A Festival of Light and Snow in Nikko, Japan

December to February are typically the winter months in Japan. As the snow rages and blankets the streets all over the country as it has been for over a month now, the quaint onsen town of Yunishigawa slowly gears up for its biggest winter festival yet.

Starting from late January to early March, Yunishigawa hosts the Yunishigawa Kamakura Festival, an annual winter festival that takes place in the onsen town of the Tochigi prefecture.

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My side trip’s main goal was to see hundreds of these little mounds light up at night for the Kamakura Festival’s night illumination. Unfortunately, the bus was too infrequent and I messed up my itinerary from getting off the wrong station with infrequent rides. And the organizers wouldn’t allow me to go near in the morning.. *Note to self: if going back again, take the free bus ride! One way is ¥1,750 from Kinugawa! . . . . . #travel #instatravel #travelgram #tourism #instago #igtravel #travelphotography #solotravel  #instago #ig_worldclub #worldcaptures #worldingram #japan_of_insta #japan #cooljapan #yunishigawakamakurafestival #visitjapanjp @visitjapanjp #explorejapan #japanfocus

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At the core of the festival is the winter tradition of northern Japan, featuring “kamakura”. Kamakura are snow houses (almost igloo-like) that are traditionally made in the Tohoku region and the northern area of the Kanto region.

Exploring Yunishigawa during the festival season will undoubtedly lead you to find small and large kamakura houses all over the town. The main area of the event is at Heike no Sato, where you’ll find hotpot meals or BBQ in such snow houses, a great way to warm your entire body up (aside from the onsen).

While the kamakura houses are surely the main attraction, there’s a host of activities which you can do from snow sliding and snowshoeing, to your very own kamakura making experience. The day will whizz by before you know it.

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湯西川温泉♨️ ⠀ 栃木県の鬼怒川の方にある温泉で#湯西川温泉かまくら祭り のミニかまくらを見にいってきたよ❄️ ⠀ お祭りが3月2日までとかで、そのラストの日に行ったから 雪が溶けてなくなっちゃってるかも…って不安だったけど しっかりかまくらと雪が残っててよかった〜〜 ⠀ 予想外だったのはお祭りの終わりだからか三角コーンが置かれてて近くで見れないことと規模感が小さすぎたこと笑 写真と本当に全然違いすぎて2人でなんか違うねて笑ってた でも一応この光景が見たかったから満足ということで…? ⠀ 宿は#彩り湯かしき花と華 てところに泊まって #一升べら と#囲炉裏料理 を食べたよ 温泉も3種類くらいあって満足?‍♀️ あと部屋が広くて綺麗だった！ ⠀ 締めは宇都宮餃子食べに行こうとしたけど 途中の下今市にも#正嗣 があったからそこで食べた やっぱり正嗣の焼き餃子美味しい? ⠀ ちなみに湯西川温泉のあたりは熊肉とか鹿肉的な獣肉が たくさん売ってたから昼は鹿肉ラーメンを食べたけど あんまり臭みとかなかった ⠀ 本当は白川郷に行く予定だったんだけど急遽色々変わり もう一個行きたかった方の湯西川温泉にも行けたしよかった！ どっちが日本人かな？てくらい私がミスしまくりで しっかりしてるタベアに助けられたよ? 楽しい国内旅行でした #湯西川温泉かまくら祭 #湯西川温泉 #かまくら祭り #yunishigawa #栃木旅行 #栃木観光

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That’s not necessarily a bad thing either as the true magic of the festival comes alive at night. If you think seeing the kamakura houses in the day was amazing, at night, about 800 small and large kamakura huts are lit up by way of candles, a beautiful sight as Yunishigawa morphs into a mesmerising winter wonderland.

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winter , is a season of recovery and preparation. – Paul Theroux . . . . . . . . . . . . #Nikko #Kinugawaonsen #Yunishigawaonsen #Heikenosato #湯西川温泉 #平家の里 #奥日光 #日光 #鬼怒川温泉 #冬の旅 #冬休み #雪 #夜景 #静寂 #icu_japan #ig_nippon #wu_japan #japanawaits #ig_japan #welovejapan #igersjp #ptk_japan #wp_japan #gf_japan #team_jp_ #explorejapan #whim_life #tokyomidtown #special_spot_

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Yunishigawa is a beautiful and culturally rich onsen town, one that is something of a hidden gem, despite its 400 over years of history. Even if it’s not for the kamakura, dipping in a hot spring in the heart of winter is one of the best experiences ever, and bonus points considering that Yunishigawa isn’t as inundated with people as the other onsen towns can be.

If you’re thinking of taking an early holiday in the new year, spending two days in Yunishigawa isn’t a bad idea at all.

When: 1st February 2020 – 1st March 2020

Hours: 9AM – 9PM

Admission Fee: 500 Yen (300 Yen for entries after 5PM)