Episode 27 of the podcast takes us back to Yamagata Prefecture and onto Tsuruoka, a city known for its diverse and rich traditional food culture. In 2014 Tsuruoka was designated a UNESCO ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ in recognition of that food culture including continued agricultural practices and use heirloom crops and wild plants foraged in the forests and mountains, along with creative use and contemporisation of those gastronomic practices. It was the first city in Japan to be awarded the status yet it remains relatively unknown (including for many Japanese).

In exploration of Tsuruoka’s food culture, in this episode I speak with Alexis Crump, Coordinator for International Relations of the Gastronomy Department in Tsuruoka. As Alexis and I discuss, the gastronomy of the region is reflective of its varied topography, with different food cultures and distinct areas existing within the UNESCO designation awarded to Tsuruoka.

Six distinct areas including Tsuruoka, Atsumi, Asahi, Kushibiki, Haguro and Fujishima account for the area generally referred to as Tsuruoka City, and each have their own food culture. Tsuruoka’s mixed landscape coastline, plains, forest and mountains is reflected in its varied gastronomy which takes advantage of the food available in each environment.

As we discuss in the interview, Tsuruoka offers visitors many reasons to visit in addition to its celebrated food culture. To learn more about what’s on offer, visit the official Tsuruoka City website for information about the region’s many attractions, festivals, hot springs and accommodation. You can also find images, a map of where Tsuruoka is and links to everything we discuss on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website.

Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 26 of the podcast transports us along one of the snow country’s most popular destinations – the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Located in Chubu Sangaku National Park, the Alpine Route is a popular sightseeing route that transports visitors across Japan’s highest mountain range – the Kita Alps or North Alps. It takes a series of mountain transports to do so that operate between different stations, eventually ascending to Murodo Station at 2450 metres / 8038 feet above sea level, from where you are within reach of the summit of Mount Tate or Tateyama – at 3003 metres / 9852 feet.

The Alpine Route is closed to the public through winter due to heavy snow in the mountains, reopening on April 15th every year and operating until the end of November. It is extremely popular with both Japanese and international visitors, who upon opening, head up the Alpine Route to witness its most famous sight – the 'Snow Walls of Tateyama'. As the weather warms in late-spring and into summer, walking trails beneath the snow will begin to emerge providing easier access to leisurely walks around the alpine plateau and more advanced overnight and multi-day hikes to the surrounding peaks including deep into the national park. For more information, visit the episode page on the Snow Country Stories Japan website.

Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Today's episode - Episode 25 of the podcast - kicks off Season 3 as we make our way north to Hokkaido and onto Japan’s largest national park, Daisetsuzan. Established in 1934, Daisetsuzan National Park is known for its alpine landscapes, abundant flora and fauna, and seasonal beauty including its deep snow of winter. For many, Daisetsuzan is the crown jewel of Japan’s 34 national parks and without any doubt, is one of the snow country’s most rewarding destinations.

In this episode I speak with Richard Smith, an experienced guide who leads multi-day hiking tours in Daisetsuzan with Adventure Hokkaido. Adventure Hokkaido is a Hokkaido-based tour company offering small group hiking, cycling and nature tours to many of the islands most rewarding destinations including, but not limited to, Daisetsuzan. Originally from the United Kingdom but now based in Hokkaido, Richard knows Daisetsuzan very well and as such, offers great insight into the park while discussing the tours he leads and how to can yourself there, should you wish to.

For more information, use the links above to click through to the websites for the national park and Adventure Hokkaido, and make sure to head to the episode page on the Snow Country Stories Japan website for yet more information, images and a map showing you where the park is.

Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.