January is the coldest time of the year in Japan, and the Fountain of Strewth has turned to ice and the Croc of Shite is more a Croc of Spite as ice drives it to the bottom of the fountain until the morning sun thaws it, almost as a reminder of the harshness of the winter. With the still short days, the lengthy dark periods make the cold seem colder. But this year seems to have been a return to the past. The two most recent winters have been comparatively warm, but cloudy. Cold, wet, dark winters are common in…