Land of Snow and Water, Echigo Jōfu

Echigo jōfu is a hand-woven Japanese textile woven in the mountain-lined valley of Minamiuonuma, in Niigata prefecture. The geographical location of Minamiuonuma between mountains running along the Sea of Japan to the west and the Japanese Alps to the east gives the entire region a unique climate. The summers are hot and muggy, but the long winters—though relatively mild in temperature—are extremely humid, often accumulating two to three meters of snow at a time. The melted snow insures an abundance of water that makes this the most famous region in Japan for rice—especially the koshihikari variety, considered to be the best in the country—and also for excellent sake.