In 1950, six high school students made snow sculptures in Sapporo’s Odori Park. These simple roots in Hokkaido have expanded over the years to become one of Japan’s most popular winter events with over 2 million visitors attending every year. Today there are sculptures of all sizes by teams of artists from around the world displayed in three separate venues, Odori Park, Community Dome Tsudome, and Susukino Main Street, all of which are accessible by the Sapporo Subway. In addition, there are concerts and special events held throughout the entire city, and special souvenirs related to the festival are available during that time. Sapporo crowns an Ice Queen and holds contests for the most popular sculptures.
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photos by:
David McKelvey &
David McKelvey,
David McKelvey
