Sapporo Snow Festival

Reasons for arrangement of annual snow festival became initiative of local pupils of secondary and high school, who built six snow statues in central part of Sapporo in winter, 1950.

Apart from the snow figures exhibition, this year in park people had snowball fights and carnival – these events are unusual for Sapporo, nevertheless, they encouraged more than 50 thousand people to attend the opening of festival. From then onward festival gave luster to Sapporo, became landmark of winter city, and at the earliest possible date remained the most popular event throughout Japan.

In 1953, it is the first time when people built the snow statue 15 meters high – Shōten (The Ascension). In 1955, in festival the first involvement of the Japan Self-Defense Forces came, due to their help the festival occurred in unexpected style. In 1959, at the tenth anniversary of festival, in snow sculptures – making 2500 people participated, and TV and radio broadcasted information about the mentioned event.

Due to the efforts of mass media, starting with 1960, at the snow festival in Sapporo more and more tourists from throughout Japan arrive – the popularity of the festival has begun to snowball. In 1972, Sapporo is dubbed as the capital of winter Olympic games, and Snow festival held this year under motto «Welcome to Sapporo!», became known outside Japan.

In 1974, Japan was knocked down by «oil shock», however, Snow festival was held as usual. Because of lack of fuel, lorries were not able to transmit enough snow at the place of festival arrangement, and snow was encrusted on the empty barrels, at the basis of which afterwards snow sculptures were built. This year the first international competition of snow statues was arranged. Currently Sapporo Snow Festival is held at the three squares and during seven days gathers more than two millions people!