An Ice Beach for Winter in Hokkaido

Winter is coming, temperatures are dropping drastically, but nature is all the more beautiful on the Japanese archipelago. On the island of Hokkaido the mouth of the Tokachi River freezes each winter, causing blocks of ice to float to the shore and beach on Otsu Beach.

This natural and unique phenomenon in Japan is a highlight for photographers and travellers to Hokkaido between mid-January and mid-February, contemplating these icy jewels that sit regally on the beach before melting softly in the sand. The experience is all the more magical when the ice captures and reflects the sun’s rays against the dark blue before sunrise, turning red when the sun emerges, before turning to an orange-yellow and returning to its initial white. It is worth brave the cold to witness such monumental moments.