Skinny Dipping on a Frozen Lake

This weekend, Akamine's sister came to visit from their home town which is just east of Tokyo. We were told that that night (Friday night) we would be going out for barbecue and then heading to the igloo village on Lake Shikaribetsu, and then to an onsen. Akamine left the office early (that means before 8pm) to pick up her sister and we rushed out of the office soon after, collected our shampoo, towel and soap for the onsen and headed to meet them at the restaurant. We had a very large dinner of various meats and vegetables to grill on our grill table, including the two local specialties Ghingis Khan (seasoned lamb) and Buttadon (spiced pork). We met Akamine's sister who was very nice, quiet and shy, and I think was especially shy around a conspicuous foreigner such as myself. Full to the brim, we all pilled into the car and headed an hour and a half north through the mountains to Lake Shikaribetsu. Winding through the narrow mountain roads offered a spectacular view of the twinkling lights of Obihiro City far below. 

We arrived at the frozen lake surrounded by forested mountains, that is used as a base for the construction of a snow village, differently themed every year. This year the theme was arctic, so all the buildings were igloo shaped, some themes of the past have been Egyptian pyramid and middle eastern mud brick houses. We wandered through the picturesque village and into all the little igloos where we found a bar, a small movie theater, a theater where they have plays and performances, and a snack restaurant. All the igloos were scattered around a main central pathway lit up every few meters with beautiful snow lanterns. There were also little igloos that you could rent for the night, and a an outdoor onsen which we decided to try out.  Undressing in an unheated igloo in the middle of a frozen lake and running into a hot tub was to tempting to turn down. We made our way to the women's side of the onsen, undressed to the bones and then made the mad dash out of the igloo into the steaming hot pool. It was well worth the run. It was one of those times, those times that everything is just right, you can't help but live right in the moment. I was completely at ease with a full tummy, good company and the steaming hot pool so serene as the centerpiece of the green mountainous backdrop.