Images: Frozen Landscapes Forged by Volcanic Fire

At the age of 84, Mizukoshi Takeshi took this photo of 1,721-meter Mount Rishiri in the depths of winter. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Mountain ranges in Hokkaidō’s interior. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Asahidake, the main peak of the Daisetsuzan range, during heaviest snow accumulation. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Water springs from numerous small calderas in the Daisetsuzan range, forming streams that flow through the mountainous terrain. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Looking toward Mount Tomuraushi, in the southern part of the Daisetsuzan range, with ezo-kanzō flowers blooming in the marshes of Numanohara and Ōnuma. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Winter in the Daisetsuzan range. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

A view of the 1,967-meter Ishikaridake, the main peak in the eastern part of the Daisetsuzan range, photographed from the Numanohara marsh. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Autumn foliage at the treeline at Daisetsuzan. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

The central portion of the Hidaka Mountains. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Sulfur crystals continue to grow in the numerous smoking vents of 508-meter Mount Iō in Akan-Mashū National Park. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

The emerald green pond at volcanically active Meakandake, with 1,476-meter Akan Fuji in the background. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Puffs of steam rise from the 1,499-meter Meakandake during periods of volcanic activity. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Winter scene: Meakandake, with Akan Fuji to its right. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

The mountains of the Shiretoko range peek through a sea of clouds. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Shiretokodake, 1,254 meters tall, in early summer. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)

Lake Mashū, a crystal-clear caldera lake, shows continually changing aspects depending on the season. (© Mizukoshi Takeshi)