SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Imagine a beautiful remote lake in Hokkaido. Now, how would you like to stay there in a village made entirely of ice that exists only for one winter season?

Japan
(Hokkaido • ice • Lake Shikaribetsu • Shikaribetsuko Kotan • snow)

New glassware from Japan uses condensation to create sakura cherry blossom imprints on your table

Oona McGee
Jan 21, 2016

Because you might be too old to play with your food, but you’re not too old to play with your glasses.

Japan
(cherry blossom • cool • cute • design • drinks • glasses • hanami • sake • sakura • snow)

Cheeky seal gets sled ride at Japanese zoo, decides he’s pretty much done with walking 【Video】

Casey Baseel
Jan 21, 2016

He’s either lazy, impatient, intelligent, or adorable…or maybe all four!

Japan
(animals • cute • funny • seals • snow • video • zoos)

10 tweets showing just how crazy snow can make things in Tokyo

Preston Phro
Jan 19, 2016

As a natural phenomenon loved by many, snow can be pretty cool. Unfortunately, in Tokyo, it’s often more like a wet, cold monster that ruins everything!

Internet, Japan
(commuting • funny • snow • trains • weather)

Sadly, seven sudden snow Hachikos in Tokyo are probably too cute to be true

Casey Baseel
Jan 18, 2016

Twitter users claim that after a recent snowfall Tokyoites were greeted by eight times as many Hachikos as usual. But is it a loyal doggy miracle, or just an adorable bit of photo editing?

Japan
(cute • dogs • Hachiko • Shibuya • snow • Tokyo)

Sapporo gears up for Snow Miku with itasha train, ‘Snow Miku Sky Town’

Anime News Network
Dec 16, 2015

Every year, Sapporo throws the Snow Miku 2016 festival and rakes in over 100 million yen (about US$839,433) in revenue, with about 40 different companies participating in the promotion.

Japan
(Anime News Network • event • Hatsune Miku • Sapporo • snow • video)

Snow sakura! Spring and winter collide as frost and cherry blossoms mingle in Japan 【Photos】

Casey Baseel
Apr 8, 2015

As I sit here writing this, it’s been a solid four days since I’ve seen a patch of blue sky. That’s hard enough on someone who grew up in sun-drenched southern California, but what makes it worse is that right now the cherry blossoms are blooming across Japan, and the week-long forecast of cold and precipitation isn’t what many were hoping for as they made plans to head out and admire the short-lived flowers.

But while sakura in the sun are always preferable to sakura in the rain, once the temperature dips down low enough, the flowers become captivating in a whole new way, as shown in these beautiful photos of cherry blossoms in the snow.

Japan
(beautfiful • cherry blossoms • flowers • nature • sakura • snow)

Mr. Sato channels his inner Elsa, books a night at a Hokkaido ice hotel 【Photos】

Scott R Dixon
Feb 24, 2015

February: the time when most of us in the northern hemisphere look at the calendar in despair as spring takes its sweet time to arrive. It’s also the perfect month to get away to a warmer locale, soak up some sun and recharge yourself to be able to get through the last (hopefully) weeks of winter.

But instead of packing a swimsuit and sunscreen for that trip to the beach, our beloved reporter Mr. Sato instead decided to fully embrace winter and booked a stay at an ice hotel in Hokkaido for a vacation he’ll never forget or let (it) go.

Japan
(Hokkaido • ice hotel • Mr. Sato • Royce Ice Hills Hotel • Sapporo • snow • Tobetsu • travel)

Touching new Subaru commercial traverses time to win to our hearts

Krista Rogers
Feb 9, 2015

When they aren’t filming commercials involving attacks by Titans or epic 60-hour-long miniature car model shoots, Japanese car manufacturer Subaru has proven to us that they’ve also got some commercials designed to hit you right in the feels.

Take this endearing new clip set in a snowy winter’s scene, for instance. It will surely warm your heart, despite the cold!

Japan
(commercial • snow • Subaru • sweet • video)

To hike or hibernate for the winter? The woes of a Hokkaido University student

KK Miller
Jan 23, 2015

Heavy winds, low visibility and snow drifts the size of houses. What do you do? Go to that lecture at 8:30 or grab as many blankets as you can and binge watch Dragon Ball? Although the answer might be pretty simple for some university students in Japan, the ones in Hokkaido know there is no such thing as a snow day. Freshman students at Hokkaido University are sometimes amazed to encounter the incredibly snowy weather conditions that face them on their way to class. There is not much else they can do but bundle up, snap a few pictures and share them with the Internet.

We’ve collected some of the best pics taken by Hokkaido’s students this winter. Would you go to class in this weather?

Japan
(Hokkaido • Hokkaido University • snow • weather • winter)

Low crime in Japan means police officers create ridiculous snow sculptures instead

Scott Wilson
Jan 14, 2015

It snows a lot in Hokkaido. Like, a lot. No seriously, they have a hotel made out of ice and snow and just take a look at this poor Lawson convenience store that was devoured by snowfall.

So with all that snow around you can either grumble as you shovel your driveway for the third time that day, or you can make the best of it. One police officer in Hokkaido did just that, creating an amazing snow-sculpture of a Japanese police car right outside the station.

Japan
(Hokkaido • Japanese Police • police • snow • snow sculptures)

Intense photos of South Korean Special Forces training in the snow

BUSINESS INSIDER
Jan 9, 2015

About 200 South Korean Special Forces are taking part in ten days of grueling winter weather combat training.

With a constant threat from North Korea, South Korea’s Army Special Warfare Command (SWC) is responsible for special operations in the country. SWC soldiers frequently work closely with US Green Berets and their modus operandi include guerrilla warfare, assassinations, and counter-terrorism.

Every year, members of the SWC must participate in winter warfare training in the mountains of Pyeongchang, east of Seoul. Conditions in Pyeongchang generally include temperatures as low as negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit and deep snow.

Korea
(snow • Special Forces • training)

Cold never bothered you anyway? Then spend a night at this Hokkaido ice hotel!

Scott Wilson
Jan 8, 2015

There’s no shortage of unique hotels in Japan. Aside from the well-known capsule hotels and love hotels, there’s Gundam and Hello Kitty hotels, a toilet hotel, a so-cheap-it’s-scary hotel, and much more.

But the latest hotel that just opened up in Hokkaido is definitely the coolest of them all. It’s a hotel made entirely of snow and ice where you can spend the night in below-freezing temperatures!

Japan
(Hokkaido • hotels • ice • ice hotel • snow • vacation resorts)

Photos of people lining up outside of the Sapporo Apple Store make us feel positively frozen

Krista Rogers
Jan 5, 2015

We thought people were dedicated when they lined up in droves to wait for the release of the iPhone 6 earlier this year, but that’s nothing compared to what these people had to endure while waiting for New Year’s lucky bags outside of the Apple Store in Sapporo, Japan!

Would you wait outside in the freezing cold for over a day and risk catching pneumonia in order to score some spiffy Apple products?

Japan
(Apple Store • cold • lucky bag • Sapporo • snow)

Town in Hiroshima now offering exciting… snow-shovelling tours?

Meg Murphy
Dec 30, 2014

To someone raised in an area that receives little to no snow in the wintertime, living in a snowy region might seem like a lot of fun, what with all the sledding, snowball fights, and easy access to ski resorts. But it’s not all fun and games when you need to shovel through feet of snow just to leave your house or to get your car out of your driveway.

But maybe to someone who hasn’t grown up having to shovel heaps of snow each winter, snow-shoveling could be a fun experience too. At least, that’s what the Akiota-cho Sightseeing Association in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, seems to be hoping as they try to lure city-dwellers to their 4th annual “Heavy Snow Region Experience Tour“. However, this tour has some net-users questioning why anyone would want to pay 5,000 yen (approximately US$50) to shovel snow for someone else.