Anime Takes Over 2024 Sapporo Snow Festival With Gundam, Ghibli, and More
Life-sized snow sculptures of some of your favorite anime have hit Japan to celebrate the winter.
The Sapporo Snow Festival has long been a part of Japan's winter culture, routinely offering creative artists the opportunity to use the snow to create some wild pieces of art. As the anime industry becomes more popular with each passing year, it should come as no surprise that some major franchises were represented in this year's festivities. Thanks to some recently released images, the likes of Mobile Suit Gundam, Delicious in Dungeon, Spirited Away, and many other anime properties were represented at the Snow Festival.
If you're unfamiliar with the Sapporo Snow Festival, it first started in 1950 and for decades, has been allowing builders to create snow sculptures in Odori Park. For the very first event, according to the official website, over fifty thousand citizens attended the winter displays. While anime is well represented this year, 2023 saw some major franchises hit the scene with some giant snow sculptures. Last year, a snow sculpture of Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro won the top prize when it came to the "citizen sculpture event". At present, a winner hasn't been revealed for this year's Sapporo Snow Festival, though the victors will most likely be revealed on the last day of the event on Sunday, February 11th.
Anime Hits The Snow
New images from the Sapporo Snow Festival have hit online, with sculptures featuring the likes of Golden Kamuy, Delicious in Dungeon, Mobile Suit Gundam, Spirited Away, and many more being featured. The continued inclusion of anime properties in the festival once again shows how big the medium has become and how sculptors are able to put the characters to use with the snow itself.
The 2024 Sapporo Snow Festival is now open (in Japan), with new snow statues and ice sculptures.
— Catsuka (@catsuka) February 4, 2024
(Golden Kamui, Spirited Away, Dungeon Meshi, Gundam, among others). pic.twitter.com/KTZ1ouB5xh
This winter anime season has seen the arrival of some big movers and shakers into the medium. New series such as Solo Leveling, Bucchigiri, Metallic Rouge, and The Witch And The Beast have helped introduce viewers to some wild new worlds. Meanwhile, returning series such as Mashle: Magic And Muscles, Kingdom, and Classroom of The Elite have given returning fans a lot to look forward to in the anime world.
Which anime franchise do you think is worthy of receiving their own snow sculpture at the Sapporo Snow Festival? What is your favorite sculpture featured in this year's festival? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Snow Festival.