Snow country (Japan) Snow country (Japan) Snow country (雪国 "yukiguni"; also, more prosaically, 豪雪地帯 "gōsetsu chitai" ["heavy snow area"]) refers to areas in Japan characterized by heavy, long-lasting snowfalls. The rather poetic can refer to any place with heavy or deep snows and is generally understood as a reference to the Sea of Japan side of Honshū (Japan's main island) and the area encompassed by the Japanese Alps, a series of mountain ranges that make up the island's backbone. In its broadest meaning, "snow country" means the belt along the Sea of Japan from Yamaguchi (in particular, Shimane) in the south to Honshū's
Mota (island) Mota (island) Mota is an extinct volcanic island in the Banks group of Torba Province in northern Vanuatu. Mota is located 18 km south of Mota Lava and 12 km east of Vanua Lava, the largest island in the Banks archipelago. The slightly oval island has a length of 5 km and has an area of 9.5 km². Mota is formed by an extinct, basaltic volcano, which reaches an altitude of 411 m above sea level in Mount Tawe. The island is surrounded by a fringing reef, and its steep coast makes it difficult to land on boats. It was