How do people make and enjoy kamakura?

Imagine quiet and silent snow world

Snow land that brightly sparkles from the sun light during the day becomes progressively dimmer in the evening. 
It is at this time that warm lights of kamakura begin to light up. 
You can hear the voices of people pleasantly chatting amidst a gentle, warm glow that looks like a stove. 
This article reports on the charm of these kamakura.

What is Kamakura?

Kamakura are snow huts that are made by hollowing out a space and entrance in snow that has been accumulated so that people can enter it like a home. 

The shape resembles the igloos that are built out of ice by Eskimos. 
Sizes can vary considerably, from small kamakura suitable for one or two people, to larger ones that can fit around ten people. 
People usually enjoy kamakura by bringing in a kotatsu (low table with a heat source) or hibachi (charcoal brazier), eating snacks, drinking amazake (a sweet drink made from fermented rice or sake lees), and chatting.

Making kamakura is said to originally have been a custom from the eastern part of Akita Prefecture in a ceremony dedicated to the God of Water on the Lunar New Year.

About Kamakura festival

Kamakura festivals are still held in the Tohoku region where snowfall is high. 

That said, one of the charms of kamakura is that it is something that can be enjoyed by normal households. 
Kamakura are particularly popular among households with children. 
Even though kamakura are made of snow, they are surprisingly sturdy and warm inside. 
Going inside a kamakura will allow even adults to feel like they have entered a secret base, just like a child. 
We hope that you can experience a kamakura first-hand if you ever visit Japan’s snow country.