February 12, 2018

My dearest,

We are back in Otaru and the town is transformed.

More snow but also more walkable thanks to our anti-slip shoe covers we bought at the konbini. It’s hard to believe we were just here barely a week earlier. Now the former railway line has become a tunnel of ice sculptures – dried leaves and flowers pressed onto ice globes – and snow structures – banks and walls and tunnels.

Soon, a snowstorm. We are fortunate not to be out in the open. We are huddled metres above ground in the Otaru Denuki Koji Observatory, watching the people scurrying like ants below us, struggling against the gales and the powder.

We savour our still steaming hot fried chicken, like a secret feast, a picnic for two in a hideaway only we know. We are out in the wide world and we are always alone together, just the two of us, content and complete.

Yours, ever and always.