Hello everyone. My name is Tomohiro Nakamichi and I live in Shibecha town. This "Shibecha Weather" is a place where I will tell you about the charms of Shibecha Town from my perspective. It has been about six months since I moved to Hokkaido, and I have come to see many things while living in nature, so I would like to write about my thoughts on this. It has been about six months since I moved to Hokkaido. It has been a hectic six months with my daily life, but I would like to take another look at my life in Hokkaido. The house where I live is at the foot of a mountain, in the very back of Shibecha Town. It's about a 30-minute drive from the Shibecha Town Hall where I work, and the weather is very different from that in the Shibecha town area. Even if it's sunny in the town, it's storming where I live, and vice versa. The weather can change dramatically in just an hour, and every morning I wake up wondering what the weather will be like. Nature changes dynamically throughout the spring, summer, and fall, and I'm overwhelmed by how nature changes every day; it feels like there are several seasons in fall alone.

Autumn in Hokkaido is very short, but that makes its beauty all the more striking

But on the other hand, the best part of living in nature is being able to see breathtaking views from time to time. A herd of deer walking across the plains as the sun sets, large swans flying in formation above the larch forest, and parents and children of foxes playing together on the street. My lifestyle and state of mind have changed greatly since I lived in Chiba.

The footsteps of winter are already approaching Hokkaido. I feel happy even in the little things of nature.

The biggest benefit of living in nature is that it allows you to see things simply. Being able to eat three meals a day with all your senses intact. The value of the sun. The gentleness of the spring breeze caressing your cheeks. To put it more dramatically, you can realize that you are grateful to even be alive. When I was in the city, I was at the mercy of the economic system, methodologies were rampant, I lost my individuality, and I felt like I was being swallowed up by the waves of society. I have no intention of saying anything bad about the city, but I think it's just a matter of whether it suits me or not. I want to be able to live a simpler life, with my feet firmly on the ground, so that I can feel more alive. For me, who thought like that, I think living in nature in Hokkaido was a perfect fit. Perhaps what I needed at that time was not to add titles, abilities, or social recognition, but to focus on "living" and to cast off the armor I had been wearing. Living in nature stripped away many things, and my mind and body became simpler and lighter.

Since we started living in Hokkaido, our dogs have grown significantly both mentally and physically.

People who live in Hokkaido, especially those who live in nature, have something in common. That's "simplicity." There are many people out there who live lives that blend in with nature much more than I do, and I think what they all have in common is their simplicity. I think that's the strength to give up and accept a lot of things in a good way. Even though they live in a harsh natural environment, especially in the winter in Hokkaido, the people who have survived are all very simple. They don't ask for much, they are grateful for the life they have now, and they live by cherishing their connections. "Humans cannot survive alone. We have to help each other. So, Nakamichi, if you're in trouble, you should ask for help right away. And if you see someone in trouble, help them without hesitation. That's what's really important to live here." That's what I was told when I first moved here. Over the past six months, I have learned that what is needed to survive in harsh natural environments is not strong mental strength or a strong body, but helping each other, accepting everything, being grateful for small joys, and living each day simply.

A fox taking a nap. You can really see that both people and animals live in nature.

Living here for half a year has given me a renewed appreciation for the good things about Shibecha. The biggest advantage is its easy access within the eastern Hokkaido region. Shibecha used to be a key transportation hub in eastern Hokkaido via railroad, so I feel it is a very convenient gateway to the region. It is roughly equidistant to the areas of Shiretoko, Nemuro, and Kushiro, so for me, who photographs the nature of eastern Hokkaido, it is very accessible and very convenient. Another attractive feature is that, for better or worse, the traffic volume remains the same whether it's a weekday or a weekend. Because of this, you can live a peaceful life and it's also easy to get to anywhere, so I feel it's a great place to live in eastern Hokkaido. Shibecha Town is not as flashy as other nearby areas, but I feel that it is a wonderful town to live in for those who are looking for a calm lifestyle. For that reason, I would like to focus on promoting "living" in the future. The Shibecha Town Regional Revitalization Support Team Channel regularly updates short movies summarizing the nature of Shibecha in autumn and the appeal of Shibecha town's businesses. The channel has almost 500 subscribers, and we are working towards our goal of reaching 1,000. We try to avoid making the channel as repetitive as possible, and we are creating it with the hope that the townspeople will be able to experience the appeal of Shibecha town once again. We are currently updating once a week, but we will be increasing the frequency of updates in the future to make Shibecha Town feel even closer to you. If you haven't seen it yet, we hope you will take a look. In Hokkaido, the mornings and evenings are getting colder and winter is finally here. Life in a snowy country is about to begin. I think the harsh weather will mean beautiful scenery, so I hope to continue living in Shibecha with a little anxiety and excitement in my heart. This is the third installment of the series. I am truly grateful to everyone who regularly reads it. We hope to continue spreading the charm of Shibecha Town, so we appreciate your continued support.