Snow…and more snow…

Since it’s snowed about 2 ft. over the past few days where I live, I thought I’d talk about snow.

First off, here’re some Japanese snow scenes for you, taken during 2005 in the Hagiwara district, not too far from Nikko (I think).

I lived in Aomori Prefecture (northernmost prefecture on the main island) during my first winter in Japan. Dude. People dug tunnels to their front doors through the snow. The city of Aomori piled snow in center of the streets, and I kid you not, the piles were at least 30′ high.

One summer I spent a month in a city called Oomagari (Akita prefecture). Most of the houses in this town have a door on the second story, but no stairs leading up to it.

Why, you ask? Well, during the winter, they just pack the snow down and carve steps into it, using the second-story door as the main entrance. That’s a lotta snow.

So here are some snow-related words for you:

冬
fuyu
winter

雪
yuki
snow

雪が降る
yuki ga furu
to snow (furu = “to fall”; “ame ga furu” means to rain)

雪が積もる
yuki ga tsumoru
for snow to “pile up” (tsumoru = to pile up, accumulate)

氷
koori
ice

ひょう
hyou
hail

みぞれ
mizore
sleet

除雪
josetsu
snow removal

除雪車
josetsusha
snow plow (snow removal truck)

雪かき
yukikaki
snow removal (less formal than “josetsu”)/ snow shoveling
Check out THIS LINK for the latest “yukikaki” information for the Sapporo area. The snow-shoveling monkeys show where residents are likely to have to shovel snow. Not sure how often it’s updated, but the monkeys are funny.

ツララ
tsurara
icecicle

氷山
hyouzan
iceberg

氷河
hyouga
glacier

吹雪
fubuki
blizzard

霜焼け
shimoyake
frostbite, chilblains (not the kind of frostbite that’ll they have to cut your toes off, it just hurst, especially when you start warming up again)

凍傷
toushou
frostbite (the kind where they do have to cut your toes off)

Here’s a “fubuki” (blizzard) in Aomori from a few months back. Nasty.

I told you it snows crazy there.

Sore ja.