[Yatadera Narumi cosplay] Winter Nagano trip: Tracing Tengu and Jizo in the Snow

Completed this Yatadera Narumi cosplay Winter snow scene Outdoor photography session at Togakushi Shrine in Nagano. The reason for choosing this location lies in its deep lore and research connections to the character. Mount Togakushi, closely connected to Mount Iizuna with Lake Iizuna atop it, is the birthplace of the Great Tengu legend, while the tale of Kijo Momiji and Mount Kurohime from the Kurohime legend are all set nearby. Rather than standard anime pilgrimages, I much prefer these folklore-grounded field explorations, which give the character greater depth and historical grounding within a specific environment for Touhou Project.

After fresh snowfall during a winter in Nagano, thick snow blanketed the mountain forests of Togakushi Shrine in profound silence. Temperatures were freezing during the shoot, with cold creeping up from the soles of my feet, yet it was precisely this chill that lent a serene, lonely elegance to the Winter snow scene backdrop. To match the character's attire, I constantly adjusted the straw sedge hat, red tassels, and tiered layered sleeves in the snow. Though my hands froze bright red, the resulting images were thoroughly satisfying—capturing a traditional Japanese aesthetic of praying in the snow that studio shoots can hardly replicate.

Beyond Togakushi Shrine, Zenko-ji Temple in downtown Nagano was another crucial stop on this Nagano trip. The temple houses numerous Jizo statues, surrounded by shops selling pilgrim straw hats. Seeing the sedge hats hanging by storefronts alongside the Jizo statues readily brings to mind how the creator gathered inspiration from these daily cultural sights. Though Nagano is a tranquil small city, it is genuinely spiritual—we even encountered a wild fox on our way back.

This Outdoor photography session also meant overcoming various challenges, such as slipping on snow-covered ground and protecting props from melting snow. This marks my second Nagano trip; every visit offers a distinct seasonal atmosphere and deepens my resonance with the character's backstory.