The 59th Sapporo Snow Festival (organized by the Executive Committee of the City of Sapporo, Sapporo Tourism Association, etc.), in which snow and ice are used to bring color to the city in winter, began on the 5th.

A total of 290 large and small snow and ice sculptures have been completed at three venues in the city, including the Odori Park area of Chuo-ku, Sapporo. Temperatures on the opening day were low, but tourists from both home and abroad were able to enjoy the snow and ice artwork under clear blue skies.

According to the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory, the temperature in central Sapporo as of 9 a.m. on the 5th was minus 5.1 degrees Celsius; 0.7 degrees lower than average for this time of year. Seven large-scale snow and ice sculptures have been completed at the main Odori Park venue, where visitors can enjoy environmental themes, such as “Coexistence with the Environment and Nature” and “Shiretoko’s Forests and Friends,” as well as the 4th sculpture in the national treasure series, “National Treasure ? Inuyama Castle” (Aichi Prefecture).

One visitor, a 61-year-old company employee from Niigata Prefecture sighed while admitting, “We have a snow festival where I come from but the scale is completely different; the sculptures are so elaborate, it’s amazing.”

The Satoland venue in Higashi-ku, Sapporo, which is being used as a Snow Festival venue for the 3rd year, was crowded with families on the 5th, and on the same day an opening ceremony at the Susukino venue (Chuo-ku), where 100 ice sculptures lined the street, was held at 6.30 p.m.