Dubbed “Jewelry Ice”, these shiny pieces of diamond-like ice are miraculously washed up the Otsu shore in Toyokoro-cho off southwest Hokkaido in the winter, from the middle of January to late February.
With little impurities, the ice receives a natural high transparency as the Tokachi River takes a long time to freeze. Being crystal-like clear, the ice glitters in an exquisite backlight when hit by sun rays.
This jewelry Ice displays various colours at different times of the day. The best time to see the ice is in the early morning when they are bathed in an orange glow and gradually changes to a deep blue hue as the day goes.
As the temperature in January is around -5 degrees, decreasing to about -26 degrees in February, guests should be well prepared with body warmers. A rest house near the beach also serves warm drinks and food, where visitors can also soak into the onsen to warm up their bodies after viewing the Jewelry Ice.
How to get there
The JR Super Ozora express train connects Sapporo Station to Obihiro in just under three hours. Obihiro also has an airport with service from Tokyo for visitors who prefer to fly. Once in Obihiro, take a jewelry ice sightseeing bus or taxi for another hour to reach Toyokoro City's coastline.
