JAPANJapan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands. |
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Japan In-Depth |
Dates:For 7 days, starting in the second week of February
Places:Odori Site, Susukino Site, Satorando Site in Sapporo
City: Chuo-ku & Higashi-ku, Sapporo City
Rows of small and large snow statues are on display at three sites in Sapporo City during this festival, which is visited by two million people including overseas tourists. Odori Park which serves as the main venue is located in the city center, and a space extending 1.5km transforms into a snow museum. International Square (Nishi 11 chome, Odori) becomes the stage for the International Snow Statue Contest and every year more than 10 teams compete from all over the world. As this is a park, you can drop by whenever you like. The lit-up snow statues are so beautiful (-22:00). Moreover, the ice sculptures displayed at the Susukino Site, which is also a famous nightspot district, create a truly fantastic world. Here, you will discover unique works with Hokkaido delicacies such as crab, cuttlefish and salmon frozen inside the ice, which are fun to look at.
The year 2006 marks the opening of Sapporo Satorando, a park designed on the theme of agriculture (9:00-17:00). In addition to attractions for children, such as the 100m long slide and the snow maze, organizers plan to have visitors experience flying in hot-air balloons and sliding down snowfields on snow rafting boards.
Members of the Self-Defense Forces had always played a vital role in the production of the gigantic snow statues and the transportation of snow, but since their dispatch to Iraq, festival preparations have mainly been conducted by citizen volunteers.
A shuttle bus to the Satorando Site departs from Odori Station. Odori Station is on the Namboku subway line from Sapporo Station. The site can also be reached from Susukino Station on the same line.
