HOKKAIDO (ANN/THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN) – In summer, I joined a bike tour on a 70-kilometre section of the route that straddles 12 municipalities in the region. The tour aimed to reach the 1,139-metre-high Mikuni Toge mountain pass, which lies at the northern end of the Tokapuchi 400, passing by two lakes. Tokapuchi 400 is a […]
By Arnesia Young on January 21, 2021
Nature is full of spectacularly beautiful sights, and some naturally occurring phenomena are so awe-inspiring that it’s hard to believe your eyes. One such marvel takes place during the cold winter months at Lake Nukabira in Hokkaido, Japan. The serene surface of the lake becomes covered with frosty ice bubbles that extend across the enchanting view in large swaths.
This extraordinary display takes place as gases and other miscellaneous substances rise from the lakebed and freeze as they approach the surface. Some of the ice bubbles don’t even make it all the way to the top and become suspended in multidimensional layers. What results is one of the most amazing environmental art installations ever created by Mother Nature herself.