As the New Year begins, the words "cold wave" tend to appear more frequently in Japanese weather reports, with Tokyo's first big snowfall in 4 years seeming to have been the recent standout.

That's definitely true of the chilly Yamagata prefecture, which Natsumi Kuraki (@kuraki_natsumi), a member of the Yamagata Symphony Orchestra, found out recently. Kuraki shared a photo of her bicycle that conveys the piercing cold of the season and sent a chill through Twitter.

Kuraki posted a photo of her parked bike frozen in place, covered in icicles with the caption "Something incredible happened to my bike. This is how the New Year begins."

The image resonated strongly with many on Twitter, particularly those who know all too well the scenes and danger of Japan's "snow country" regions. Several commented that the the bike looked like a frozen mammoth, while others joked that it's a good anti-bike theft precaution made by nature.

Meanwhile, we can only assume Kuraki had to play the waiting game and deal with a bit of a damp bike ride home.