Pictures from my pred

Today I got in contact with my predecessor. In addition to answering my many questions, he sent me some pictures!

As well as this video:

Now that's some real snow! 

Despite the many sources I've read saying that Japanese buildings have no central heating, he told me the ones here do. Which makes sense, looking at these photos. He said that the temperatures sits around -15°C at the worst times, though the lowest he experienced was -25°C.

Also, apparently there's a ski slope right behind the house. Maybe I should learn to ski...

Placement

Today I received my placement: Wassamu-cho, Hokkaido. (和寒町)

Hokkaido wasn't a big surprise. I heard that a lot of Canadians are being sent there. Hokkaido is the northern-most island of Japan, so it gets very cold. The conjecture is Canadians are going there because we're used to it, but Vancouver doesn't get -20°C winters!

寒 ← The town's name even contains the kanji for cold. 

According to Wikipedia's (very) short article on Wassamu:

As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 3,553 and a population density of 15.8 persons per km². The total area is 224.83 km².
The town flower is the Katakuri. Wassamu is famous for its pumpkin and cabbage crops. Producing the best harvest in Japan for these foods.
Wassamu has 3 schools, a middle school, an elementary school and a kindergarten. It previously had a high school, however, was closed due to lack of numbers.

 Sounds pretty small. I guess I won't be teaching high school!