This week we are discussing “How to Survive a Cold Winter”. First , from Cathy!

I am currently working remotely in Vancouver, Canada. Even in Vancouver, I am researching my client’s products such as New Zealand’s ZIWI® premium pet food and JAZZ™ apples, and comparing it with products and store displays in Japan.

It has been a while since returning home to Canada but at times I sense a culture shock. Winter in Canada is very different from the west coast and the east coast. It does snow in Vancouver, but it rains almost every day for about five months straight so it is very dreary. Average winter temperates range between 0 and 7 degrees Celsius.

What is amazing, however, is that every time I go out, I notice people who are just wearing a t-shirt or tank top in mid winter! Also, many postal workers wear shorts on a snowy day. You don’t see this in Japan!

Next is from Gemma!

Here in the UK it has been winter for aaages…it’s cold, bleak, and so very wintry. So what are my go to winter warmers?
The first by far is my log burner. It warms the room so quickly, feels super cosy, and when the power went out a few weeks ago…..it also doubles up as a cooker!
The second is my snow boots. It doesn’t snow very often in the UK anymore, but when it does, the whole country comes to a complete stop. We don’t know how to survive (or drive) in the snow, so the school run is done by foot. Warm, grippy snow boots are a must!

The final one is a warm hat. Not just any hat, but an Icelandic wool one I bought when I visited Iceland many years ago. No cold gets through this! I have matching mittens, and they’re actually so warm I’m usually over-heating after a long walk!
What are your go-to winter warmers? Let us know in the comments below!

Lastly, Yokoyama will introduce how to overcome the cold winter.
 
In Japan, there are various events for each season, so even in the winter when it is cold, we enjoy these events as a family. Yesterday was Setsubun, and every year we participate in a bean-throwing ceremony at two temples in our neighborhood (cancelled due to the Covid-19). Celebrities are invited to participate in the ceremony, and beans are thrown from the yagura (scaffold), along with the elderly people who serve as “Toshiotoko-Toshiona” (known as the men and women of the year). At the Gohyaku Rakanji Temple, a number tag is placed in a small bag with the beans and according to the number you get to win a prize of foods and sweets, which makes it very exciting! People visit two temples and prepare a big bag over their heads because they want to get as many beanbags as possible.
 
At home, I always play the role of an ogre and get the beans thrown at me (because I am the ogre’s wife and mother?). ), and eat ehomaki (a traditional Japanese sucshi role). I hope to drive away evil spirits and wish for good health this year as well!