Check Out Their New Digs

Forget snow angels and forts—a pair of Edgewater kids dig a traditional Japanese Kamakura to escape from winter woes.

Do you want to build a snowman? Actually, no. That’s what Aki Okada’s kids, son Toma and daughter Lena, said when they ventured out of their Edgewater home for a few hours of cold-weather playtime. Instead of snow angels or a snow fort, they dug a Kamakura, a traditional northern Japanese snow hut. In Japan, Kamakura are used to serve food and drink, and they are illuminated by lanterns after sunset. For Okada’s kids, they used the snow dome to “have tea, relax and chill out.” “We wanted to make a bigger one,” Okada says, “but maybe next year.” With the way snow is falling this winter, the family may not have to wait that long. For more of what’s going on around Bergen County, follow us on Instagram @bergenmagnj.