The kanji (Chinese characters) for Furen means "windy place", but the word actually derives from the aboriginal Ainu for "red river." Settled in 1899 in the Nayoro basin, Furen once boasted 10,000 residents. Currently, about half that call it home. Bucolic and beautiful, the main industry of the town is rice and the famous rice cake mochi into which it is made. Brilliantly verdant in the spring and summer, seven to nine meters of snow inundate the town every winter.

On March 17, 2006, at the behest of the Japanese national government and Hokkaido government, Furen joined with its larger neighbor to the north, Nayoro. I know my friends and my memories will remain unchanged, but I am sad and concerned for the spirit of the townspeople.

Here are images of Furen, its culture, and its people.