Visiting this place again after six years is giving me chills. The journey from Tokyo by Shinkansen 1 feels familiar, but not similar. Six years ago, Shinkansen was a luxury choice, chosen only when it’s really needed, often as a last option for travel, even if it meant adding more days on travel itinerary. Getting older allows me to interpret things differently. Now, time is perceived as more valuable than money, especially after the Yen was allowed to be devalued twenty-five percent just within two years 2. It just shows how bad we humans are at balancing things, even though we would like to tell ourselves that we are always in control.
Most small businesses in Japan struggled and went out of business during Corona times, especially businesses in small towns that depended on visiting travelers. Echigo Yuzawa was one of them, most businesses here seem unfamiliar compared to six years ago. But it has given this town a fresh new look for a ski town. Things may have changed, but the character of the town remains the same. The ski town today still attracts skiers from all over the world, for its short distance from the major cities like Tokyo and its beautiful mountain ranges view.
From the top of Yuzawa Kogen, a snow country view of this town was widely opened. It was a perfect mix of a city and nature. Matchbox-size homes and buildings with bright colors, surrounded by the view of snow-covered Jōshin-etsu mountain ranges - some of them being famous peaks within Japan’s top hundred 3, Makihata-yama, Tanigawa-dake, and Naeba-san. Both time I was here to witness a family member and a friend seeing snow for the first time. On a good day, the view was so surreal, like a wallpaper on a computer. Somebody made a Yuki Daruma 4 earlier at the peak and left it there, it was a good addition to a perfect snow view.
The town still has a laid-back soul. People come here to relax and have a good time. I waited for thirty minutes to get my hot latte in a family-owned cafe 5 near the ski area, but I couldn’t help but enjoy the wait in a relaxing cafe vibe, filled with handmade arts. There were a few pictures printed on canvas, hung on the wall - I ended up looking at those for minutes, time just stops here. Despite the late latte, I seemed to naturally thank the owner with a big smile, and the latte still turned out amazing. It was a weird feeling. This kind of thing would never happen in Tokyo. Nobody would wait more than five minutes for a latte in Tokyo, but I would wait even for an hour in this cafe again someday.