In the snowy wilds of Japan's Yamagata Prefecture, where winter wraps the land in an icy hush, something eerie stirs in the Zao Mountains. As the temperature drops and the storms rage, the trees on these slopes begin to transform—until they no longer look like trees at all.

If Bangkok is the beating heart of Thailand, then Pattaya is its pulse after dark. Just a two-hour ride from the capital, this coastal city has long worn the title of “Thailand’s party town.” But don’t let the neon signs fool you — there’s more to Pattaya than cabaret shows and cocktail buckets. It’s a place where high-energy nights and slow, sandy mornings coexist in chaotic harmony.