Japan's roads never freeze thanks to mind-blowing tech straight out of a science fiction book

While the United States and China are spearheading technological change, countries like Japan are not far behind in innovation. One major area of improvement for this Asian country has been its civic management, particularly its ingenious system for melting snow. While most nations rely on snowplows, salt, sand, and gravel to clear the streets, Japan uses a unique technology in the middle of its roads. Infamous for its intense snowfall, Japan doesn't use conventional methods, according to The Atlantic. Instead, their unique sprinklers help clear the roads and railway tracks of snow, as shown by tech creator Valentin Shevtsov—who goes by @ValentinShevtsov on YouTube.

The video showed how the tiny sprinklers built in the middle of the roads spray warm water during the peak of the winter season. Notably, the ingenious system was praised not only for cleaning the roads of snow but also for helping to prevent accidents and decrease traffic jams. "Uncleaned roads in the winter are a big danger. They slow down traffic and cause terrible accidents," remarked Shevtsov, shedding light on Japan's clever method for clearing its streets. The system is referred to as "Shosetsu," meaning snow-melting pipes. The system has been actively used in Niigata since the 1960s, per the creator.

“This area accumulates 1.4 meters of snow each year, about the same amount as Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. So, the problem of snow removal here is severe. The total length of this system was 571 kilometers in 1977,” Shevtsov added. In 2016, during the peak of a snowstorm in Japan, several cities, such as Hokkaido, Hokuriku, and Tohoku, were better prepared to handle large amounts of snowfall compared to Tokyo, per the outlet. All of this happened due to the country’s snow-management techniques, particularly “Shosetsu.”

Before this, The New York Times reported how the sprinklers began "conquering" the heavy snowfall in the late 1960s. In 1972, they were installed in the Japanese city of Tsunan, along with some electrical pumps, to melt the hail across the streets, especially those near the train station. Shevtsov pointed out in his 2-minute video that the system's preferred groundwater temperature range is from 8° to 18° Celsius, which corresponds to the groundwater temperature in Japan. “‘Shosetsu’ is used in two ways: by circulating warm water through a network of pipes laid under the road, or by using sprinklers that spray warm water.”

Instead of using simpler solutions like a snowplow, Shevtsov explained that Japan preferred this system for several reasons. “Snowplows are cheap and work well in North America, but there is plenty of room to store snow. But in an island country smaller than the state of California, space is scarce. Therefore, snowplows are not the best solution,” Shevtsov said. Another reason people relied on this unique system was Japan's already existing infrastructure. Due to the constant typhoons and downpours, Japan reportedly had one of the best rainwater drainage systems in the world. “Therefore, 'Shosetsu' seemed like a wise use of the country's geography and existing infrastructure,” the creator concluded.

You can follow Valentin Shevtsov (@ValentinShevtsov) on YouTube for more content about engineering.