An ice bridge rises up from Lake Suwa, connecting its opposite shores. Local people have documented this omiwatari or "the God's Crossing," for hundreds of years. But changing weather patterns have taken their toll. The chief priest and parishioners from Yatsurugi Shrine came to the lake in winter to pray for its appearance and to add to a centuries-old record. This film focuses on the people who are struggling to carry on a 580-year-old ritual and others who are learning from their knowledge.
Stories about people, stories about life.
Hometown stories.
In the heart of Nagano is Lake Suwa, the largest lake in the prefecture.
Believed to be home to divine spirits, this mystical water body has long inspired worship.
It is the site of a striking natural phenomenon
that appears only in the harshest of winters.
Jagged ridges of ice emerge from the surface, connecting two sides of the lake.
This phenomenon is known as "Omiwatari" or "The God's Crossing."
Thick chunks of ice rise up,
crackling and booming as they move.
When I was a kid, I'd see "omiwatari"
taller than me every year.
You can't understand it until
you experience it for yourself.
Whenever it happens,
everyone goes silent.
"Omiwatari" occurs when ice repeatedly shrinks and expands.
There are only eight lakes in Japan where this phenomenon takes place.
Lake Suwa is the southernmost.
People have lived around here for thousands of years.
"Omiwatari" eventually became a sacred event, worshiped as a divine pathway.
Then, around the 15th century, people began to keep records of this phenomenon.
It is the world's oldest weather record and has piqued the interest of international experts.
It is a really spectacular long-term historical record
collected by carful observers of nature.
We know that the trends.
We know what's happening to our global climate.
And we have expectation of what will happen.
2023 marks the 580th official observation of "omiwatari."
We spent 30 days trying to learn what draws people again and again to this sacred lake.
On this January day the year's coldest weather has yet to arrive.
The lake glistens with the light of the moon.
Good morning.
The "omiwatari" rituals are about to begin.
The head priest of the local Shrine is Miyasaka Kiyoshi.
He and his parishioners are making their way to the lake.
Is the lake frozen?
They measure water and air temperatures, and check the condition of the ice.
The ice is 4 mm thick.
They compare this information with historical data
to determine the likelihood and timing of the "omiwatari."
Look, it's beautiful.
Can't wait.
For the phenomenon to occur, several conditions are necessary:
temperatures of about minus 10 degrees Celsius for at least three consecutive days,
clear skies during the day, and calm winds.
When the temperature drops below zero,
the ice contracts and a thin layer of ice forms between the fissures.
Then, when the temperature increases, the ice expands.
The thin, brittle ice juts up, creating "omiwatari."
It was last observed in 2018.
What will happen this year?
It's the question on everyone's lips hereabouts.
Good morning.
Today we have begun our observations
for 2023, the year of the rabbit.
The sky is clear and
the lake is calm.
The temperature is minus 8 degrees,
while the water is 2 degrees.
Thin ice about 4 mm thick is extending
about two meters from the shore.
It really feels like winter has arrived.
We have high hopes and are
planning to come here again tomorrow.
In the past, only people directly involved with the shrine took part in observations.
But in recent years, other people have come to join in.
This is so warm and delicious.
This ritual of trying to predict "omiwatari"
has been going for 580 years.
Tours conducted by local hotels are popular with visitors.
Beautiful right?
This ice formed overnight.
A rare occurrence took place on this day.
I can hear something.
When boats move on the water,
chunks of ice grind against each other.
The sun's out.
It's 7:30 AM.
They watch the sun rise over the river that flows into the lake.
The day's observations have drawn to a close.
Let's put our hands together for a prayer.
It's getting warm.
Beautiful.
"Omiwatari" observation rituals conducted by the shrines of Suwa
began around the 15th century.
Yatsurugi Shrine has carried on this tradition since the early 17th century.
We were given special access to the ancient records.
This old map shows the names of the places that are used to mark the direction of the "omiwatari."
You can see here how the map
lists names of places on the shore.
The god descends to a certain spot
and then rises from the opposite side.
These were the expressions used for
"omiwatari," so place names are crucial.
According to legend, the god of the upper Suwa Taisha Shrine crosses the lake
to meet the goddess at the lower shrine.
This "pathway of love" was considered sacred.
The parishioners of Yatsurugi Shrine farmed and fished here.
Over the years, they kept records of the locations, dates, and times that this event occurred.
Their records also describe the weather conditions during the year
and the impact of lake floods on crops.
They even mention "korimochi," a type of rice cake freeze-dried in cold air and presented to the "shogun."
These records tell the story of the close relationship between people and nature.
Lake Suwa had a deep impact
on the people who lived here.
These records are a testament
to the lives of our predecessors.
This year is just a single point,
but it's part of a 580-year-old record
that has continued and been preserved.
I strongly believe that this is
a tradition that we must keep alive.
In the past, the entire surface of Lake Suwa was covered with ice every winter.
People could even gather on the ice.
"Omiwatari" was a particularly special event.
Seeing the fissures up close inspired awe for the power of nature.
Ito Fumio, the parish representative at the time,
was there to witness the last occurrence in 2018.
This is all 33 of us representatives
in front of the "omiwatari."
Where are you standing?
- Here.
- Nice spot.
It was a moving experience.
The "omiwatari" formed beautifully.
"Omiwatari" had been an annual occurrence since the 15th century.
But in recent years, warmer winters and other climatic factors have had an impact.
In the 22 years since 2001, it has only been seen five times.
Unbelievable.
So warm.
It's January 16.
The past two days had seen temperatures nearly 10 degrees above normal.
No way.
The water is warmer than the air.
Any possibility at all?
We'll see.
Don't ask me such negative questions.
The warm winters have also affected those whose livelihoods depend on nature.
The people of Suwa have made "kanten" jelly for hundreds of years.
They are the top producers in Japan.
"Kanten" jelly is left out in the open air and dried through a process of repeated freezing and thawing.
Temperatures below eight degrees Celsius are essential to this process.
The first step is to freeze the raw "kanten,"
which won't happen
if it isn't cold enough.
And if it doesn't freeze,
it tends to crumble.
Winters have been warmer recently,
impeding the freezing process.
So it's becoming harder to make "kanten."
The survival of a marine creature also depends on icy conditions.
It's the "wakasagi," or Japanese smelt, a regional specialty.
It's 6 AM.
This "wakasagi" fisher is heading home.
Lousy catch.
Just around 10% of
my catch in past years.
Very few fish this year.
And very few of them
hiding under the ice.
During the winter, "wakasagi" hide under ice to protect themselves from water birds.
When the surface of the lake is covered in ice,
the water temperature stabilizes at about 4 degrees Celsius.
This is the best environment for fish to make it through the winter.
When there's no ice cover,
it gets cold underwater.
That's bad for the fish.
Fishers like me are concerned about
how late the lake is freezing recently.
In years when "omiwatari" takes place, winters tend to be cold and the springs mild.
That's what apple farmer Chino Yukinori was taught.
He is also an official "omiwatari" observer.
Chino is in charge of breaking off chunks of thick ice and taking measurements.
This is what I use to break the ice.
It's a traditional ice axe.
The blade is longer than
conventional ice axes.
I hope to use it this year.
January 24th.
A sudden cold snap has swept over Suwa.
The surface of Lake Suwa is almost frozen.
- What is it?
- It's 0.1 degrees.
There are icicles all the way up here.
It shows that the spray from
the waves came this far.
These kinds of icicles form when water splashes on vegetation and freezes instantaneously.
It's starting to freeze.
You're right.
You can see sludge ice
and snow flowing in from the river.
Older folks say that this is
a sign that the lake will freeze over soon.
This was the coldest morning this winter.
The air is minus 9.6 degrees
while the water is 1.3 degrees.
Conditions are looking good.
When we saw the temperature of 9.4,
we all started grinning.
The temperature is low, but it's strange
that we're not feeling very cold.
The lake's going to freeze soon.
Isn't it too early?
I thought it might be frozen today.
It's frozen.
The ice is rising.
Going to go, Chino?
Apple farmer Chino Yukinori will be measuring the ice for the first time this year.
It's 9 cm.
It was thick,
hard to break into.
Very tough.
The week of the cold snap, Suwa Lake was completely iced over.
However, every three days it warmed up, so the lake kept thawing and then freezing.
We're making a hole in the ice.
How do you think we'll do it?
That's right, we hit it.
This man might fall.
Hold on to him.
Good job.
3cm.
The air is minus 4.4 degrees,
while the water is 0.3.
Temperatures are high.
The ice covering the surface had melted.
Strong winds were making the ice chunks crash into each other.
A month had passed since the observations began.
It's February 4th.
The sunrise was stunning.
The air is minus 3.8 degrees
while the water is 0.5.
The temperatures have been
like this for a few days.
They haven't reached
minus 10 for a while.
It feels like spring.
I don't think the lake
will ice over again this season.
We'll wrap up this season
and declare a "failure to appear."
If by any chance it's minus 10 for three days
in a row, we'll amend it immediately.
It was such a pleasure to see
the same faces every day in this cold weather.
We really felt your warmth.
Thank you so much.
Once again, in 2023, "omiwatari" did not occur on Lake Suwa.
It was recorded as a "failure to appear."
Head priest Miyasaka and his parishioners recorded their observations for 30 days.
Now, they are working to pass on this tradition to the next generation.
From the records, we will analyze
how Suwa's winter temperatures and weather
have fluctuated over a long period of time.
They will analyze years of data, including the most recent,
in an unprecedented attempt to show how the climate has changed over the past 580 years.
There are reasons why "omiwatari" has failed
to appear again and again in recent years.
It's like nature is sounding an alarm,
telling us humans to be more humble.
That's how I see it.
And I think my prayers and devotion
are still inadequate.
The people of Suwa continue to pray,
hoping to witness the miracle of the god's crossing once again.