My Day on the Slopes: Full of Fun and Food

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:34 JST, February 25, 2021

Hi everyone! I’m sure that many schools in snowy areas enjoyed taking part in ski camps this winter and their students are very well accustomed to all sorts of winter sports. Even I took part in some snowboarding at the Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field ski resort in the village of Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, the other day.

This year saw some pretty heavy snowfall and the snow quality was nice. Because it was my first time snowboarding in about three years, going down the slopes covered with powdery snow was a bit difficult, but surprisingly, the snow was so fluffy and soft that it didn’t hurt when I fell over. I snowboarded from morning until the evening and I feel like I was able to get back into the swing of things a bit, but I couldn’t get up to the speeds I would get to when I was in high school. I’d love to get more practice going down the slopes this year.

Speaking of the slopes, you’ve gotta try gazing at the snowy mountain landscape while enjoying a nice serving of curry and rice. The day I went snowboarding was super cold, so the warmth I received from a serving of a nearby restaurant’s warm curry paired with fluffy rice was simply the best.

All of the facilities at this ski resort, including the restaurant, have hand sanitizer available and have placed acrylic barriers throughout. All sorts of virus infection prevention measures have been put in place, like forbidding people from riding with groups they didn’t come with on the gondolas and the lifts. Everyone, please be sure to take care of yourselves while you’re enjoying fun winter sports!

Sayaka Takahashi

Sayaka Takahashi representing Nagano Prefecture for AKB48 Team8. Born on Nov. 22, 2001. She is known for her great singing ability and has is called “Sayarin” by her friends. She loves anime, games and her hometown of Nagano Prefecture.