Tocachi River jewel ice appears during the coldest winter months on the beach in Japan. This is a real thing 'jewel ice' or 'river ice'. It forms in the river and shines like jewelry in the absence of salt.
The jewels reflect the many changing colors of the sky. If you can endure the frigid temperatures, Tokachi River, Hokkaido is the place to be in January and February to view these beautiful formations.
Ice That Sparkles Like Diamonds Washes Onto Japanese Shores
Large lumps scatter across a beach at the mouth of the Tokachi River on Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. They shine like diamonds beneath evening moon beams and glow like amber under a setting sun. At first glance, the scene looks like the remnants of a giant’s jewel heist gone wrong. But these glistening gems are just ice chunks, spit out by the river and tumbled by ocean waves. They’re called Tokachi river ice, jewelry ice or jewel ice, and they appear only here, and only during the coldest winter months.
