The Coast Of Hokkaido Islands Covered By Pieces Of Ice That Look Like Jewels

Along the northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido, nature reveals an unparalleled display of beauty in the cold embrace of winter. A phenomenon of amazing beauty starts its annual show as the icy tendrils of frost weave their complex patterns over the landscape—the arrival of the ice jewels on Hokkaido’s coast.

Every year the great Tokachi River dies to the unrelenting cold as the mercury drops and the winds whisper stories of winter’s approach. Once a symphony of motion, its rushing waves progressively give way to the frozen stillness and become a huge, crystalline expanse. But in her infinite wisdom and beauty, nature does not let this frozen canvas to remain still.

The river’s icy mantle breaks and splinters as winter advances, producing enormous fragments ready for an epic trip. Driven by tides and currents, these enormous chunks of ice slide inevitably toward the sea, their fate entwined with Hokkaido’s shoreline. They arrive here on the beaches of the island, transforming the shoreline into an imaginary-defying glittering tapestry.

These are not typical ice fragments; they are nature’s jewels, shaped by wind and water into forms that compete with the most beautiful stones created by human hands. They catch and reinterpret the winter light as they wash ashore, producing an amazing show of luminescence. Every piece is different—some as pure as the best diamond, others with subdued blue and green tones that suggest the depths from which they came. Their surfaces, sculpted and polished by their difficult trip, radiate an otherworldly brightness that enthralls everyone who views them.

The people of Hokkaido and the surrounding countries as well as others have not missed this annual show. Word of the ice jewels’ arrival sets off a sort of pilgrimage. Both residents and visitors swarm the coastlines driven by an irresistible need to see this fleeting masterpiece of nature. Breathing misty clouds in the cool air, they stand in wonder before the glittering expanse and consider the fleeting beauty all around them.

Thus great is the influence of this phenomena that has motivated the building of a museum honoring its celebration. Visitors may investigate the science behind the creation of these ice jewels, marvel at images and artistic depictions of past exhibits, and develop a greater respect of the delicate equilibrium of natural forces allowing this wonder to exist within its walls.

Special boat excursions provide those looking for a more immersive experience the chance to see the ice jewels in their natural surroundings. Intrepid viewers are sent out to sea on these trips so they may marvel as the large chunks of ice make their slow approach toward the coast. This is an opportunity to view the jewels in their unvarnished form and wonder at their sheer enormity and the forces that have sculpted them.

For millennia, Hokkaido’s society has been spun around this custom of ice-watching. It is evidence of the continuing ability of nature to inspire wonder and bring people together in common interest. The ice jewels reappearance reminds us of the cyclical beauty of our planet and the priceless, fleeting events that define our life year after year, as predictable as the seasons themselves yet always unique.

One is struck by the great metaphor these ice jewels reflect as the winter sun throws its pale light over the glittering coast. Like everything of great beauty, they are transient—bound to vanish as the warmth of spring returns. Nevertheless, in their fleeting presence, they leave a lasting impression on the hearts and brains of every person who sees them, a glittering reminder of the great wonders our earth has for those who take the time to look.

Hokkaido’s ice jewels shine with a brilliance all their own in the great tapestry of natural beauties—a winter’s masterpiece created by the elements, beloved by humans, and permanently recorded in the annals of nature’s most spectacular shows.