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This is Page 1 of 3 - the best of January 2006!
posted: February 1st, 2006
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The photos on this page actually cover from December 29 - the trip to Kazuya's hometown of Funagata, in Yamagata Prefecture, to January 1, 2006 at 1:12 PM - Mt. Zao (1,661 meters = 5,449 feet) and it's famous snow monsters. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

  In this row you can see 2 pictures taken from the window of the Shinkansen (Bullet) Train as we traveled north to Yamagata Prefecture on December 29th. The 3rd photo is taken very near to Kazuya's Cousin's house in Usugi on December 30th (the title of the photo is misspelled). Look at the snow!
NorthCountry_Shinkansen04RC.jpg
NorthCountry_Shinkansen04RC
NorthCountry_Shinkansen05RC.jpg
NorthCountry_Shinkansen05RC
Utsugi_NearKazuyaCousin03RC.jpg
Utsugi_NearKazuyaCousin03RC

  The first 2 photos in this row are also near Kazuya's Cousin's place in Usugi (Dec 30th). The 3rd photo is a Hot Spring we visited in Naruko - also on December 30th.
Utsugi_NearKazuyaCousin09RC.jpg
Utsugi_NearKazuya
Cousin09RC
Utsugi_NearKazuyaCousin04RC.jpg
Utsugi_NearKazuya
Cousin04RC
NarukoHotSpring01RC.jpg
NarukoHot
Spring01RC

  All 3 shots in this row are taken at Tokura Lake, a place where Kazuya's father took us on December 31st. The water doesn't freeze here in this little corner of the lake, so the ducks and swans hang out here.
LakeTokuraDucks01RC.jpg
LakeTokuraDucks01RC
TokuraLake03RC.jpg
TokuraLake03RC
LakeTokuraSnowPlow02RC.jpg
LakeTokuraSnowPlow02RC

  The first 2 photos in this row are taken at Ginzan Town - a famous old silver mine which has been converted into a Hot Springs Resort type of town to retain it's vitality. This is another place where Kazuya's father took us on December 31st. The 3rd picture is a sign on the ropeway which we rode to the summit of Mt. Zao on January 1, 2006. We were very fortunate to have this day of no snow, blue skies and sun! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
GinzanTown02RC.jpg
GinzanTown02RC
GinzanTown06RC.jpg
GinzanTown06RC
ZaoSanRopeway03RC.jpg
ZaoSanRopeway03RC

  All 3 photos in this row were taken from the ropeway while riding to the summit of Mt. Zao. Kazuya's father and mother took us there to see the snow monsters. These relatively small trees become so monstrously coated with rime and hoarfrost that they turn into the most incredible monsters! Ergo - Snow Monsters!
ZaoSanRopewayScene01RC.jpg
ZaoSanRopeway
Scene01RC
ZaoSanRopewayJu_Hyo01RC.jpg
ZaoSanRopeway
Ju_Hyo01RC
ZaoSanRopewayJu_Hyo02RC.jpg
ZaoSanRopeway
Ju_Hyo02RC

  The first 2 photos in this row are also taken from the ropeway inside of the Gondola car. The 3rd photo is taken at the summit of the ropeway - amazing, eh! It was COLD and WINDY, so we took a bunch of pictures and headed back down.
ZaoSanRopewayScene05RC.jpg
ZaoSanRopeway
Scene05RC
ZaoSanRopewayScene03RC.jpg
ZaoSanRopeway
Scene03RC
ZaoSanSummitJuHyo01RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummit
JuHyo01RC

  All 3 photos in this row were taken at the summit of Mt. Zao. In the 2nd photo you can see how the wind is blowing my hat string. Do we look cold?
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters01RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitSnow
Monsters01RC
ZaoSanSummitKazuya_Me02RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummit
Kazuya_Me02RC
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters02RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitSnow
Monsters02RC

  Three more photos at the summit of Mt. Zao. Notice the skiers in the 1st and 2nd photos.
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters04RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummit
SnowMonsters04RC
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters03RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummit
SnowMonsters03RC
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters05RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummit
SnowMonsters05RC

  Three more at the summit of Zao.
ZaoSanSummitJuHyo11RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitJuHyo11RC
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters06RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters06RC
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters07RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters07RC

  And three more photos at the summit.
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters08RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters08RC
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters11RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters11RC
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters12RC.jpg
ZaoSanSummitSnowMonsters12RC

Thanks so much for taking the time to look, now please go to page 2 for the continuation of this wonderful scenery at Mt. Zao. Go To Page:


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