During the warmer months it is possible to buy iced tea and iced coffee from machines on every street corner and railroad platform in the land. As of a month ago, the machines began to offer hot tea and coffee as well. When that happened, I knew hat the end of summer was near. Old Japanese men have been wearing longs johns every day for weeks now, and stylishly knotted scarves have begun to appear on people of all ages. Murky vats of oden are now steaming away on the counters of 7-11 stores everywhere.
Winter is practically here.
For urban residents, this means making a special trip into the mountains, a ritual I've somehow missed out on during each of the previous years I've lived here. This year was different. I wanted to see if what people say about this prefecture is true. People who live here like to say that this is because the prefecture has no seashore, but the survey also took into account Saitama's high levels of air pollution and low levels of cultural attractions. I'm happy to report that Saitama is not the desolate wasteland it is so often made out to be, especially in its northern reaches.