Ice-breaking pleasure boat opens up a route through drifting slabs of ice in Hokkaido

The Yomiuri Shimbun

An ice-breaking pleasure boat opens up a route through drifting slabs of ice about 4 kilometers off the coast of Monbetsu, Hokkaido, on Saturday. Hokkaido has been hit by records snowfalls this winter, but on the day, the temperature climbed steadily thanks to warm winds from the south. Passengers on board enjoyed the views and lapped up the bright sunshine as the mercury rose up to 7 C, akin to early-April heat.