If you have heard about Eastern Hokkaido, you would have heard about drift ice, or ice breakers.
Perhaps you might have heard about ice-breaking ship tours from your travel agency.

But what if you can only visit Japan during a non-winter season? Will you be missing out the joys of drift ice? The great news is, you don't!

Here in Mombetsu, the Okhotsk Sea ice Museum of Hokkaido [GIZA] offers you an experience where you can see the drift ice in all seasons! Plus point if you hate the constantly cold winters. LOL.



So, what can you expect from entering this building?

At Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido [GIZA], you get to see and do lots of things!

- Seeing soap bubbles freezing in a room of -20 degrees
- Ice art, sculptures, or even playing a xylophone made of ice
- Swinging a wet hand towel and see it freeze
- Displays of marine animals and especially sea angels
- Astrovision that gives you an all-year drift ice viewing experience

and more!


Not long upon entry, we were welcomed with this!





Ironing ice! It was said that he does this to maintain the structure and clarity of the exhibit items.

The ice is so clear. It's like a crystal.




There are so much more in the exhibits.



and more





and more!!!






The most memorable part is this! When you are going for the -20 degrees experience, you will be given a jacket and a wet towel. You're supposed to kinda swing them and watch it freeze.

The towel is like this:





But of course, since I noticed that it has words that says that it is the proof that you have visited the sea ice museum, so of course I wouldn't want to swing and make it a cone. So I sort of fanned it slowly and waited for it to freeze. (It's cold after your bare hands touching it for a long time so be careful!)

And as you go downstairs you get to see a staff blowing soap bubbles and you can see the bubbles start to freeze. Try catching it with a piece of paper and see it turn into a plop of snowflakes.



And of course, they had a planetarium-style dome that you can see videos of the famous Mombetsu's Ice breaker - Garinko. No photography/ videography was allowed, though.

If you are coming here during a non-winter season, then no winter gear is needed but you can experience the cold, which is a pretty good deal imo! Also the surrounding places have great seafood so it is definitely great to drive around ^^

Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido [GIZA]
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/vdQyv
Non-operational on: Mondays or the next weekday if the day is a public holiday in Japan
Operation hours: 9.30AM to 5PM (tickets sold until 4.30PM)
Official site: http://giza-ryuhyo.com/eng/index.html



Nearby places:

Okhotsk Tokkari Center





Lake Komuke




Kamiyubetsu Tulip Fair




Omusaro Natural Flower Garden




And many more other places.

Will you be going to Eastern Hokkaido?


Until next time! :)