In early February, a brief season arrives where the sunrise over the tracks coincides with the passing train
I was visiting Hokkaido with my family for the Snow Festival. With hotels in Sapporo being so expensive, we stayed in Tomakomai instead. We took a side trip to Upopoy in Shiraoi, which turned out to be far more fascinating than I had expected; we spent a full, wonderful half-day there.
On the morning of our flight back to Tokyo, the forecast called for a cloudless sky. Knowing I couldn’t miss this chance, I skipped the hotel breakfast and set out alone for an early morning shoot.
In the -13°C air, the world was frozen still. As the sun began to rise, the frost-covered trees and the two steel rails shimmered with a brilliant, blinding light—a scene of breathtaking beauty that made the cold vanish from my mind.