With the end of 2020, we now begin 2021, the Year of the Ox or Cow according to the traditional zodiac. Tokachi on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, which has already seen significant snowfall this year, is a major dairy farming area. Even during cold weather, the cows here are well-fed and well-cared for, and the milk they give accounts for over 60% of Japan’s domestic natural cheese production.