snow panda 2

It seems only a short while ago that we were complaining about how unbearably hot the summer is here in Japan. Well, time sure does pass by quickly, and we’re now headed into winter, with parts of northern Japan already seeing a bit of snow. And while you can always expect small kids to be thrilled with the idea of a winter wonderland, it seems they’re not the only ones that thoroughly enjoy playing with the snow.

We’ve found a collection of photos and videos on Japanese information compilation site Naver Matome which clearly show that animals too get a kick out of jumping and rolling in the fluffy white stuff, and we wanted to share the images with you because, well … they simply looked so “cool” (and not just because of all the snow involved). So, get ready to enjoy some adorable animal snow action!

When it comes to cute animals, yes, cats and dogs never fail to delight, but we have to admit giant pandas rank pretty high on the list too. Like any other country in the world, the incredibly cuddly-looking black-and-white bears are hugely popular here in Japan, so when the Toronto Zoo in Canada released a video earlier this month of their resident giant panda Da Mao frolicking in the snow, the Japanese media and Internet were quick to share the content with the entire nation. Understandably, the Japanese public responded with much oohing and aahing online, resulting in an entry on compilation website Naver Matome entirely devoted to animals in the snow, with the panda video as the top feature.

▼Here’s the video of Da Mao the giant panda looking happy and beautiful in the snow, uploaded to Toronto Zoo’s YouTube channel on November 17:

Now, is it any wonder Japanese internet users responded to that with many tweets filled with words like “cute” and “endearing”? But that’s not all we were treated to in the Naver Matome post. Just take a look at some of the other animals that were shown, all appearing to have a great time in the snow!

▼This dog in a tweet shared by user @World_TrainView certainly looks ecstatically happy with all the snow!

https://twitter.com/World_TrainView/status/340081167527182338

▼Here’s a precious image from the Akita Dog Preservation Society (Akita-ken Hozon Kyoukai) based in Ōdate City of Akita Prefecture. The tweet, dated November 17, says: “It’s started to snow in Ōdate. The snow probably won’t get too deep for a while, but it sure is cold. Akita dogs look great in the snow, by the way, don’t they?”

https://twitter.com/akitainuho/status/534581619101687808

▼This tweet featuring a high-energy Shiba dog is from the Himemasu Sanso, an inn based near Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture. The message, tweeted on November 13, reads: “Good morning! We finally have some snow on the ground. The temperature now is -1°C (30°F). It’s just like they say in the famous snow song (which goes, ‘Dogs delight in the snow and run around the yard.’)! The forecast is for snow throughout the day, so everyone tread carefully. Well, I’m off!”

https://twitter.com/himemasu_sanso/status/533024338195128320

▼And this picture, tweeted by user @kyou_retu on November, 2 came with the caption: “I went on a walk with my dog in the snow … and now he looks like shaved ice!”

https://twitter.com/kyou_retu/status/528855316666920960

And if you’re a cat person, don’t worry! We have some cat pics as well.

▼This YouTube video, shared by user ri5357 in January last year, features Leo, an American Shorthair who according to the owner, has been fond of snow ever since he was a young kitten.

▼Here’s a cat picture shared by Twitter user @38nekozo in February this year and tweeted with the caption: “Cello seems to be getting used to the snow. I let him out on the second floor veranda, where the snow wasn’t so deep, and he was so excited, he ran around the veranda like mad!

▼And here’s one more cat photo from back in February of last year, tweeted by user 0420Sax along with the message: “Cat having a ball in the snow is simply too hilarious”

Yes, we could happily go on looking at dogs and cats in the snow all day, but there were also images of some more “exotic” animals on the Naver Matome page as well.

▼How about a video of some adorable polar bears having fun in the powder? This video featuring the polar bear Lala and her three-month-old cub was taken at the Maruyama Zoo in Sapporo, Hokkaido in April 2011 and was shared by YouTube user Mmovies21

And lastly, we have two adorable ferret videos, also from Japan!

▼This first one was recorded in Tokyo in February this year and shared by YouTube user dd101murasame who was delighted to see his ferret so happy in the snow.

▼And this video, posted by YouTube user hitohito seijin (ひとひと星人) is also from February this year, showing two ferrets hard at play in the snow on the veranda at his parents’ house.

So, the cold and snow can’t be all bad, can it, if it can give us such cute images? We hope you enjoyed these as much as we did, because the pictures and videos certainly made us smile. After being warmed by the sight of all these animals, all we need now is to get our kotatsu tables ready, and we’ll be all set for winter!

Source: Naver Matome (Japanese)
Top Image: You Tube (Toronto Zoo)