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Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan
Otaru Canal by Day: Snowfall
The pencil slid gracefully across the canvas, producing glimpses of the future with each successive stroke. His hand wrinkled by the twisting of time, yet they remained unwavering. So too was his gaze, despite the seagull at his side attempting to draw him away from his masterpiece.
Snow fell gently onto my unkempt hair as I gazed out at the rustic sight before me. The Otaru Canal, much known to be the backdrop for romance stretched and winded towards the mountains in the distance.
Touristic laughter and exclamations were heard all-round, but never serving to remove the serenity that the combination of snow and scenery amounted to. I looked on from above, as I saw her going about her usual business some distance away by the canal.
Taking it all in, I made my way towards her, her actions becoming clearer as I drew closer to her.
Her arm outstretched to catch the snow that was falling gently from the blue-grey skies. She was enjoying the snowfall, above all else... hardly a foreshadow of what was to come...
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Otaru Music Box Museum (Otaru Orgel): Snowblind
An instrumental version of the The Beatles' "Penny Lane" boomed through the speakers as the tourist crowd dispersed into individual buses.
Sounds of shutters laid the musical accompaniment as the locals hurriedly closed up shop. It was only 5.30.p.m., but in winter in a small town like Otaru, this was probably the equivalent to an 8 or 10 p.m. in larger cities.
Yet, the nag in the gut told me that it was probably more than the time that was the reason for their hurried-ness, but more probably due to the snow.
The snow that playfully teased us earlier in the day had matured into something a lot more threatening. Raining down hard on us with the wind in a harmoniously destructive tandem, bits and blocks of snow slid off our faces, as we gritted our teeth to press on towards our destination. What was previously a wonder had become a woe.
Holding my coat close to my chest, preventing the snow from seeping through the gaps between the layers of clothing, I beckoned her towards the lights in a distance barely visible through the ever-moving blanket of snow.
Snowblind
With less than half-an-hour to spare, stepping into the Otaru Music Box Museum couldn't have come sooner. Sheltered from the cold and the wet, the joyous choir of music boxes heard through the door beckoned us. As I reached out for the door handle, I was opening a door to a different world - a world of warmth, magic and music...
Peace was short-lived however, as the Music Box Museum only served as half an hour's respite before it shut its doors and we were back in the cold.
As we pushed through snowstorm that was growing ever-harsher by the minute, we heard claps and bangs coming from a distance. Like animals with nothing to follow but their instincts, we crossed roads and half-knee-length high snow towards the direction in which the sound was coming from.
Finding a really unexpected location that served as a make-shift carpark for heavy vehicles, we were temporarily sheltered from the harsh winds and heavy snow by the wall structures around, as the razzle and dazzle played out in the sky. It was the Christmas Eve Fireworks show, and the best part was... it was only 6.30.p.m.
Fireworks at 6:30
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Mt. Tengu: Nature's Trickery
Nature was a fickle one when it came to Mt. Tengu. Subduing herself enough to tempt us into pursuing one of Hokkaido's top 3 night views, she left us more than hanging when she decided to throw her tantrum again after the long bus ride and the cable car ride to the top.
In the end, all we had left to entertain us was a room full of masks - Tengu masks naturally, giving good reason to the name of the mountain, but still...
Not exactly 1 of the 3 top Night Views in Hokkaido
Mt. Tengu lives up to its Namesake, in a way
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Otaru Canal By Night: Silent Night
Emptiness
Silence filled the air save for the sound of our footsteps in the snow. The road before us laid deserted, as the disappointing trek up Mt. Tengu had us on the last bus, and taking a slow walk back to our hotel through the snow-covered roads fresh from Nature's earlier showing.
A flick of the wrist read 10.p.m. on the watch, as we bashed straight down the given path towards the direction of Otaru Canal, hoping to take the night sight of the canal as our final memory of Otaru.
Arriving at the canal, the expected hustling and bustling crowd was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the whole area was empty save for us and a paid photographer who was probably hoping to get a few final customers before calling it a night for Christmas Eve.
Silence rang through the air as I stood at the bridge marvelling at the splendour of the canal before me. Traditional oil-lit street lamps led the eyes down the winding canal, the bricked warehouses along the canal adding much to the rustic flavour of the scene, as the waters of the canal bore a perfect reflection of all that was around and above it.
All was like it was before. I stood there, gazing out into the distance, as she hurried down the steps, running off into the distance to go about her own business. A speck of white landed on my coat, as I looked up to see little gentle drops of the same kind dancing towards me. It had begun snowing again, just like it had before.
Silence rang through the air; and perhaps that was the perfect accompaniment to the sight that stood serenely before me, in all its tranquility and splendour. A literal "Silent Night", the perfect tune perhaps, to mark the passing of a White Christmas Eve.
- Her Words: ddoodles -
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