On November 3rd the Japanese traditionally observe “Culture Day”, but with temperatures in double digits and the deep blue sky, many Niseko residents and visitors decided to give the exhibitions a miss and head for the mountains.
November 3rd is an annual national holiday in Japan to promote culture, academic endeavour and the arts. This holiday has often experienced mild temperatures, that's why many locals enjoy the last warm sunshine of the year outdoors before Hokkaido gets covered in a thick blanket of snow for the following months. Mt. Iwaonupuri – Sulphur mountain – offered some great views over the fading colors of autumn and could even be climbed in a T-shirt all the way up to the peak at 1154 m. A few tiny pockets of snow had remained from last week, when the top of the mountain was covered in snow.
This year’s November 3rd was a perfect day to say goodbye to autumn, with the forecast calling for rain and cooler temperatures over the weekend.