Chunks of ice that shine like jewels have washed ashore on a beach near the mouth of the Tokachi river in Urahoro, Hokkaido. Known as "jewelry ice," they appear translucent when hit with the sun's rays.
Jewelry ice are a natural phenomenon only seen in times of extreme cold. They are created when huge blocks of ice drift out to sea from the Tokachi river and are smashed to pieces by the waves of the Pacific Ocean before drifting ashore.
An amateur photographer took photos of the icy gems on Monday morning in Urahoro, Hokkaido, when temperatures dropped as low as minus 18.5 C. According to the town's tourism association, the jewelry ice will be visible until around the 20th of this month.
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