The ice signals the onset of winter in the coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk in Hokkaido. Sightseeing buses lined up in the parking lot of a roadside station serving as the boarding area for the ...

Spot rare wildlife, soak in a hot spring and sail in a frozen wonderland on Japan’s northernmost island.

And yet, when invited, I was the first to jump at a chance to travel halfway around the world to stalk winter birds, drift ice and visit onsens in Hokkaido. Temperatures would be below freezing ...