Deep Snow Country Iiyama's Wintertime Activity: Straw Craft Making.
In areas of deep snow like Iiyama, wintertime activities are limited. One activity popular in Iiyama is to sit around the hearth and weave straw into the shapes of animals. There is a saying that cranes live for 1,000 years and turtles live for 10,000 years. Sit down with the Nukui Community Center ladies and have them show you how to create a turtle out of straw for a symbol of good fortune to take home with you along with a crane as a present from one of the instructors.