There are always priceless memories to be made when you are in the small yet magical village of Hakuba. This lovely village of 9000 people is known to be one of the best ski and snowboard destinations in the Japanese Alps. Hakuba hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics and since then, visitors from all around the world come to enjoy snow sports, year after year.
Routines of a Small Village
Every winter season I get to wake up in my brother @gramurai's winter home. As my nephew prepares to walk to school with his classmates, I prepare to walk over to Delicia Supermarket for breakfast.
Every morning I’ll buy some potato salad, cooked and seasoned okra, and steamed spinach. Some mornings I’ll also pick up some cod roe to eat with rice.
Weekend afternoons will find ourselves with friends eating brunch at cute home-like restaurants such as the Bear Café. The menu is very limited but what day do you have will leave your taste buds satisfied.
One of my favorite brunch dishes is their avocado and hummus sandwich. I usually don’t drink beer for brunch or lunch, but if it’s a weekend in Hakuba, I won’t hesitate to drink at least 8 pints.
There is always a nature-influenced type of joy on the days we snowboard.
I just love breathing in the cold crisp air of the Japanese Alps. Most days we are at the Iimori ski resort, charging down the beginner to intermediate mountains. At least I am until I can get my skills to Olympic level.
While we rest during snowboarding runs, we always find time to barbecue and drink the local craft beers. We always meet great people from all around the world and usually end up inviting them all out to dinner with us.
The Warmth of the Evening
When the cold evening rolls around, there’s always a trendy place to find food. On some evenings we’ll begin at the Recovery Bar and laugh about the falls we had over a few Ninja lagers.
I may have a Remy Martin or two (or five) if it’s a very cold night. By night I'm always feeling great and mentally hyped up for the next day's snowboarding plans. This has definitely become a tradition and I plan on spending every winter season in Hakuba, whether the visit is short or long.
Authored & Photographed by:
@stewsak
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