Sapporo Snow Festival is facing the ongoing threat of global warming
The 75th Sapporo Snow Festival, which attracts over 2 million visitors from around the globe to the city of Sapporo, Japan’s Northern Capital is starting February 4 and will last until February 11.
In a press statement, Sapporo Tourism says that the event, one of the world’s largest snow sculpture festivals will feature over 200 snow sculptures, some towering over 12 m tall, transforming the city into a winter wonderland.
The statement adds that the festival is currently facing a variety of unprecedented challenges. There are financial problems arising due to the increased operating costs and a decrease in advertising revenue, as well as a shortage of large sculpture production staff. Additionally, the festival is facing the ongoing threat of global warming. In recent years, increasingly irregular snowfall patterns have made it harder to gather the required amount of snow, and the rising temperatures are causing the sculptures to melt and lose their shape.
“When I started (17 years ago), global warming was not as terrible and the temperatures tended to be low. But these days, it can get up to 5 to 6 degrees, which melts the snow, and we lose all our progress,” says Hidenori Takagi, a veteran snow sculpture.
“Creating large snow sculptures is a big challenge. There are more and more things we must think about every year, from designing the models to building the sculptures, it takes about three months of preparation, which is extremely tough. But when people from all around the world come to see what we have made and we see their reactions, I know that it is worth doing. To put it a little dramatically, it feels like we’re receiving energy to live,” adds Takagi.
According to the statement, city is currently exploring ways to create a more sustainable festival, to address the growing problems.
“To address the unprecedented challenges, we need to find imaginative solutions with the help of domestic and international co-operation. This year, to limit carbon dioxide emissions, there are hydrogen energy trials and solar panels in some areas of the festival,” says Tomonori Aoyama, Director General, Sapporo City Tourism & MICE Promotion Department.
The statement adds that despite the ongoing challenges, Sapporo is taking on the task to preserve the Snow Festival tradition, while adapting to new changes.