札幌雪祭りについて
The Sapporo Snow Festival, which is held in early February every year, is one of the leading winter events in Japan, attracting approximately 2.5 million visitors from both domestic and international locations. Did you know that the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) cooperates as the "unsung hero" of this festival?
Each year, the GSDF transports a total of 1,110 truckloads of snow to the festival site. In years with heavy snowfall, this snow comes from nearby Takino Reien, but in years with less snow, they have to transport it from surrounding areas. Additionally, the GSDF is responsible for creating the iconic giant snow sculptures that are the highlight of the festival. In their first participation in 1955, they created an 11-meter tall "Virgin Mary" sculpture that was said to have outshone other snow sculptures. The reason the GSDF collaborates on snow transport and sculpture creation for the Snow Festival is because it serves as training for operations in snowy conditions and civil engineering work.
So, how are these colossal snow sculptures, ranging from 11 to 15 meters in height, created? They are constructed using a method known as the "Ice Block Method," where various snow parts are attached to the snow body, and it is then finished with a layer of pure white "cosmetic snow." There are approximately 50 different types of snow parts, totaling around 4,400 pieces. To create multiple identical parts, molds made of cement are prepared, into which snow is placed and solidified to become the building blocks of the large snow sculptures. The assembly of these parts is carried out when the temperature is at or below 0 degrees Celsius or during nighttime, as higher temperatures would cause the body and parts to melt and not adhere properly.
The rough schedule for completing the giant snow sculptures is as follows: In the second week of November, they start with making a scale model from a 1/40 scale blueprint, and in the first week of December, they simulate the specific processes of creating the sculptures. In the second week, scaffolding is set up, and preparations for stacking snow commence. Around January 7th, snow is transported to the site over about a week, compacted, and the base is created. The amount of snow used for the base is staggering, with the equivalent of 200 to 300 truckloads of snow weighing about 5 tons each. After that, the panels surrounding the sculptures are removed, and the rough shaping begins.
For the finishing steps, clean snow mixed with water is applied to create a slush-like "cosmetic snow." This cosmetic snow is applied to the snow sculptures like makeup. Then, the surface is shaved and sculpted in fine detail. Even as the sculptures near completion, they require ongoing repairs because changes in temperature can alter the snow's condition. Despite all the time and manpower put into creating these sculptures, they are quickly dismantled using heavy machinery the morning after the Snow Festival concludes.
Recently, Sapporo City requested support from the Northern Army General Command of the GSDF for the creation of snow sculptures for the 2024 Sapporo Snow Festival. Next year, two large snow sculptures are scheduled to be produced by the GSDF.
The 74th Sapporo Snow Festival is planned to be held for eight days, from February 4th (Sunday) to February 11th (Sunday) in 2024.
H. Koshika
Apro Travel Japan
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