>> P.68
68|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREGUNMAKUSATSU:IT’SNOTJUSTFORCHRISTMAS(ORAUTUMNPART2)THETOWNOFZAOONSEN,BACKINYAMAGATAPREFECTURE,WASANICEWEEPLACE–WEJUSTHAPPENEDTOARRIVETHEREATTHEWRONGTIMEOFYEAR.SOITWASWITHSOMETREPIDATIONTHATWEARRIVEDINKUSATSUINGUNMA.ONAGRANDER,SLIGHTLYMORESWISSSCALE,THISISAVERYSIMILARTOWN.HEALINGWATERSERUPTFROMTHETOWNCENTREANDFEEDONSENSINRYOKANSACROSSTOWN,THEENTIREPLACESMELLSSTRONGLYOFTHEDEVIL’SEGGS,ANDWEARINGYOURPYJAMAS(YUKATA)AROUNDTOWNISWILDLYPOPULAR.THAT’SALLFINE–BUTTHEREALSTARAROUNDTHESEPARTSISSAIDTOBETHEWORLD-CLASSSKIING. NAGANO–SITEOFTHE1998WINTEROLYMPICS–ISN’TFARAWAY,BUTTHERE’SSOMEGREATRUNSAROUNDHERETOO.ANDTHENALLTHISONSENWATERTORELAXINAFTERWARDS.BUTTHESNOWDOESN’TCOMEHEREUNTILMID-DECEMBER,ANDWE’LLBELONGGONE.SOWHENWELEFTTHISMORNING,FORABUSRIDEINTOTHEMOUNTAINS,WEWEREALITTLEDESPONDENT.BUTTHENWESAWTHATGUNMADOESN’TJUSTHAVEONESEASONOFBRILLIANCE–OHNO...