The last flight of the year will be to Aomori. To say the least, Hakkoda is my home ski slope and the mountain of my heart. To put it in an exaggerated way, I feel like I don't have to go anywhere else as long as I can skate here. I'm always here every winter.

Hakkoda is a sacred place for mountain skiing. For the past 10 years, I have been indebted to Mr. Soma, the captain of Hakkoda Sanso and the Hakkoda Guide Club, who have supported Hakkoda for many years. I learned everything about the backcountry here and learned how to work in the mountains, and I still continue to visit here, thinking about how I can give back.

Of course the snow and mountains are great, but for me Hakkoda is about the people. The members of the Hakkoda Guide Club, the customers who love Hakkoda and frequent it, and the local people of Aomori. As I continue to be comforted by the warmth of the people of Tohoku, Aomori has become like my second hometown.

As I enter this mountain and walk through the mountain range covered with frost-covered trees, I feel like I want to share this view with someone. Next month I want to bring someone close to me to make them happy. When I think that it's the same as my job, I sometimes see the path I want to take after this.

After finishing Aomori, I headed to Akita to celebrate New Year's Eve with old friends. This year, my best friend left the city and moved to Akita, where his wife's parents live. He says he is living his dream life in the countryside while continuing to work remotely from the countryside. I told him to come on New Year's Eve because I wanted to show him my dream of becoming a fisherman, a hunter, and living among the mountains, rivers, and sea. I think one of my strengths is that I go as soon as I'm told to come.

First, he tells them to become Namahage, which is a community event. The village they moved to had a proud traditional event called Namahage. The role of Namahage is played by local young people, but unfortunately there are no young people and the culture is dying out. He says what will you do if you and I don't help? I think one of my strengths is that when I am told something like that, I do it immediately.

New Year's Eve 2017. This year I traveled a lot and had a lot of fun.

I'm going to spend next year as an Asobi demon again.

hodaka