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64|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREYAMAGATAINAMOUNTAINTOWNINYAMAGATA,PEOPLEGOABOUTTHEIRDAILYLIVESASTHOUGHEVERYTHINGISNORMAL.MENREPAIRPOTHOLES;WOMENLINGERINSHOPS,WAITINGFORCUSTOMERS;MILEAFTERMILEOFSOBAISSERVEDINLITTLERESTAURANTS.NOONESEEMSWORRIEDBYWHAT’STOCOME,ANDYETTHEYKNOW–THEYMUSTKNOW–WHATLIESAHEAD.AROUNDTHREEMONTHSFROMNOW,THEHIGHSLOPESOFMOUNTZAOWILLBEOVERRUNBYTERRIFYINGCREATURESTWICETHESIZEOFAMAN,FORTHIS ISTHELANDOFTHEICEMONSTERS.OKSOTHEYMIGHTONLYBETREESWITHSNOWYCOATSON,BUTAROUNDHERETHEMONSTERSAREBIGBUSINESS–IT’SPOSSIBLETOSKITHROUGHTHESEWEIRDNATURALSCULPTURES,ANDIFYOU’RENOTSTEADYENOUGHONYOURFEETFORTHAT,THEREAREALLKINDSOFMINI-TREKSANDPHOTOOPPORTUNITIESATHIGHERGROUND.WETOOKASKILIFTTOTHETOPOFTHEMOUNTAINTOSEEIFWECOULDFINDANY,BUTOFCOURSEIT’SFARTOOEARLYINTHEYEAR.WEDIDATLEASTEXPERIENCETHEFIERCEWINDTHATCREATESTHEMONSTERSINTHEFIRSTPLACE,WHICHSOONSENTUSSCRAMBLINGINTOTHEMOUNTAIN-TOPCAFÉFORAWARMLATTE.IT’STHATWINDQUICKLYBLOWINGMOISTUREUPFROMTHEVALLEY,THATISKEYTOTHEMONSTERS,BUTWITHRISINGTEMPERATURESAROUNDTHEGLOBETHERE’SAWORRYTHATTHEIRICYDOMAINMYDISAPPEARALTOGETHER.ALREADY,THEY’RESAIDTOHAVERETREATED200MUPTHEMOUNTAININTHELAST80YEARS.THEMOSTAPOCALYPICPREDICTIONS SAYTHEYTHEYCOULDBEGONEALTOGETHERBY2050–SOIFYOUWANTTOSEETHEM,YOU’DBETTERGETAMOVEON.THERE’SSOMETHINGVAGUELYSADABOUTSEASONALTOWNSBEFORETHETIMEISRIGHT.FORISLANDSANDSKIRESORTSAROUNDTHEWORLDTHEOFF-SEASONCANBEASLOG,DOWNTIMEINWHICHALLREPAIRSANDRENOVATIONSMUSTHAPPENBEFORETHETOURISTSFLOODBACK.THEICEMONSTERSCOMETHDAY16OCTOBER1STZAOONSEN,YAMAGATABUTZAOONSENHASAMAJORADVANTAGE–ANDWITHANAMELIKETHAT,THEREARENOPRIZESFORGUESSINGWHATITMIGHTBE.ONDRIVINGINTOTHETOWN,VISITORSARESTRUCKBYAPUNGENTSMELL.AFTERSOMEACCUSINGLOOKSAROUNDTHECARTOSEEWHOISTHECULPRIT,ITWILLBECOMECLEARTHATITISTHETOWNITSELFTHATREEKS.ZAOONSENISHOMETOONEOFTHEHOTTEST,MOSTPLENTIFULANDSULPHUROUSHOTSPRINGSINTHECOUNTRY.THEMOUNTAINSPILLSITSSTEAMINGGUTSALLTHROUGHTHESTREETS,WITHSMALLSTREAMSEKINGTHEIRWAYTHROUGHBUILDINGSANDUNDERBRIDGES,SPINNINGWATERWHEELSASTHEYGO.EVERYOTHERSTREETCORNERHASANATURALFOOTSPA,FREETOUSE. NATURALLY,ALLOFTHEHOTELSANDRYOKANSMAKETHEMOSTOFITTOOANDPROVIDEAMPLEOPPORTUNITIESTOGETNAKEDWITHYOURFELLOWMAN.SOMANYPEOPLECOMEBECAUSETHEWATERISSOABNORMAL.THISSTUFFHASSUCHARIDUCULOUSLYLOWPH,IT’SMOREACIDICTHANLEMONJUICE–DEADSKINCELLS(ANDSOMELIVINGONES)DON’TSTANDACHANCE.BESTOFALL,MONSTERSORSNOWMONSTERS*,THERE’SSOMUCHOFIT,THERE’SLITTLECHANCEOFITDISAPPEARINGSOON.*SORRY.
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