Sapporo Snow Festival
sapporo snow festival さっぽろ雪まつり sapporo yukimatsuri festival held annually sapporo japan seven day february odori park susukino tsudome main site festival th festival two million people visited sapporo see hundred snow statue ice sculpture odori park susukino site central sapporo satoland site international snow sculpture contest held odori park site since team various region world participated subject statue varies often feature event famous building person previous year example statue hideki matsui famous baseball player time played new york yankee number stage made snow also constructed event including musical performance held satoland site visitor enjoy long snow ice slide well huge maze made snow visitor also enjoy variety regional food hokkaidō odori park satoland site fresh seafood potato corn fresh dairy product every year number statue displayed around total statue created odori park site satoland site susukino site good view creation tv tower odori park site snow festival began oneday event six local high school student built six snow statue odori park japan selfdefense force nearby makomanai base joined built first massive snow sculpture snow festival become famous several snow festival existed sapporo prior sapporo snow festival however suspended world war ii february flight sapporo tokyo crashed tokyo bay killing passenger crew board many passenger returning tokyo visiting snow festival owing energy crisis snow statue built using drum due shortage gasoline caused crisis unavailability truck used transport snow site year international snow statue competition started since year many snow statue built team country featured especially sister city sapporo munich year accumulated snowfall low selfdefense force participation considered training exercise brings snow outside sapporo makomanai base one three main site hosted largest sculpture emphasis providing play space child use makomanai site suspended moved sapporo satoland site located higashiku satoland site moved tsudome つどーむ tsudōmu sapporo community dome site tsudome located close sapporo satoland dome multiple sport event nakajima park established one festival site however removed site third site known susukino ice festival すすきの氷の祭典 susukino kōri saiten situated nightlife district susukino includes predominantly ice carving site approved one festival site every year susukino queen ice female beauty contest held site february rd festival snow sculpture snow miku hatsune miku collapsed odori park th venue female tourist injured accident first injury history snow festival collapse snow sculpture collapse likely due imbalance caused disproportionately thin supporting leg main mass sculpture additionally temperature february degree celsius temperature th degree celsius likely causing become brittle prone collapse response executive committee demolished part heavy snow sculpture ten civilian snow sculpture risk collapse winter festival official website english