Nov 22, 2007

Japan's Winter Wonderland

As the first fresh snow falls around my treetop house in Toronto I start to think I've gone to heaven. It's beautiful and signifies to me something more than just the onset of the cold season. It's adventure in rolling hills and beautiful valleys. It's time to snowboard!

When I pick up a hot coffee at the local lunchbox I gravitate toward an issue of New York Times' Travel magazine with a stunning cover.

It's Japan in winter, where historic spaces meet Eastern-influenced haute-couture, and it's gorgeous. It's also striking how much the art direction seems to be pulled from my favourite art pieces, Hasui's iconic woodblock prints. While it's no easy task finding the old-world Japanese charm that's reflected here, this layout brought me there, to this fantasy world I'd dreamt of, if only for a moment.