Curt
Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2014
- Messages
- 420
In 1979 I was living and working in Japan. While there, I had an opportunity to go up to Sapporo in northern Japan for the annual Snow Festival. Somehow the fame of this thing has never made it to the United States. I went with a small group of servicemen and women from Misawa AFB and we were the only non-Japanese I saw in the crowds. Although its not 'backcountry' in any fashion I thought it was incredibly cool and I'm posting some pictures with the hope that somebody else will be inspired to go see this spectacle.
Sapporo is across the Sea of Japan from Siberia and is about the same latitude as southern Alaska. They get an annual snowfall of about 20 feet. All of the snow and ice sculptures are life size or larger - even the battleship that you'll see below.
Sapporo by daylight.
The buildings are as big as they appear to be and are made of snow.
![PA254795-HDR.jpg PA254795-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37246-22b0f82d08f968c74fd8ded469a89555.jpg)
Lots of stuff there for kids.
![PB230003.jpg PB230003.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37268-df8f725275048b08f61f8942113ed4ca.jpg)
I think this is a copy of part the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
![PA254844-HDR.jpg PA254844-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37249-c6527c549748b71fe8c8c5de47eba8cc.jpg)
![PA254817.jpg PA254817.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37248-0b9ad640853461c5421380c6891e61a4.jpg)
![PB135228.jpg PB135228.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37266-55a070893428ee6b139af8e52fb7b6d8.jpg)
I have no idea why Popeye and Olive Oil have ski poles or why they're riding a B52 bomber - maybe a tribute to Dr. Strangelove?
![PB260213.jpg PB260213.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37282-a8b715ec9669c33a6b8797ac96b946dd.jpg)
![PB230011.jpg PB230011.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37273-7886dfd414ca4cd1ead70e3fdb054d24.jpg)
![PB135217.jpg PB135217.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37264-4a48aeb2182c6612050547787f19c7f0.jpg)
Metropolis of ice.
Selfie.
![PB260211.jpg PB260211.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37281-12b9501be46ab587cd854639510142cb.jpg)
Sapporo and the Festival by night.
![PA254868-HDR.jpg PA254868-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37251-bd215fb259850480793855a08d1345e2.jpg)
![PA254886-HDR.jpg PA254886-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37252-2b39ef9f2b3a3479d8b2ccc5d2d24690.jpg)
![PB135220.jpg PB135220.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37265-ced100f35a406cb53e8e35bd90cebd99.jpg)
![PB230006.jpg PB230006.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37270-195554a01fbacd9956bafd79509791b9.jpg)
![PB260116.jpg PB260116.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37279-f59d2db2f5eb18255c7fd3bd6d191fd9.jpg)
Godzilla. This isn't a good picture but I had to put it in because this is Japan after all and there's no place else that Godzilla takes such delight in destroying!
![PB230061.jpg PB230061.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37277-7c353923f016e2eb81aff68b50ae3b46.jpg)
Sapporo is across the Sea of Japan from Siberia and is about the same latitude as southern Alaska. They get an annual snowfall of about 20 feet. All of the snow and ice sculptures are life size or larger - even the battleship that you'll see below.
![PB230060.jpg PB230060.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37276-95361e6f15e160482aa999da15b79b69.jpg)
Sapporo by daylight.
![PB135200.jpg PB135200.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37263-0ac36e45f06e276f1b2a8cc33628f803.jpg)
The buildings are as big as they appear to be and are made of snow.
![PA254795-HDR.jpg PA254795-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37246-22b0f82d08f968c74fd8ded469a89555.jpg)
![PB065132.jpg PB065132.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37262-8ce627f7692ff96a72772f2ca61f8f15.jpg)
Lots of stuff there for kids.
![PB065131.jpg PB065131.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37261-e7da59b439151138383b1e7303148725.jpg)
![PA305033.jpg PA305033.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37255-5e87bc4399c94b69d6c69adbacc1c86e.jpg)
![PB230003.jpg PB230003.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37268-df8f725275048b08f61f8942113ed4ca.jpg)
I think this is a copy of part the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
![PB260115.jpg PB260115.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37278-41d60db274d2c42d0ab80b60e186586f.jpg)
![PA254802.jpg PA254802.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37247-0e76105bc82a34857a922189e29c0ab1.jpg)
![PA254844-HDR.jpg PA254844-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37249-c6527c549748b71fe8c8c5de47eba8cc.jpg)
![PA305028.jpg PA305028.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37254-e471462defd4c21c7e50a10a7b4c2b33.jpg)
![PB065122.jpg PB065122.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37260-14a323f6a138ebf6676ef5c1d2f72dc5.jpg)
![PB065119.jpg PB065119.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37258-49621d9d193ef237af3c9e219ceb59f8.jpg)
![PB065121.jpg PB065121.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37259-a4ccdc95e33c2f125262966ce8a8993e.jpg)
![PA254862-HDR.jpg PA254862-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37250-9c45cadbaa64a4b88eba5386c062de89.jpg)
![PA254817.jpg PA254817.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37248-0b9ad640853461c5421380c6891e61a4.jpg)
![PB135228.jpg PB135228.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37266-55a070893428ee6b139af8e52fb7b6d8.jpg)
![PB230010.jpg PB230010.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37272-35912151d6921d8eb11b042605d393da.jpg)
I have no idea why Popeye and Olive Oil have ski poles or why they're riding a B52 bomber - maybe a tribute to Dr. Strangelove?
![PB260213.jpg PB260213.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37282-a8b715ec9669c33a6b8797ac96b946dd.jpg)
![PB230011.jpg PB230011.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37273-7886dfd414ca4cd1ead70e3fdb054d24.jpg)
![PB135217.jpg PB135217.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37264-4a48aeb2182c6612050547787f19c7f0.jpg)
Metropolis of ice.
![PB135276.jpg PB135276.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37267-5c52e71fe0cd780d24d71751fe39b782.jpg)
![PB230004.jpg PB230004.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37269-755e30fe6dd6a300e15e9ea0917b7bfd.jpg)
Selfie.
![PB260211.jpg PB260211.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37281-12b9501be46ab587cd854639510142cb.jpg)
Sapporo and the Festival by night.
![PA064246.jpg PA064246.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37245-42253a4daa42523e97b2243084999320.jpg)
![PB065062.jpg PB065062.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37256-45b5707b8c4487c52746825d39f6f565.jpg)
![PA254868-HDR.jpg PA254868-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37251-bd215fb259850480793855a08d1345e2.jpg)
![PA254886-HDR.jpg PA254886-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37252-2b39ef9f2b3a3479d8b2ccc5d2d24690.jpg)
![PB135220.jpg PB135220.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37265-ced100f35a406cb53e8e35bd90cebd99.jpg)
![PB230006.jpg PB230006.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37270-195554a01fbacd9956bafd79509791b9.jpg)
![PB230009.jpg PB230009.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37271-dcba072fe07895e87d8079f33c7b86e2.jpg)
![PB230045.jpg PB230045.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37274-d95f98852a2d87a2b72fd61f08b0fb94.jpg)
![PB065098.jpg PB065098.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37257-6c21c15578824dbb93b98b14eed76538.jpg)
![PB260116.jpg PB260116.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37279-f59d2db2f5eb18255c7fd3bd6d191fd9.jpg)
![PB260150.jpg PB260150.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37280-8b68a04f3a5cec5f7dcf53dfd5b6fdfe.jpg)
Godzilla. This isn't a good picture but I had to put it in because this is Japan after all and there's no place else that Godzilla takes such delight in destroying!
![PB230061.jpg PB230061.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/37/37277-7c353923f016e2eb81aff68b50ae3b46.jpg)