Drift Ice Off Northern Hokkaido Coast Now Visible

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:23 JST, February 5, 2023

Passengers aboard the sightseeing icebreaker Aurora sail through drift ice in an area off Abashiri, Hokkaido Prefecture, on Friday. About 260 tourists from Japan and abroad took part in the ship’s first trip this winter, just a day after the city marked the first day of drift ice on Thursday. The season begins when the ice is visible to the naked eye from land. “This is my first time seeing drift ice. It was a magical sight and very beautiful,” said a college student from Shizuoka City. The Aurora operates for drift ice sightseeing until March 31.