Hokkaido town patents scenic 'jewelry ice' to promote free use

TOYOKORO, Hokkaido-The town government here has trademarked "Jewelry ice," the beautiful frozen lumps found on the coast in winter, to prevent companies from monopolizing the increasingly popular tourist attraction for their own purposes The Japan Patent Office approved the Toyokoro town's application, and the "Jewelry ice" trademark was registered on Nov 16.

According to the town's commerce, industry and tourism division, jewelry ice is produced when water in the Tokachigawa river freezes during the winter chill and is carried to the river's mouth in the Otsu coastal area, where the pieces of ice are shaped by waves Photos and information about the jewelry ice spread online, and 400 to 500 sightseers visited the site on weekends last winter, according to town officials The town submitted its initial patent application in April 2017, along with three private companies.

Toyokoro continued to pursue the patent, explaining that the town had been using the name in its tourism promotion pamphlets and other materials "It will fill me with joy if the trademark registration leads more people to learn about jewelry ice in various ways and feel closer to it," he said. . Source