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Japan: the island of Hokkaido, kingdom of snow and ice
Japan: the island of Hokkaido, kingdom of snow and ice
(France 2)
On the island of Hokkaido, in Japan, from January onwards, the sea turns into ice floe. This white paradise attracts 35 million visitors per year.
In the north of Japan, the island of Hokkaido is the kingdom of snow and ice. From January onwards, the sea turns into ice floe. With waterproof suits, tourists bathe in the icy water. Blocks of ice drift every year from Siberia, 1,000 km away. On the island of Hokkaido, temperatures can reach -30°C. At an altitude of 800 m, a lake is completely frozen. With its thermal springs and its water at 40°C, it attracts tourists.
Spend a night in an igloo
Several igloos have been built on this frozen lake. Inside one of them, a bar, in which even the glasses are made of ice. For 170 euros, some decide to spend a night in these shelters. Others prefer to board an icebreaker. “It’s the first time I’ve seen the ice floe like this, I didn’t think the pieces of ice could be so thick,” enthuses a woman. Hokkaido, Japan’s white paradise, attracts 35 million visitors a year.
