By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 
When winter arrives, with its biting winds and flying snowflakes, the northern land instantly transforms into a romantic, snow-white world that captivates the heart. In the Lake Akan area of Hokkaido, every winter sees delicate white flowers floating on the lake surface, embellishing the landscape like a fairy tale and dotting the distant Mount Akan like something out of a storybook, creating a stunning winter scene unique to Hokkaido.

The tiny white ice flowers on the lake surface are actually unique snow and ice crystals, each with its own subtle and delicate form. According to locals, these flowers, which only appear in winter, typically bloom between mid-December and mid-February during the night and early morning, and only when temperatures drop below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, ice flowers as large as a palm can form. If you’re lucky and the temperature is low enough, these beautiful little blooms may last up to three months, not fading until spring arrives and the earth begins to warm.