The opening ceremony held on the stage of the large snow sculpture depicting Furukawa Memorial Hall, around 10:20 AM on February 4, in Chuo Ward, Sapporo.(©Hokkaido University and HBC Hokkaido Broadcasting, Photo ©Sankei by Takahiro Sakamoto)
Hokkaido's winter event, the Sapporo Snow Festival, runs through February 11 in Sapporo City. At the main Odori site, 136 snow sculptures are on display, including five massive snow statues standing more than 10 meters (32 feet) tall, drawing large crowds from the very first day.
The festival is held at three venues: the Odori site, the Susukino site, which features 60 ice sculptures, and the Tsudome site, which offers both indoor and outdoor attractions.
At the opening ceremony, Commanding General Yoshiki Adachi of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 11th Brigade presented a certificate of completion to Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto. The brigade made a major contribution to the construction of the large snow statues. In his remarks, Mayor Akimoto encouraged visitors to come to each venue and fully enjoy the experiences unique to wintertime Sapporo.
Historical Artifacts to Anime Characters
The Odori site features five large snow statues, including one depicting the National Treasure "Kakku," a hollow clay figurine believed to date back to the Jomon period (c 14,000–300 BCE), as well as a statue of a galloping thoroughbred horse. The site also displays 24 medium-sized snow statues modeled after popular television anime characters. It also featured snow sculptures created by volunteer groups and others.
At the Tsudome site, visitors can enjoy snow sculptures alongside family-friendly attractions. Meanwhile, the Susukino site showcases 60 ice sculptures created by professional ice-carving artists, creating a fantastical atmosphere.
Ken Kurosawa, who traveled from Tokyo with his wife to attend the festival, said, "Coming to the Snow Festival has been a dream of mine for many years. Creating the large snow statues must have been extremely difficult, but they turned out wonderfully. I would love to see them illuminated at night as well."
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Author: Takahiro Sakamoto, The Sankei Shimbun
