Within the majestic silence of a snow-covered mountain lies the hush of possibility. The dormant assurance of life; a mountain in winter signifies hope. Especially for Dan Junker, 47, who lives in a tiny village in the shadow of Mount Norikura.
Local youth have, in recent decades, strayed from Norikurahogen, an aging community on the outskirts of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. It lacks the flash of larger mountain towns — or the convenience-store convenience.
But for Junker, that's precisely the appeal of the place.