If you can time your ski trip to enjoy Japanese festivals, it’s a real bonus. In Aizu, check out the unique festival where two teams, a red and a white team, have a tug of war over a 5 tonne straw bale of hay. Who wins and loses determines whether there will be good harvest or prosperous business in the coming year. The event has been running in mid January for over 400 years…usually around January 13. This is a perfect family friendly experience.

Location: Aizu Misato-machi main street
20 minutes on foot from the JR Aizu Takada Station

Free to watch. 

Filmed and edited by Mattias Evangelista. Photography: Dylan Hallett. Producer Phil Osborn