TOKYO - Despite Friday being the coldest day of the season, Ueno Park was bustling with activity for the outdoor event "SAMURAI Fest 2024," where visitors can experience samurai culture by wearing armor and indulge in Japanese culture and food.
Visitor: "It's a bit cold. (Q: How's your attire?) I'm wearing layers."
The main attraction for visitors was warm food that could warm both the heart and body.
Visitor: "Delicious. It warms you up in the cold, especially the potato butter."
A special "kenchin soup" topped with rice cakes was prepared in anticipation of the cold weather.
Staff: "It's so cold that everyone buys it because it warms you up from the inside out. (Q: How's the sales compared to yesterday?) It's colder today, so it's selling well."
In the vicinity of Fujiyoshida City, temperatures only rose to 0.3 degrees Celsius, accompanied by snowfall.
In commemoration of "Mount Fuji Day" on February 23rd, an event was held at the foot of Mount Fuji where 3,776 rice balls were distributed. Despite the plan to eat rice balls simultaneously while viewing Mount Fuji, the mountain remained hidden due to the unfortunate weather.
At 2:23 PM, everyone said, "Let's eat."
Visitor: "(The rice ball is) cold, but delicious."
On the 23rd, the entire country experienced midwinter cold, with 382 locations nationwide recording winter days with temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius.
Source: ANN
