Hi everyone how are you? Welcome to Sapporo Snow Festival 2019 !
Sapporo is the the capital city of Hokkaido Prefecture that is the fifth largest city of Japan in population, and the largest city on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The annual snow festival 2019 has just started today. So I’d like to tell you about it roughly with attractive 194 snow sculptures on display.
What’s Sapporo Snow Festival 2019?
The 70th Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Japan’s largest winter events, opened at the main Odori and Susukino sites in the central district of this city’s Chuo Ward in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
194 works are spread across three sites: Susukino in the ward, which opened the same day; Tsudome in Higashi Ward, which opened Jan. 31; and the main venue. The festival can be enjoyed until Feb. 11.
The opening ceremony of the 70th Sapporo Snow Festival is held in front of a large snow sculpture of Helsinki Cathedral on Feb 4, 2019
A large ice sculpture themed on Taiwan’s Mount Yushan and the Kaohsiung Railway Station at the Odori Site
At an ice square sponsored by The Mainichi Newspapers Co. at the Odori site, a large ice sculpture themed on Yushan, the highest mountain in Taiwan at 3,952 meters above sea level, and the old Kaohsiung Railway Station built during Japan’s colonial rule of Taiwan, is on display.
The sculpture was made from 800 ice blocks each weighing 110 kilograms and is about 10 meters tall, 18 meters wide and 16 meters long.
Odori site venue in Odori Park
This is the main venue, Odori site at night
A lighting test for the 70th Sapporo Snow Festival is seen at Odori Park in Sapporo’s Chuo Ward on Feb. 4, 2019, on the day of the annual festival kicked off.
A total of 194 snow and ice sculptures are being exhibited at the park during the event.
Some large and small snow sculptures were created for the two venues as well as the Tsudome site in the city’s Higashi Ward, which opened on Jan. 31.
Among them are giant figures themed on historical buildings and movies, and smaller artworks produced by citizens groups to reflect social conditions.
Snow sculptures at the Odori and Susukino sites are lit up at night.
A humongous snow sculpture featuring characters of “Star Wars” draws numerous spectators
The “Star Wars” sculpture marks the upcoming release in December last year of “Episode 9” of the globally popular movie series.
Other snowy creations at the 70th installment of the festival at the Odori Park main venue in the city’s Chuo Ward include a JR train emerging from a tunnel and thoroughbred horses sprinting in the spirit of recovery for those affected by the earthquake in September. The animal is one of Hokkaido’s symbols.
Let’s see other works
A popular NHK TV character “Chiko-chan”(left),and Tennis Champion; Naomi Osaka(right)
Finally, please have a fun with snow festival in winter and in summer, we have “Aomori Nebuta Matsuri(festival)” where is located next prefecture crossing Tsugaru Kaikyo (Strait) that you’ll find interesting,thanks!
