Pillar of light

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:59 JST, January 7, 2022

A 33-meter icefall is lit up at the Niogataki waterfall in Nishimeya, Aomori Prefecture. The waterfall has frozen for the first time in four years, with the top and the basin finally connecting on Feb. 1. An annual ritual predicts whether there will be a rich or poor harvest based on the size of the pillar and its shape, but the event was canceled this year and last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The icefall will be lit up through Feb. 28.