Annual snow festival begins in Sapporo

Annual snow festival begins in Sapporo: "Annual snow festival begins in Sapporo

Monday, February 6, 2006 at 13:10 EST
[A snow sculpture of the Golden Pavilion of Horyuji temple stands at Odori Park.]
A snow sculpture of the Golden Pavilion of Horyuji temple stands

SAPPORO — A seven-day snow festival began Monday in the Hokkaido capital of Sapporo featuring some 300 snow and ice sculptures in three locations, including one that replaces a previous Ground Self-Defense Force site.

For the 57th Sapporo Snow Festival, the new Satoland site replaces the previous festival site in the GSDF's Makomanai garrison, with troops offering technical support for the building of statues and a giant snow slope, which had been a popular attraction for children at the previous site. The other two sites are the festival's main Odori Park site and a site in Susukino."