I watch the world transform from gray Tokyo cityscape to blinding-white, snow-covered mountains from my shinkansen window. This Niigata Prefecture scene was once famously described in Yasunari Kawabata's "Snow Country," but I'm not trying to retrace his steps — instead I'm heading to the town of Tokamachi to spend my birthday visiting contemporary artist James Turrell's "Hikari no Yakata" or "House of Light."

"Yōkoso! Welcome!" a townsman greets my friends and I with a cup of local amazake (a sweet, fermented rice drink) almost immediately upon exiting the train station, as if he expected us. I reach out a frozen, ungloved hand to accept the cup, which cools before even reaching my mouth.

The townsman guides us through a small tunnel carved through a pyramidal snow sculpture that opens up into a snow-walled maze. Encouraged onward by the sounds of J-pop, the icy labyrinth leads to a plaza — a winter wonderland complete with giant snow sculptures and a snow stage upon which dancers are throwing packets of rice and sweets to children below. Asking around, I discover my visit fortuitously coincides with Tokamachi's 69th annual yuki matsuri (snow festival).