
A mountain in Aomori, Japan, has been transformed into a forest of 'snowmen' by the wintry weather in the region.

These snowmen are in fact trees frozen into towering, white figurines.

Photographer Sho Shibata, 34, captured the stunning scenes in Hakkoda Mountains, a 5000 foot high snowy volcanic range in the north of the country.

The Aomori based photographer said: 'This is my favourite place to visit when it is cold like this because it transforms into a wonderland.

'I went up there on my own to take pictures of the mountains,The way the snow covers the trees is amazing, it was very intriguing, when I first saw them I actually thought there were lots of snowmen.What's incredible is how the all look so similar, they look like snow monsters - like they are ghosts.

'It was a magnificent sight, although it was very cold. Temperatures got as low as -8 degrees Celsius while I was up there. I moved from mountain to mountain, this meant I was able to capture walkers on their journey. It looks like a masterpiece, the trees are stunning and form an amazing visual pattern.'

The images were taken in the Hakkoda Mountains, a 5000 foot high snowy volcanic range in northern Japan that's popular with skiers

From a distance, the snow coated trees look like giant snow men (pictured), or snow monsters, according to the photographer Sho Shibata

Mr Shibata, who visits the area regularly, described the snow covered trees (above) as looking like they are ghosts'

Temperatures on the mountains fell to minus eight degrees while Mr Shibata was taking the photographs, despite the visible sunlight

The 34-year-old photographer said: 'This is my favourite place to visit when it is cold like this because it transforms into a wonderland'