From January 21 to January 23, 2000. Virgin snow on Mt.Yatsugatake. View from Mt.Yatsugatake, Nagano Prefecture. These are the perspectives from the Yatsugatake Highlands that locates southern foot of the Mt. Yatsugatake, the Fujimi Highlands and my mountain. You see the fresh snow in 2000. The Fujimi Highlands seems that it is Japan's backbone, is a part of Japanese "Alps". Two hours car-ride (on the Chuo expressway) brings you there from Tokyo. The highlands extends to the west and east from Obuchizawa Station (JR) that locates on the border of Yamanashi pref. and Nagano pref. and are popular for horse back riding, summerhouses, summering and the scenes of NHK drama. Outdoor scenes of "Tokugawa Aoi Sandai" (story about the Tokugawa shoguns) that is aired now, are shot around here.

	You see many animals, deer, pheasants and rabbits they appeared from deep in the mountain. They got used to come out last year to seek their food because of much snow. Last year, even barks were sacrificed. Lucky for trees, they don't starve so much this year. Cats and crows are also joining to the group these a few years.		You see a farm of the Fujimi Highlands in southern foot of Mt.Yatsugatake on the front. I shot it before the heavy snow on Feb.22, snow is seen only on top of the mountain and a cloud, shaped from wet air came from the Japan Sea. They say that a cloud on the mountain notices snowfall and there you go! Snow piled 20 cm after that.
	The scenery with the virgin snow in 2000 on southern foot of Mt.Yatsugatake Snowflakes can not be seen in the picture though I took it in the falling snow. Snow might pile heavily just like last year, I was afraid. Then it stopped when piled 20 cm, and will disappear in a few days. Different from Karuizawa, this area usually has snow as much as 10~20cm-deep, which makes life easier. More and more summerhouses are built for that reason.		The morning sun among the snow on the Fujimi Highlands and the trees. Snow fell as much as 20cm after this moment.