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Juhyo: The Snow Monsters on Japan’s Mount Zao (15 photos)

Winter conditions at the summit of Mount Zao, a volcano standing between Japan’s Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures, can conjure up “creatures” of snow and ice, built up over tree trunks and branches. Wind-blown ice is covered by snow in repeated cycles, building up hulking shapes on the mountain slopes. These famous Juhyo, or “snow monsters,” attract visitors to Mount Zao from the end of January through mid-March.