Photo= A staff member distributing artificial snow along the slope to prepare for the resort's opening (December 7, Hakodateyama Ski Resort, Imazu-cho, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture)

Snow is being created and scattered with artificial snowmaking machines at Hakodateyama Ski Resort, Imazu-cho, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture. December 7 corresponds to "Taisetsu" or major snow, one of the 24 solar terms in the traditional East Asian calendars. Snowmaking continued on that day also to arrange the ski slopes, which command a view of Lake Biwa below, with the appropriate look for the height of winter.

Snowmaking started on November 20. Three snowmaking machines froze water from the valley into artificial snow and discharged it continuously so it piled up high on the slopes. In order to prepare for the resort's opening on December 15, there were plans to groom the snow using snowcat trail groomers and achieve a snow thickness of 40 to 50 centimeters on the 310-meter second slope and at the kids' park where children can play in the snow.

Reportedly, on December 7, the temperature on the mountain dropped up to minus two degrees Celsius. The resort's manager said, "This year it has gotten colder earlier than usual, and a substantial snowfall is forecast. We would like to prepare so that many people can visit."