Every February, more than two million visitors from all over the world come to the Sapporo Snow Festival, as giant ice sculptures and statues line Orori Park and the main streets in Suskino.
The snow festival began in 1950, but it got a big boost in 1972, when Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympic Games.
These days, many countries from overseas compete, even from places where it rarely if ever snows.
I took some interest in the contest a few years ago, when Yankee outfielder Hideki Matsui was honored in snow sculpture -- an honor Alex Rodriguez can now kiss goodbye.
Images 1-9 of 9
 Snow Castle |  Golfer Ryo Ishikawa |  Icy Art at Night |  Cool Muscle Man |
 Japan's Self Defense Force |  Frosty Kids |  Storming the Snow Castle |  Junior Ice Sculptors |
 Disney on Ice |
- Graphic Index
- Text Index