JAPAN: PEOPLE GO TO SEE ICE AND SNOW SCULPTURES AT 53RD ANNUAL SNOW FESTIVAL IN SAPPORO

Record ID: 860961

  • Title: JAPAN: PEOPLE GO TO SEE ICE AND SNOW SCULPTURES AT 53RD ANNUAL SNOW FESTIVAL IN SAPPORO
  • Date: 12th February 2002
  • Summary: (NIGHT SCENES) WIDE OF ILLUMINATED ICE SCULPTURE WITH A PEGASUS FLYING HORSE IN THE FRONT WIDE OF GOSPEL CONCERT BY LOCAL SINGERS IN FRONT OF THE BRUSSELS STOCK EXCHANGE SLV PEOPLE WATCHING SMV DECORATIVE LIGHTS IN PARK WIDE OF CONCERT WIDE OF SNOW SCULPTURES OF MICKEY MOUSE SCU MICKEY MOUSE SLV PEOPLE WALKING WIDE OF SNOW SCULPTURES AND DECORATIONS
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SAPPORO, JAPAN
  • City:
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Entertainment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA5QVFNOKP66YI2XIPT68H1B0I2
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: More than two million people have flocked to Japan's
    northern city of Sapporo to see replicas of famous buildings
    from all over the world and giant-sized cartoon characters
    made of snow and ice.



    Despite temperatures falling below zero, millions of
    people have been flocking to the snow-covered city of Sapporo
    from all over the country for the 53rd annual Snow Festival
    Over the course of a week, more than two million people
    have visited the largest city on Japan's northern island of
    Hokkaido to see the massive sculptures which have sprung up in
    the middle of the city.

    The sculpture are replicas of famous landmarks from all
    over the world -- the Kwang-hwa-moon, a gate in downtown Seoul
    and the Brussels Stock Exchange were the highlights in this
    year's festival comemorating the introduction of the Euro and
    also the World Cup soccer tournament which Japan will co-host
    with Korea.

    There were also popular cartoon characters chiseled out of
    snow and ice to appeal to the children.

    "The best one was the one of Mickey. It was so well made,"
    said 11-year-old Yukiko Niikura.

    Japan's northern island of Hokkaido is usually covered by
    a thick blanket of ice during winter. But this year, halfway
    through the snow festival, temperatures rose into positive
    territory and many of the ice works melted.

    "There wasn't as much snow as usual this year so it is not
    as pretty as I thought it would be," said Etsuko Ozawa a
    visitor from southern Japan.

    But first timers were impressed.

    "The main sculptures were much nicer than I expected. They
    are really big and I am impressed," said Eiko Sugiura a
    housewife from central Japan.

    In the evening the sculptures and trees are illuminated by
    lights, while local musicians dance and serenade the thousands
    of tourists who walk around the city undeterred by the cold.
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