The water garden here will be transformed into a lantern-lit wintry playground, where guests can book a kamakura to warm up with chocolate and hot cocktails.

Photo: KAI Tsugaru

Northern Japan’s abundant snowfall doesn’t just make for ideal skiing conditions—it also results in creative ways to celebrate the winter season.

Throughout February, KAI Tsugaru, a hot-spring resort in Honshu’s Aomori Prefecture, will be running a nighttime experience centered on igloo-like snow huts known as kamakura.

The water garden here will be transformed into a lantern-lit wintry playground, where guests can book a kamakura to warm up with chocolate and hot cocktails made using Aomori-grown apples, while playing a locally inspired card game.

More information here.

This article originally appeared in the December 2019/January 2020 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Snow Job”).