One experience the State Department offers that allows for a change of pace is a temporary duty assignment, or TDY. Back in February, I had my first of many such opportunities as I traveled to the city of Sapporo for its annual Snow and Ice Festival. The 2026 festival featured 136 unique sculptures spread across Odori Park and Susukino Site. It was a fun, busy week that took to me to the northern island of Hokkaido for the first time.
Sapporo is a small city compared to the metropolises of Osaka and Tokyo. January of 2026 was the snowiest in over 20 years, with snowbanks well over my head causing disruptions to traffic patterns. However, the first day of the event was sunny and in the 50s, leading to some questions about sculpture stability. While it led to icier walking paths, it left the festival mostly unharmed.
Hokkaido is known for its seafood, dairy, and ramen (though everywhere in Japan claims the best ramen). I didn’t have as much time to explore the restaurant scene as I would have liked, but everything I ate was delicious. I went to an all-you-can-eat snow crab and Hokkaido beef place, which was excellent. I also had a sea urchin omelet in crème sauce, which was my favorite dish of the trip.
While most of the trip was spent working, I did have one morning off to hit the slopes at Bankei Ski Area just outside the city. This followed a trip a few weeks prior where I joined some work colleagues in Nagano for my first ski experience in nearly 25 years. In Nagano, the slopes were nice and wide, with smooth paths I descended at comfortable speeds. It was quite the confidence booster as my favorite method of stopping as a kid was to simply fall down. In Bankei, even the beginner trails were narrow, flanked by sharp drops on at least one side and dotted with trees (not to mention 10-year-olds zipping by me). I did two runs on two separate trails and called it a day, feeling lucky my limbs still functioned.
I hope to return to both Hokkaido and Nagano. Both are former hosts of the Winter Olympics, so skiing is obviously popular, but both also have plenty to offer throughout the rest the year. Hokkaido is roughly the size of Maine or South Carolina, with beautiful flower fields and hiking trails that offer a respite from the Tokyo humidity. It also hosts one of the most state-of-the-art baseball stadiums in the world, Es Con Field. Nagano is awash in scenic hiking trails, lake views, and white-water rafting – enough to make residents of the Rockies feel right at home.
I’ll be playing catch-up in the final months of 2026. I’ve spent many a weekend over the past six months traveling throughout Japan – sometimes for work and sometimes for fun. I’m excited to finally sit down and write about my experiences in this beautiful country. I appreciate you taking the time to read about them!
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