken is one of the BEST areas in Japan for winter sports (Nagano is right next door and we share the same mountain chain) and where there are ski-jo's, there are onsen (hot springs). There are ski slopes in all three regions of the ken, the two best areas being Arai/Myoko in the Joetsu region, and Shiozawa/Yuzawa in Chuetsu. Skiing and boarding make the long Niigata winter not just bearable, but actually something to look forward to. If you have the gear, be sure to bring it! If you don't, do not fret. You can buy an entire snowboarding ensemble (board, boots, and bindings, and oh-so-trendy-cool clothes) for 4-man-en. Highlights of the snow season include the Tokamachi-shi Snow Festival, featuring snow sculptures, outdoor tea ceremonies, and a variety show held on the world's largest ice stage, and the Koide-machi International Snowball Fight. Get a team together to enter Snowball's 'World Cup' event and prepare to get hammered by teams made up of baseball players and office ladies. Both of these unmissable events on the gaijin calendar take place in February, and will provide a great opportunity to get together and enjoy a unique Niigata experience. April-May Weather
March sees the end of heavy snowfall, to be replaced with slowly warming weather and the occasional snow flurry. This means that jeans will no longer take a week to dry; spring is just round the corner. Snow melts, leaving bare, brown rice fields and mountain sides. Soon, the greenery returns, making Niigata a beautiful place once again. With the end of snow and the rise in temperatures come the sakura (cherry blossoms) - more on this shortly. April and May are the most comfortable months of the year in terms of the weather, with low humidity, common clear skies and pleasantly warm temperatures - a relief after the cold of winter. Things to Do and See
The most popular Spring event is hanami (flower viewing). Takada Park in the Joetsu region is ranked the 3rd best place in all of Japan to view cherry blossoms at night(!). Groups of merry-makers gather on blue tarps beneath the blossoms for a day of festival food and sake. The flowers are really beautiful and the weather is usually perfect - hanami is a must-do. The other main event of the season is Golden Week - a string of national holidays during the last week of April and the first week of May. This is a good chance to get the most out of your few remaining days of nenkyu, but beware that Golden Week is the busiest travel time of the year in Japan. June-July Weather
June is Niigata's rainy season. It does not necessarily rain heavily, but it does rain often. The temperatures start to rise, and by July it is hot and sticky. You will master the art of carrying an umbrella while riding your mama-cheri (granny bike), and will marvel at how Japanese people manage to stay so dry and look so put-together - while you with your Gortex rain gear, rubber boots, and umbrella, dripping with rain and sweat, look like a drowned rat! Your electricity bills will reflect that the A/C is back on again. Things to See and Do
Beer gardens (roof top, astro-turfed, all-you-can-eat-and-drink bonanzas) open again and edamame (soy beans - boiled and lightly salted, the perfect beer companion) come into season. JETs are busy these months either preparing to leave Japan or saying goodbye to those that do. There are lots of sayonara parties (soubetsukai) and get-togethers. After the rain slackens off, the time is right for camping, white-water rafting and paragliding - all possible in Niigata-ken. A year in Niigata-ken passes quickly! So be sure to get out and experience the many great things that living in Niigata has to offer.
| |