The people of Hokkaido will often make jokes about the chaos a little bit of snow can throw Tokyo into. They deal with an onslaught of bitterly cold and treacherous weather every single winter without complaints. But are Hokkaido-ians really as snow-savvy as they make out on Twitter?

As this video shows, the citizens of Hokkaido have become so accustomed to the perilous icy conditions of the north, that they have unconsciously developed a useful skill to deal with it. It went viral on Japanese Twitter as people expressed amazement at how the Hokkaido people have evolved to safely traverse dangerously icy roads. It was uploaded by @kamuikitano, an account which hopes to spread information about Hokkaido all over the world.

Watching a video of a crowded icy street, we usually expect to see some comical slipping and falling over, but every single person, young or old, navigates the dicey road like a pro.

Viewers noticed a very distinct walking style that everyone seemed to be using. Rather than striding forward as usual, the pedestrians are taking small, flat-footed steps. People compared their tentative treading method to the way a penguin walks.

Hokkaido natives themselves were also surprised, not realising that this is a Hokkaido thing. Many comments said that no one was taught this walking technique, it’s just something that they pick up naturally from growing up there.

If you too are more of a snow bunny than a sun-worshipper, check out some of the amazing winter scenery you can see in Hokkaido, Japan's most northern prefecture.


By - Jess.