Fall for the snow, fall for the Japanese Sapporo

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One of the most renowned events celebrated in the island country of Japan, the Sapporo is the festival of snow and attracts travelers from across the world. The festival is named after the city of Sapporo, the place where it is widely celebrated. The Sapporo festival had started way back in the 1950s when a group of 6 local kids from high school had crafted snow statues near the Odori Park. Did you know that every year, the Sapporo festival would attract around 2 million visitors? Each year people would flock to the Japanese city, to watch contestants from across the world reveal their expertise in making snow sculptures in varied forms.

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The diverse range of statues unveils varied attractive forms resembling human beings, wildlife, architecture and more. The ice sculptures reveal the richness of the art that has become widespread across the globe. People would either participate individually or would work in teams to come up with beautiful art works showcasing expertise from every angle.

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During the year 2008, there were around 400 works being displayed at the festival. A record shows that some of the sculptures were as tall as 50 feet. While some of the artists had focused on historical scenes others took to celebrities and various other icons. Today, in addition to viewing the magnificent sculptures, visitors can enjoy dancing; they may even join in musical concerts and karaoke. Indulging in food is also common alongside viewing fabulous sculptures revealing the subtlety and beauty of the art.

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Generally, the ice competition would entail participants to carve out sculptures with the help of chain saws and other sharp tools. Each sculpture is carved from around 130Kgs of ice. Wildlife themes are commonly explored by participants alongside historical figures and scenes. If you are eager to find a sculptor perform his work live then an evening visit is considered most appropriate for the season. The sculptors mainly start with the detailing from late in the evening.

Odori Park

Located in the Hokkaido prefecture, the Odori Park is exactly positioned in the heart of Sapporo. The park generally stretches for a mile or so; and is considered the main site for the snow festival. In order to reach the Odori Park you can browse sites and search for the best places to visit in Japan.

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The sculptures exhibited here reveal beauty of whiteness. It is being learnt that the park is illuminated till 10pm every night. The park reveals a plush side of it during night when the lights are turned on.