Today my youngest daughter will leave with her class for a school field trip to 新潟 (Niigata, Japan)…which is on the other coast of Japan and further north from Tokyo.
(I mention it in an earlier post. Click here to read it.)
新潟 (Niigata, Japan) is near the 日本海 (Sea Of Japan).
When her older sisters were in the sixth grade (the grade my youngest is in), they went on the same trip. They both had a great time…and my youngest daughter is really excited about it.
This trip is five days long…they’ll return on February 24. On the trip, they’ll meet local craftsmen and make a traditional Japanese craft, go to an 温泉 (hot spring), and do some hiking…but what the kids are looking forward to is the snow skiing that they’ll do!
The weather in Japan has been really nice recently (although cold)…but it’s forecast to rain starting today and continue for most of next week (it’s also supposed to snow in 新潟 (Niigata).
I hope the weather is good for my daughter’s trip.
Here’s 全国の天気予報 (weather forecast for all of Japan) for today:
Japan's weather forecast for Feb. 20, 2009
Here’s this week’s 天気予報 (weather forecast) for Tokyo for the next seven days:
Tokyo's weather forecast for Feb. 20-26, 2009
It says there’s 90% chance of rain in Tokyo today…and 50-60% chance of rain on the 23rd and 24th.
In 新潟 (Niigata):
Weather forecast for Niigata for Feb. 20-26, 2009.
It says it’ll snow and rain in Niigata today…and snow again tomorrow, then rain on the 23rd and 26th.
When I was in my twenties, I went snow skiing a couple times. I’ve only ever skied in Japan…in 北海道 (Hokkaido) and 新潟 (Niigata) (where my daughter’s going today).
Have you ever gone skiing? Where? In Japan?
Tokyo Five 
My daughter came back from her trip to Niigata today.
She had a good time…but she’s tired!
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It’s not as bad as it sounds. Your from Florida so you wouldn’t understand.
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I’m not a fan of winters that get down to 4°C…so I couldn’t imagine living in a place that got down to 40° below zero!
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Eric…
>-40 with the wind chill
-40°C? That’s inhabitable!
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Not even close to the temperature in Ottawa. Some times it’s like -40 with the wind chill. That’s real cold. Here the coldest it gets is hovering around 0. Not that bad…for me at least.
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Eric…
Does it get as cold as Canada up there in Sendai?
It’s plenty cold in Tokyo…I can just imagine how cold it is up there!
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So far it has only snowed like three times for real. A couple times just some random snow flakes, nothing serious.
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Naoko…
>Your youngest daughter is 小学校６年生 now, right?
Yes. She starts Jr. High next month.
My oldest will begin High School next month.
They’re growing up too fast!?!
>I didn’t know that students in Tokyo area go skiing trip in so low grade!
When my oldest was in sixth grade and her class went to Niigata, I was surprised, too.
But my wife took the same trip when she was in the sixth grade, too.
Schools in 関西 don’t take similar field trips?
>My 卒業旅行of 小学校 is お伊勢まいり…..Don’t you think it’s awful for kids??
For kids…yeah, I guess it must be boring. But I want to go there! It’s very traditional Japanese!
>when I was a kid, there was very few アミューズメントパーク
Yes, Tokyo Disneyland opened in about 1983…and Universal Studios in Osaka opened about eight or nine years ago, I think.
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Eric…
How many times a year does it usually snow every winter up there?
In Tokyo, usually just once or twice a year…and just a little bit.
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gigi-hawaii…
You lived in Thailand, too?
How about Korea?
The food and culture is very different in Germany, Hawaii, New York and Thailand! You must have experienced alot.
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Your youngest daughter is 小学校６年生 now, right? I didn’t know that students in Tokyo area go skiing trip in so low grade! I also went skiing to Nagano from Hyogo for the school field trip, but it was in high school. My 卒業旅行of 小学校 is お伊勢まいり…..Don’t you think it’s awful for kids?? Recently, they go to Tokyo Disneyland or somewhere more happier place,but when I was a kid, there was very few アミューズメントパーク .(T_T)
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It did know around 10 cms, not that bad. It had all melted on the roads by the time I left for work. It’s almost all gone now.
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I also lived in Bangkok for 10 months. By far, Hawaii is “no ka oi” — Hawaiian for “the best”!
I can’t think of a more romantic place to live.
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bartman905…
Not so much a coincidence. Many schools in Tokyo take field trips to Niigata…especially at this time of year (for skiing).
You’re from Canada so I guess your son has skied before. But all of my kids have taken a field trip to Niigata (right now the youngest one’s there)…and it was the first time skiing for each of them.
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gigihawaii…
Really? You can snow ski in Hawaii? I had no idea!
I think when most people think of a sport in Hawaii, surfing is what comes to mind…not snow skiing (maybe water-skiing).
You lived in Germany, New York and Hawaii? Which do you like best? Hawaii?
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What a coincidence … my son is going to a week long school ski trip to Niigata prefecture as well – in Iwaparra.
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There is some skiing on top of the volcanoes on the Big Island, so living in Hawaii really is no excuse.
BTW, I have also lived in Germany and New York.
Lisa also snowboarded in Whistler, Canada last year.
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Eric…
Yeah, you’re in 仙台 (Sendai)…the forecast for the weather there today is snow.
Is it snowing there?
It’s raining in Tokyo right now…but it’s supposed to clear up later today.
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When they put a cute snowman in the weather forecast it doesn’t make the snow any less miserable.
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gigihawaii…
You live in Hawaii, so I understand why you’ve never skied…not much snow there 😉
I grew up in Florida. No snow nor mountains.
So, all the snow skiing I’ve ever done was here in Japan. (I’ve water-skied in Florida once).
Will it be your daughter’s first time to snowboard?
Today’s my youngest daughter’s first time to ski.
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I have never skied, but my daughter will be snowboarding in Colorado during spring break.
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