It finally feels truly like winter here in Kakuda.

I woke up this morning to find that I had no running water, because my pipes had frozen. 18 degrees is the coldest it has gotten this year, but Kakuda is as breathtaking in the winter as it is in the spring and summer. The mountains are gorgeous and almost always capped with white peaks. On the sides of the mountains, you can see white trails running down – ski slopes.

This past weekend I went to the Kouzouji temple while it was snowing. I was excited to think that in six months, the flakes will be replaced by thousands of fireflies, but for now I am enjoying the scenery of Kakuda while everything is covered with snow.