So the temperature in these parts is not all that makes winter cold. The wind here during the day can be really strong. This week I've heard it whipping around and I swear I feel the house sway sometimes (the previously mentioned flimsy construction is also designed to make them sway in earthquakes in hopes that they don't fall).
Anyway, our teacher warned me awhile back that the wind would get really bad when it got cold. She said that Gunma was famous for it. She also said that Gunma is famous because the women here have worked outside the home for a long time. As you may know, Japan's past is full of subservient women. But here there was too much work---I don't know what kind--- and the men just couldn't afford to keep the little ladies shut away. So, to this day the women around these parts are known to be more independent than usual. This had led to a well-known saying about Gunma---that is is full of "strong wind and strong women".
I wondered exactly how well known this saying was, so some time later I asked a couple of other local born-and-bred Japanese ladies if they knew about it. They immediately started giggling and confirmed (proudly) that it is true. ;)
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