Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski Resort | Review by 5765 nyu

Located in the subtropics, Taiwan offers no opportunities for skiing, so why not come to Japan, with its many ski resorts, for an event unique to the snowy season? For this trip, I first chose Shizukuishi Ski Resort in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Many major international ski competitions have been held here, which shows just how large the ski area must be. When I arrived, I was greeted by an entire mountainside covered in gleaming white snow. The slopes were packed with people wearing skis and snowboards, along with snow groomers preparing the ski area, filling me with endless anticipation for this ski trip in a silvery-white world...

This is also an old street full of Edo-period charm, with all kinds of history etched into it. As I walked in, I was greeted by all sorts of shops selling things like sweets, sake, sundries, kimonos, and more. The street was bustling with crowds of people coming and going, one after another.

This time I visited the famous World Heritage Site, Itsukushima Shrine, in Hiroshima, Japan. As we know, shrines in Japan each have their own unique characteristics, so what is one of the distinctive features of Itsukushima Shrine?? It is one of the few shrine torii gates in Japan located in a lake. Among the countless other shrines in Japan, its location in the lake makes it seem even more unconventional. First, let’s talk about how the scenery changes through the four seasons and from morning to night. First comes the morning, when the sun slowly rises during the daytime. As the sun rises in the east and shines on this shrine torii gate in the lake, its morning reflection is mirrored in the water, adorning the lake and making it glow as it welcomes the beginning of a new day. At noon, with the sun directly overhead, the shrine looks as if a miracle has appeared. By evening, as the sun is about to set in the west, it urges everything on the surrounding land to return to its own home and welcome the arrival of the quiet night. Night is the darkest time of the entire day, yet the shrine appears so solemn then. Second is the scenery on a cloudy day. The darkness makes the shrine seem shrouded in melancholy. When heavy rain suddenly begins to fall, the lively scene of people lingering nearby instantly falls silent. Third, let’s talk about the changing seasons. In spring, it awakens everything on the land. In summer, it seems especially isolated and independent in the lake. In fall, it instantly silences all the lively things on the land. In winter, beneath the covering of swirling snowflakes, the colorful shrine torii gate in the lake suddenly seems frozen solid....