GlobeRovers Magazine, Dec 2019

THE SNOW MONSTERS
Zao is one of only a few places in Japan
where the juhyo (ice trees) can be seen.
Juhyo can be found on a limited number
of mountains in the northeastern areas of
Japan with Zao one of the most accessible
areas. Better known as “snow monsters”,
the trees take on mystifying shapes during
the coldest part of the winter.
It is as if almost every tree, which by
mid-winter is hardly recognisable
as a tree, takes on the shape of a human,
complete with facial features,
blowing hair, hats, wide dresses, and
limbs. They often appear as a group
of people in traditional dress looking
at each other or walking up the
hill. While they are called “snow monsters”,
most more closely resemble humans than
monsters if you have a strong imagination.
The “snow monsters” form around the
peak of the Zao Ski Resort and are usually
at their most spectacular around mid-
February.
The wind is blowing, it is freezing cold, and you are
alone, surrounded by “snow monsters” so real that
you can hear them talking in their frosted voices.
There are a few climatic conditions
necessary for the juhyo to be created. The
trees must be evergreen conifers such
as the Japanese red pines, white fir, blue
spruce, red cedar or similar. The ice develops
particularly fast when the temperature
is around minus 5°C (23F) and when the
wind is weak. Water droplets must be present
in the low hanging snow clouds, and
they then adhere to the trees as they make
contact. Heavy snowfalls between two and
three metres are also ideal.
On Mount Zao, where the wind tends
to be strong, juhyo grow windward and
their tips turn into a shape called “the
JAPAN
ZAO ONSEN
shrimp tail” as these unique ice formations
resemble the tails of shrimps. These “tails”
will build up and fill all the gaps between
the branches and freeze very hard. As this
phenomenon repeats itself over several
days, the build-up creates masterpieces.
Access to the “snow monsters” is
by ropeway and a gondola fit for both
skiers and non-skiers. From the top
of the mountain the panoramic view
over the ski slopes and the “snow
monsters” is spectacular.
The “snow monsters” must be seen
during the day, especially on clear sunny
days, as well as in the evenings when
coloured floodlights light up the monsters
around the summit. View them from the
open viewing deck of the cafe, or from a
warm seat inside the cafe. Make sure to
dress very warmly as the wind can get
extremely strong and brutally cold at night
- ideal conditions to make the monsters
even wilder and bigger.
Feature • Japan | 17