December
The leaves have all fallen from the trees and the landscape is barren and lacking colour until mid-December when Miyama usually gets its first snowfall. The locals are busy harvesting their winter vegetables like radish (Daikon) and cabbage before a deeper blanket of snow covers the ground.
Preparations for New Year’s celebrations are also underway (Christmas is not really celebrated here) and that means Mochi or rice cake-making, which you can see or take part in if you reserve in advance. Freshly steamed rice is crushed in a large stone bowl using a kind of wooden mallet.
The average temperature is 4 centigrade with a high of 9 and a low of -1.