Majestic curtains of ice hang on a riverside in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, wowing tourists.

Water dripping out of a mountain cliff freezes into huge icicles on a bank of the Nishino River in Kiso Town around this time every year.

The tapering formations are known as the Shirakawa Ice Pillars. They can collectively grow about 50 meters tall and roughly 250 meters wide at their largest.

This season's icicles started to appear around December 20. Frigid weather in recent days has helped create the spectacle.

A visitor said she was awed by the power of nature as she believes the breathtaking ice walls can never be made artificially.

The operator of a nearby hot-spring inn said the appearance of ice pillars differs every year, but that a run of cold days like this winter's is best for increasing their grandeur. He added that he hopes sightseers will feel the beauty and harshness of nature.

Visitors can enjoy the sight of the ice pillars through mid-February.