Ghostly trees covered in snow and rime ice -- known as "snow monsters" or juhyou (frost-covered trees) in Japanese -- are a celebrated feature of the winter landscape in mountainous areas of northern Japan. Here are a few photos.



Hakkōda Mountains, Aomori prefecture [via]



Hakkōda Mountains, Aomori prefecture [via]



Mt. Moriyoshi, Akita prefecture [via]



Hakkōda Mountains, Aomori prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Moriyoshi, Akita prefecture [via]



Mt. Moriyoshi, Akita prefecture [via]



Mt. Moriyoshi (Moriyoshi shrine), Akita prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Hakkōda Mountains, Aomori prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Miyagi prefecture [via]



Mt. Zao, Yamagata prefecture [via]



Mt. Moriyoshi, Akita prefecture [via]



Hachimantai Plateau, Akita prefecture [via]



Mt. Moriyoshi, Akita prefecture [via]



Mt. Azuma, Fukushima prefecture [via]



Mt. Azuma, Fukushima prefecture [via]



Hakkōda Mountains, Aomori prefecture [via]