Sapporo (population: 1.7 million) is the capital of the prefecture and island Hokkaido (the second largest of Japan's islands).
The Sapporo Snow Festival (YUKI-MATSURI) in February is one of Japan's largest winter events. The festival began in 1950, when high school students made six snow statues in Odori Park. Now about two million people come every year to the one week lasting event to see the hundrets of beautiful snow statues and ice sculptures, which lined Odori Park and the main street in Susukino.
About 8000 five-ton truckloads are used to construct the snow
monuments. This work begins three weeks before the festival.
A single giant snow statue generally requires 2000 cubic meters
of snow.
One day after the end of the festival everything is destroyed
and I found only some snow ruins.
Here are some pictures from the huge ice monuments and the surrounding environment, taken in February 1997.
"National Monument" (Germany)
high: 15 m, width: 29 m
"Hawaii, The King of Resorts, and its King"
high: 15 m, width: 25 m
"National Treasure - Matsumoto Castle" (Osaka)
high: 15 m, width: 23 m
in the park