Snow Country(雪国,Yukiguni) is a full-length novel by the Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata. The novel is considered a classic work of Japanese literature. It was among the three novels the Nobel Committee cited in 1968 when Kawabata was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Plot
Snow Country is a stark tale of a love affair between a Tokyo dilettante and a provincial geisha that takes place in the remote hot spring (onsen) town of Yuzawa. (Kawabata did not mention the name of the town in his novel.)
The hot springs in that region were home to inns, visited by men traveling alone and in groups, where paid female companionship had become a staple of the economy. The geisha of the hot springs enjoyed nothing like the social status of their more artistically trained sisters in Kyoto and Tokyo and were usually little more than prostitutes whose brief careers inevitably ended in a downward spiral.
The liaison between the geisha, Komako, and the male protagonist, Shimamura, a wealthy loner who is a self-appointed expert on Western ballet, is thus doomed to failure. The nature of that failure and the parts played by others form the theme of the book.
Snow country (雪国 yukiguni; also, more prosaically, 豪雪地帯 gōsetsu chitai ["heavy snow area"]) refers to areas in Japan characterized by heavy, long-lasting snowfalls.
The rather poetic snow country(雪国,yukiguni) can refer to any place with heavy or deep snows and is generally understood as a reference to the Sea of Japan side of Honshū (Japan's main island) and the area encompassed by the Japanese Alps, a series of mountain ranges that make up the island's backbone. In its broadest meaning, snow country means the belt along the Sea of Japan from Yamaguchi (in particular, Shimane) in the south to Honshū's northern tip, as well as Sado Island and Hokkaidō. More narrowly defined, it is used to indicate the area from Fukui to Akita Prefecture, but it is most closely associated with part of Fukui and all of Toyama and Niigata Prefectures.
"Heavy Snowfall Zones" refers to places where snowfall and snow cover are severe enough to be a hindrance to the livelihood of inhabitants or the development of local industry. In all, more than half of Japan's land area carries the designation—all of ten of the country's 47 prefectures and portions of fourteen others. Heavy snow areas are eligible for subsidies and other special consideration from the central government to help them cope with the snow (such as for snow removal) and otherwise bring stability to local livelihoods and economies.
The results indicate that within the surveyed area, over 110,000 square km are potentially suitable habitats for snow leopards ... The Sanjiangyuan area is one of the most densely populated areas for snow leopards in the country and the world.
The results indicate that within the surveyed area, over 110,000 square km are potentially suitable habitats for snow leopards ... The Sanjiangyuan area is one of the most densely populated areas for snow leopards in the country and the world.
Lake-effect Snow Warnings are set to expire late Wednesday night, but more snow from a different weather system could be on the way for this same region, which has seen some of the most snow in the country so far this winter.
... has unveiled a plan to establish itself as a leading hub for the country's northern winter sports, with the goal of reaching a total ice and snow industry value of 200 billion yuan (27.3 billion U.S.
The cross country ... Schenck said that it is a hybrid virtual class that takes participants from being inside learning about cross country skiing to a hands-on experience in the snow led by instructors.
FRANCONIA, N.H. – With one important holiday period down and another coming up this weekend, the state’s ski industry is looking in solid shape, though the cross-country areas could use a bit more snow and the snowmobile trails, with the ... .
Ski resorts in China are primarily located in the country's northern regions, where the cold winter climate is naturally suited to outdoor skiing ... ski facilities in the southern regions of the country.
Some of the UK’s busiest airports saw disruption around Christmas time as thick fog blanketed the country, with delays at Heathrow, Luton and Manchester airports ... down towards the west country.
– Nearly 1 million people in the state of New York are under Lake-Effect Snow Warnings on Monday, concentrated mostly in the areas south of Buffalo and around Watertown... This region has seen some of the most snow in the country this winter season.
New Bern Sun Journal
15 Jan 2025
New Bern Sun Journal
15 Jan 2025