A recent trend in wintry Hokkaido is camping in the snow.

Stay the night in a tent while outside temperatures are sub-zero.

And warm up with some delicious food.

There's also some incredible scenery.

It's a beautiful night.

Let's discover the magic of winter camping.

Wild Hokkaido!

The Taisetsuzan Mountain Range stretches across the middle of Hokkaido.

We're heading to the Sounkyo Gorge,

on the mountain range's northern side.

This region receives over nine meters of snowfall in a year.

What's it like to go camping in this silvery world of snow?

Greg and Mari live in Hokkaido.

Check this place out.

The couple enjoys outdoor activities all year round,

like canoeing and skiing.

Spring, summer, and fall camping,

but no true winter camping,

so it's going to be a new experience for me.

I'm a little worried about the cold and wind, but I hope to enjoy it.

Welcome.

I'm Greg.

I'm Tasaki.

Nice to meet you.

Tasaki Atsuya is a camping specialist.

He knows how to enjoy the abundant nature of Sounkyo Gorge

no matter what season it is.

There tend to be a lot of bugs in summer, but not in winter.

You can enjoy camping in peaceful surroundings

and discover many things you wouldn't have if it were summer.

We're looking forward to it.

The campsite they're visiting is an all-year-round type,

which is rare even in a camper's paradise like Hokkaido.

They're going to try winter camping overnight.

It's mid-December, and even the daytime temperature is below zero.

Fresh powder.

It's fresh! We love the Japanese powder.

Are we really camping here?

Yes, right here.

You'll put on snow shoes

and use them to flatten out the snow to make an area to pitch your tent.

This procedure is essential for winter camping.

If the snow isn't flattened out,

the bumpy ground will be hard to camp on comfortably.

The snow is over 50 centimeters high on their campground.

They stomp the snow flat.

It's good exercise.

I've got too much on, I need to layer down again.

Yeah, it's a lot of work.

And then...

I want to jump into the snow.

Go for it!

Now can she get up? That's the question.

You want a hand?

After 40 minutes of snow stomping, the campsite is ready.

Three, two, one.

Here we go.

They start to put up the tent.

Now for "SENSEI's Tips."

Here's a trick for securing your tent even on snow-covered ground.

Tent pegs are usually pushed into the ground,

but they become loose in the snow.

In this case, you can use the cross peg technique.

Make a cross using two pegs,

and tie them together with some rope.

Use a shovel and dig a hole to put the cross peg into,

then cover it with snow.

The weight of the snow and additional ground coverage of the two pegs

make it much more difficult for everything to come loose.

That's cool!

Yeah, that's the first time I've seen that. That's cool.

After 30 minutes, the tent is up.

They've also put up a tarp to cook under.

Time for a break.

Essential! You can look at it for hours and you never get bored.

Just then, Canadian-born Greg makes a suggestion.

Maybe it's time to break out some s'mores.

Have you ever had s'mores?

What's...

S'mores is a North American camping treat.

And it's basically biscuits, chocolate, and marshmallows.

The trick to making a delicious s'more

is cooking the marshmallows to a golden-brown color.

Greg's a professional!

When we were kids, we had a fireplace in our house,

so we used to do it in the living room.

So, at Christmas or in the winter, Dad would make a fire,

and then we'd do marshmallows or wieners right in the living room!

Sounds like fun.

I think this is... Look at that!

That's what you want right there.

Nice and soft on the inside.

I think that's ready!

And put it on there.

Oh, look at that! It's perfection!

And you take another biscuit, and you make a nice little sandwich.

There it is. That is a s'more and it's going to make you want some more.

How do they taste?

Let's eat!

Let's eat!

It's delicious!

It tastes so good.

Campfire and s'mores, it's a perfect set.

Eating s'mores brings back many sweet memories.

Now they'll make snow candles to decorate their campsite.

They're very easy to make.

Place a bottle in the middle of a bucket, and put snow around it.

Take out the bottle, then flip the bucket of snow over.

Pull it up slowly.

I made it!

Nice, Mari!

It looks great.

This is fun.

Lastly, make a hole for the light to shine through, and it's finished.

If adults can enjoy making these, then kids must love it.

Kids would love this.

They're so focused on making snow candles,

they've forgotten how cold it is.

Can you use the bottle and make a hole?

I think that looks good.

In no time, they've made 40.

It's time to prepare dinner.

They'll try their hand at a simple recipe recommended by Atsuya.

First up, tomato risotto.

For the main ingredients of tomato and rice,

they're using ready-to-eat canned tomatoes and packet rice.

Adjust the taste with a little salt and pepper.

Then, add the desired amount of cheese, and simmer for a few minutes.

While the risotto is cooking,

they'll make "al ajillo" using a frozen seafood packet.

Add enough olive oil to just cover everything,

then once they're heated through add the al ajillo powder.

Finally, add some fresh grated garlic and stir through. It's that easy.

We don't usually go camping to cook, we go camping to enjoy nature.

So, quick, easy, simple meals are best.

Nice!

- It looks great.
- Looks good!

In just ten minutes, they have two dishes.

They light the snow candles to accompany their dinner.

Time for a toast with some hot wine.

Cheers!

Great job today, you guys.

A little hot wine.

So warming.

That's good.

The snow candles are beautiful. I love this.

And how do their simple camp dishes taste?

Tomato risotto. Let's give it a try here.

It's cheesy and really good.

Nice and tangy. Very easy.

The al ajillo is also a hit.

I love the strong garlic flavor. It really warms you up.

The snow candles create a fantastical scene.

There's also some scenery you can only experience by camping in winter.

Yeah, it's nice having a nice meal, some hot wine,

the stars are starting to come out.

It's a beautiful night.

The night sky is full of twinkling stars.

They appear more clearly in winter

thanks to the lack of humidity and a stable atmosphere.

I like the quiet.

The quiet camping reminds me of Canada.

Sometimes the camp grounds are a little noisy in Hokkaido in the summertime,

so the peace and quiet is very nice.

This stillness that surrounds them is the true pleasure of winter camping.

It's time for bed,

but how will they cope with the bitter cold as they sleep in the tent tonight?

Wow!

It's so warm in there.

Sleeping in a tent in winter is very cold,

so using these camping cots can help by lifting you off the ground.

Using a kerosene heater without proper ventilation

increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning,

so be sure to switch it off before going to sleep.

A hot water bottle or heat pads

can help you have an even more comfortable sleep.

That's really hot.

Put that down on my feet.

It's nice on the feet.

Give me one, too!

You're going to love this.

Thanks!

It feels so good.

I'm cozy.

Good night.

It's morning.

The temperature fell to minus six degrees Celsius overnight.

Good morning.

Morning!

The weather is lovely today!

Beautiful morning. Looks like it snowed a little bit, too.

I slept so well.

That was an awesome sleep.

The sound of the wind and the quiet.

Awesome. What a great night.

This was a great first winter camping experience for me.

It's been a while since I felt like I was a kid.

Lots of different activities.

Yeah, it was a great day being outside all day and playing in the snow.

I felt like a kid again.

It was a lot of fun to camp in the cold and the snow.

And I especially enjoyed the warm light of the snow candles.

It was a very fun Hokkaido experience for sure.

Wild Hokkaido!

takes you on great activities in the great outdoors of northern Japan.

Join us next time for another adventure!