A Word From the Editor

Autumn was brief and beautiful. I hope everyone got to see some gorgeous red views, ate lots of sweet potatoes and chestnut flavored deserts, I know I did! The brief autumn period has ended and now comes Akita’s winter.

You have probably heard of winter being Akita’s “hard mode” Temperatures drop below zero which makes life a bit more cumbersome. It is easy to take something as basic as moving around your apartment for granted. The winter season certainly highlights this as I now begin to strategize the quickest ways to exit the warm, do what I need to, and quickly jump back either under the blankets, Kotatsu or in front the heater.

This year winter is a bit darker as the prospects of travelling home and seeing family still remain difficult. I hope that everyone in their respective blocks will find ways to enjoy the festive end of year period together. The right people can truly turn a frown upside down.

Please be careful on the roads, happy holidays and I hope you enjoy this edition!

Philip Vyas, Editor & Creative director

Left: Lake Towada Top: Dakigaeri gorge river Right: Dakigaeri gorge foilage Bottom: Rice fields Brooke Dalgleish