YUKIGATA; YUKI is snow and GATA is shape or figure.
When the snow that covered the mountain surface begins to melt, the contrast between the white of the snow and the blue-black on the mountain surface creates a unique pattern. They can also look like people, animals, or agricultural tools. In the old days when there were no weather forecasts, changes in the shape served as a good guide for farming.
This year again, I went to the Japan Alps to see YUKIGATA.
As we entered May, there were days when the temperature changed drastically, and I was looking forward to seeing what this year would be like. Almost the same, isn’t it. If you closely look at the mountain surface in the foreground, it looks about midway among 2022 and 2023.
Rice seedlings seem to be growing more smoothly than usual. The planting is earlier here than in my area (the southern part of Nagano City).
