DEC. 2005

No.51

LIVING GUIDE MORIOKA
MORIOKA INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ASSOCIATION
e-mail moriintl@eins.rnac.ne.jp
MORIOKA CITY HALL 6F, 12-2 UCHIMARU, MORIOKA 020-8530
http://www.e-morioka.com/~moriintl/top.html
TEL 019-626-7524

Not to Slip and Fall on Snowy Roads

Is this your ﬁrst winter in Morioka? If yes, you may be surprised at the cold weather. In Morioka,
which is located in northern Japan, it's very cold in winter with roads and buildings covered withsnow. The cold and snowy weather brings us a lot of fun. We can enjoy skiing and snowboarding at
ski resorts nearby. On the other hand there are some points we should keep in mind to live safely
during the cold months. This issue features how to walk on snowy roads without slipping up.
【Slippery Places】○ White parts of pedestrian crossings:
They are often covered with thin ice that cannot berecognized at ﬁrst sight.
○ Bus stops:
The snow on the ground is hardened and often bumpy.
○ Steps / stairs:

Even steps and stairs in doors are often slippery with water. Tiled ones can be slippery inparticular.
○ Entrances of stores and other buildings:
Entrances where many people go in and out are often slippery. Watch your steps.
○ Sloped roads: Be careful when walking on sloped or uneven roads.
○ Just after snow removing vehicles passed by:
The road surface is often slippery with the leftover snow hardened by the vehicles.
【How to Walk without Slipping up】○ When you walk, make sure the whole sole of your foot touches the ground ata time. If your heel comes down before the rest of your sole, youre morelikely to slip.
○ Do not stride. You are less likely to slip if you walk with smaller footsteps.
○ Watch the road surface. It often happens that the surface that looks dry isfrozen. Watch your steps. Do not talk over the cell phone or look the otherway while walking.
○ Allow enough time for acting. You are more likely to slip and fall when you
walk hastily. Leave your home earlier than usual. Trafﬁc jams and bus
delays happen more frequently in winter.
【Choose Less Slippery Shoes】○ Shoes with soft rubber soles:
Like winter tires, the rubber soles stick fast to the ground surface and thus less slippery.
○ Shoes with calks on the soles:The calks scratch snow or ice on the road and prevent you fromslipping up.
○ Put some calks on the soles of your shoes. Go ﬁnd ones at shoes shops.

【What Should You Do When You Are Slipping Up?】
○ Don t walk with your hands in your pockets. Keep your hands free so that you can use them whenfalling down. Put on gloves. It often happens that you have your hands scratched or cut when you
fall down and touch the icy ground.
○ Put on caps. They prevent you from getting injured when you fall down. They keep you warm as well.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Hadaka Mairi
Kyojoji Temple on January 15,
Morioka Hachiman Shrine on January 16,
Sakurayama Shrine on January 25.
This is one of the traditional events for thelunar New Year and has a history of more than
150 years. Men wearing only a sacred rope
around the waste march through the town to
the local shrine and pray for good harvest, good
health and protection against evil for the newyear.
For more information: Morioka Tourism
and Convention Association (Morioka Kanko
Convention Kyokai) 019-621-8800
Morioka Yuki Akari 2006
Thu. February 2 〜 Sat. February 4For Yuki Akari (Snow Candles) a lot of small
snow huts are made in which candles are lit.
There are candles ﬂoating on the water, candles
on the ice, ice sculptures and more. Comeand enjoy the dreamy world created by warm
candlelights in snow.
For more information: Morioka Tourism
and Convention Association (Morioka Kanko
Convention Kyokai) 019-621-8800
The 39th Iwate Snow Festival--- 9:00 〜 21:00 on Sat.Feb.4 〜 Sun.Feb.12 at
Makiba-en, Koiwai Farm, Shizukuishi-cho
Iwate Snow Festival at Koiwai Farm is oneof the ﬁ ve major snow festivals in northernTohoku. A total of about 4,000 people, including
the Self Defense Force members, work to build
elaborately designed snow and ice statues for thefestival.
During the nine-day festival, about 300,000
visitors enjoy the beautiful statues, shows on
the stage and ﬁreworks. After sunset, the snow
and ice statues are lit up, creating visional andfantastic scenery.
You can enjoy the festival full day by sliding
on a large snow statue slide, riding a snow
train (you ride on a rubber boat that is pulled
by a snowmobile) or a horse sleigh and eating
at the Kamakura restaurant. In the Kamakura
restaurant they serve such foods as muttonbarbecue and soup of sliced pork and vegetables
in Kamakura, an igloo-like snow hut.
For more information contact Iwate
Yukimatsuri Jimukyoku (Iwate Snow
Festival Ofﬁ ce) at 019-692-4321 (phone) or
019-692-0303 (fax), or visit the website of thefestival. http://www.town.shizukuishi.iwate.jp/★ Access to the festival:[Bus] 45 minutes from Morioka Station; ¥720
(For more information contact Iwateken Kotsu
at 019-692-3212)[Car] 25 minutes from Morioka or Takizawa exitof Tohoku Expressway
The parking lot accommodates 5,000 vehicles.
※ It s crowded on holidays.
Wakasagi Fishing
When Lake Gandoko at Tamayama is covered
with ice, it's the wakasagi ﬁ shing season.
Wakasagi, or smelt, is fresh water ﬁsh. To ﬁshwakasagi, drill the ice over the lake ﬁrst, and put
the line through the hole. After ﬁshing, enjoy thewinter delicacy. Flour and deep-fry the ﬁsh, andthen sprinkle salt over it. It tastes good! Drills
and other tools you need are available for rent.
For more information, call Gandoko Gyogyo
Kyodo Kumiai (Gandoko Fisheries Cooperative, at019-681-5117.)We are not only in the snowy season
but in the ﬂ u season as well. Whenyou feel you're catching cold, go to
bed early and have a good rest.

*** We wish you delightful holidays and a happy new year.***

ワカサギ釣