The spectacular ice monster scenery forms at the end of November—A must-experience winter trip to Tohoku, Japan

By MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

Japan has consistently ranked among the top three travel destinations for Taiwanese people. According to statistics from Taiwan's Tourism Bureau, the number of Taiwanese visitors to Japan reaches approximately 1.3 to 1.4 million each year. Although summer is the peak season for Taiwanese travelers visiting Japan, the Tohoku region as it transitions from autumn to winter offers more than just vibrant autumn foliage. The majestic ice monster scenery in prefectures such as Yamagata, Miyagi, Aomori, and Akita attracts many tourists every year. Among them, the most famous are the ice monsters on the Zao Mountain Range Plateau that spans Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures, which begin to form around the end of November each year. In addition, the Tohoku region boasts numerous hot springs and well-known attractions, also worthy of being included in your itinerary.

The Zao Ice Monsters are the most unique natural spectacle on the frozen plains of the Tohoku region during winter. Their formation requires a combination of elements including coniferous forests, consistent strong winds blowing in one direction, sustained low temperatures, and just the right amount of snowfall—making it a rare phenomenon, considered by the Japanese as a national treasure. The ice monsters typically begin forming around the end of November to early December. During this period, cloud particles and rime frost brought by the seasonal winter winds of Tohoku gradually accumulate on the conifer trees, covering them in ice. By January and February, the originally emerald-green pine trees on the Zao Plateau are completely blanketed in white snow. With each formation unique in shape and appearance—ranging from humanoid figures and animals to monsters and even deities resembling the Earth God—they resemble exquisitely handcrafted artificial “snow sculptures,” hence also referred to as “Ice Monsters.”

 

Besides viewing the ice monsters, the hot springs and local sceneries in different cities and prefectures also have their own distinctive features, making them worthwhile experiences. For example, in Yamagata Prefecture, there is the Zao Onsen and the National Treasure Five-Story Pagoda. The former has been one of the “Ouu Three Great Hot Springs” since ancient times, known as Mogami’s Premier Hot Spring, and is one of the top-ranking hot spring resorts in the Tohoku region. Blessed with naturally superior conditions, it has become a renowned destination dotted with hot spring inns. The latter is the oldest pagoda in the Tohoku region of Japan, and the gently falling winter snow cloaks the pagoda in a silvery-white layer, giving it a serene and ancient beauty.

In Miyagi Prefecture, Naruko Onsen and Ryoanji Temple are highly renowned local attractions. Naruko Onsen, along with Iizaka Onsen and Sukayu Onsen, is listed among the Tohoku Three Great Hot Springs. It has a history of over a thousand years since it first opened as a hot spring resort, while the solemn and tranquil Ryoanji Temple can be considered a masterpiece that best represents the architectural style of the Momoyama period.