Home > HOKKAIDO 北海道 > Sapporo 札幌市 > Iolani Palace at Sapporo Snow Festival イオラニ宮殿@さっぽろ雪まつり

Last additions - Iolani Palace at Sapporo Snow Festival イオラニ宮殿@さっぽろ雪まつり
sa772-sapporosnowiolani_copy.youtube
My YouTube video of Iolani Palace at the Sapporo Snow Matsuri in 2010.Jun 06, 2010
sa707-115_1564_2.jpg
This is the real Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii. If you're not particularly interested in Iolani Palace, see my Sapporo Snow Festival 2010 photos here.Feb 13, 2010
sb380-82II19-5.jpg
1982 Sapporo Snow Festival Sayonara ceremony. Very low-key, with few people attending. Also see my Sapporo Snow Festival 2010 photos here.Feb 13, 2010
sb378-82139-13.jpg
Makomanai site: Snow slides with Arare-chan, anime character popular in 1982.Feb 13, 2010
sb377-82139-28.jpg
Kinkakuji Gold Pavilion in Kyoto, made of snow.Feb 13, 2010
sb376-82139-24.jpg
Back in 1982, the second festival site was at Makomanai, a short subway ride. They had more sculptures and ice slides for kids.Feb 13, 2010
sb374-82141-5.jpg
Odori Park from the TV Tower. On the left and right sides, you can see the huge crowd of people blackening the pathways. You can see the Iolani Palace sculpture.Feb 13, 2010
sb370-82143-5.jpg
Nandaro (What's this?), sculpture made by a local English school. It's a dog with a hammer head. Whoever thought of this must have been a crazy guy. Feb 13, 2010
sb369-82139-6.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb373-82141-10.jpg
Odori Park from the TV Tower. Feb 13, 2010
sb368-82137-30.jpg
John LennonFeb 13, 2010
sb363-82137-24.jpg
Hong Kong snow sculpture.Feb 13, 2010
sb362-82137-29.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb364-82137-19.jpg
The USA team sculpted the American Circus.Feb 13, 2010
sb360-82130-12.jpg
The large citizens' area feature smaller snow sculptures created by city citizens. Snow blocks are provided.Feb 13, 2010
sb361-82133-31.jpg
The international section of sculptures.Feb 13, 2010
sb357-82135-31.jpg
I think this was the lion dog at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka.Feb 13, 2010
sb356-82133-22.jpg
This is a lion dog at a shrine in Fukuoka.Feb 13, 2010
sb355-82II19-2.jpg
A Shinto shrine made of ice.Feb 13, 2010
sb354-82135-11.jpg
Ice sculpture of a church in Helsinki, FinlandFeb 13, 2010
sb353-82133-18.jpg
Building an ice sculpture.Feb 13, 2010
sb352-82131-27.jpg
Icy foundation for the ice sculpture.Feb 13, 2010
sb351-82131-29.jpg
They haul numerous blocks of ice.Feb 13, 2010
sb350-82131-28.jpg
The Sapporo Snow Festival also features at least one giant ice sculpture. The foundation is made of ice.Feb 13, 2010
sb325-82143-17.jpg
Each giant snow sculpture becomes a pile of snowy rubble.Feb 13, 2010
sb322-82137-10.jpg
Even the veins look realistic. Pterodactyl made of snow.Feb 13, 2010
sb324-82143-8.jpg
Day after the snow festival: Destroy all dinosaurs!Feb 13, 2010
sb323-SA7.jpg
Dinnosaurs lit up at night.Feb 13, 2010
sb321-82137-7.jpg
Hello baby!Feb 13, 2010
sb318-82137-11.jpg
T-rex twins.Feb 13, 2010
sb320-82137-3.jpg
BrontosaurusFeb 13, 2010
sb319-82137-6.jpg
Looking mean.Feb 13, 2010
sb317-82139-9.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb316-82137-5.jpg
Dinosaur snow sculpture at 1982 Sapporo Snow Festival.Feb 13, 2010
sb314-82137-13.jpg
Incredible dinosaur snow sculptures. I can tell you, this was really awesome.Feb 13, 2010
sb315-82137-12.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb313-82133-24.jpg
Putting on the finishing touches on the sculpture.Feb 13, 2010
sb312-82133-10.jpg
Shaping the pterodactylFeb 13, 2010
sb311-82131-37.jpg
Shaping up very well.Feb 13, 2010
sb310-82131-14.jpg
Head of T-RexFeb 13, 2010
sb309-82131-12.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb308-82130-29.jpg
Pterodactyl wingsFeb 13, 2010
sb307-82130-26.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb306-82130-24.jpg
Filling the mold for a tall neck of a dinosaur.Feb 13, 2010
sb304-82128-32.jpg
Guess what this part will be.Feb 13, 2010
sb305-82130-19.jpg
The reinforcement beams are covered with snow. A crane is used to carry the snow to high places.Feb 13, 2010
sb303-82128-36.jpg
They install wooden beams serving to reinforce the snow structures.Feb 13, 2010
sb302-82128-29.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb301-82127-15.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb223-82143-21.jpg
Destroying Iolani Palace made of snow.Feb 13, 2010
sb300-82127-14.jpg
Now see how another giant snow sculpture is built. It's the same process. A giant box is filled with snow.Feb 13, 2010
sb222-82143-10.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb221-82143-15.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb220-82143-3.jpg
The day after the snow festival ends, all the sculptures are promptly destroyed for safety reasons. With sadness, I watched it being destroyed. You can see the reinforcing wooden beams inside.Feb 13, 2010
sb218-SA8.jpg
Iolani Palace in snow, lit up at nightFeb 13, 2010
sb216-82135-13.jpg
This snow sculpture of Iolani Palace was larger and more detailed than the ice sculpture of the palace built in Feb. 2010.Feb 13, 2010
sb214-82135-15.jpg
The statue of King Kamehameha did not come out that well, but I was happy to see it nonetheless. He was the king who unified Hawaii while the different islands were still ruled by different chiefs. Feb 13, 2010
sb215-82135-20.jpg
The Iolani Palace was built in Feb. 1982 to commemorate direct flights between Sapporo and Honolulu (since discontinued).Feb 13, 2010
sb213-82135-14.jpg
Iolani Palace stage event. This photo was published in a book called "The Companies We Keep 2," published in Hawaii by Bob Sigall in Jan. 2008.This photo was also featured on Hawaii's TV talk show "Nighttime with Andy Bumatai." See the segment at YouTube here.Feb 13, 2010
sb212-82135-22.jpg
Done and almost like the real thing. The Iolani Palace is in Honolulu, Hawaii, originally built by King David Kalakaua in the 19th century when Hawaii was still an independent kingdom. It is now a major tourist attraction.This photo was published in a book called "The Companies We Keep 2," published in Hawaii by Bob Sigall in Jan. 2008. The book is a compilation of various tidbits and trivia about Hawaii (my home state).

This photo was also featured on Hawaii's TV talk show "Nighttime with Andy Bumatai." See the segment at YouTube here.
Feb 13, 2010
sb210-82131-4.jpg
As the days pass, their progress becomes ever apparent as the building becomes more and more familiar.Feb 13, 2010
sb211-82133-20.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb208-82131-34.jpg
They even included a now statue of King Kamehameha, the king who unified the Hawaiian islands. Iolani Palace actually does not have a statue of King Kamehameha. But there is a statue of him across the street from the actual palace.Feb 13, 2010
sb209-82131-33.jpg
A drawing of Iolani Palace helps the carvers to carve the sculpture accurately.Feb 13, 2010
sb207-82131-30.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb205-82130-5.jpg
The facade is shaped...Feb 13, 2010
sb206-82130-8.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sb204-82128-12.jpg
You can't be afraid of heights while working on these giant sculptures.Feb 13, 2010
sb203-82128-10.jpg
They take off the mold's wood paneling and start carving the huge block of snow. Scaffolding on all sides, almost like constructing a real building.Feb 13, 2010
sb202-82127-26.jpg
Japan's Self-Defense ForcesFeb 13, 2010
sb200-82127-9.jpg
They continue filling the giant box with snow. They are making Iolani Palace out of snow.Feb 13, 2010
sb201-82127-23.jpg
Filling up the mold...Feb 13, 2010
sb199-82127-7.jpg
The local Self-Defense Forces build the giant snow sculptures. Power shovel piles up the snow inside a rectangular mold or box made of wood.Feb 13, 2010
sa771-20100211_1670.jpg
Seeing these naked guys dancing on ice in front of Iolani Palace made my day. It was my festival climax before I had to leave to catch my 8:50 pm flight back to Tokyo.Feb 13, 2010
sb198-82127-22.jpg
Now some photos of the 1982 Sapporo Snow Festival. This was when they built Iolani Palace out of snow (not ice). These are army trucks hauling in snow to the Odori Park site in early Jan.Feb 13, 2010
sa770-20100211_1667.jpg
Then the boys took off their clothes and jumped around. It must've been very cold. More Sapporo Snow Festival 2010 photos here.Feb 13, 2010
sa768-20100211_1637.jpg
Very lively group.Feb 13, 2010
sa769-20100211_1657.jpg
Also see my YouTube video here.Feb 13, 2010
sa766-20100211_1629.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa767-20100211_1645.jpg
They kept jumping up.Feb 13, 2010
sa765-20100211_1625.jpg
This yosakoi soran group was from Hokkaido University.Feb 13, 2010
sa763-20100211_1612.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa764-20100211_1618.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa762-20100211_1605.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa761-20100211_1598.jpg
Notice how the colored lighting varied between dark orange and white lighting.Feb 13, 2010
sa760-20100211_1594.jpg
On the final night of the snow festival, they had yosakoi soran groups perform. They turned out to be the entertainment climax in front of Iolani Palace.Feb 13, 2010
sa759-20100211_1525.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa758-20100211_1494.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa757-20100211_1527.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa756-20100211_1457.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa755-20100211_1522.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa754-20100211_1515.jpg
All they had to do is wear something Hawaiian and it would've been perfect. But of course, nobody thought of that.Feb 13, 2010
sa753-20100211_1511.jpg
Even though I was seeing all this entertainment totally unrelated to Hawaii, I have to say that the icy Iolani Palace made a great backdrop for these performers.Feb 13, 2010
sa752-20100211_1475.jpg
Sure it's cold to perform here. But look at these girls in shorts. They weren't shivering. This is another local wannabe Hokkaido girl group called "Cream."Feb 13, 2010
sa751-20100211_1430.jpg
And no one performed hula or anything Hawaiian in front of this Iolani Palace ice sculpture. It was sad and a wasted opportunity. They dance the hula everywhere in Japan except in front of an Iolani Palace sculpture?? Does that make sense to you?Feb 13, 2010
sa750-20100211_1425.jpg
As I was watching all this entertainment, how I wished there would be hula dancers too. Iolani Palace, being the home of King David Kalakaua who promoted hula in Hawaii, is a symbol of the hula movement. Feb 13, 2010
sa749-20100211_1418.jpg
Para-para dancerFeb 13, 2010
sa748-20100211_1439.jpg
A trio of girls perform the para-para dance.Feb 13, 2010
sa747-20100209_0431.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa746-20100209_0426.jpg
Another boy group called B-Luck.Feb 13, 2010
sa745-20100210_1141.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa744-20100210_1133.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa742-20100210_1111.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa743-20100210_1121.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa741-20100210_1107.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa740-20100210_1099.jpg
Other entertainment included amateur rock bands.Feb 13, 2010
sa739-20100209_0420.jpg
Rear view. HVB should round up the Hawaii folks living in Japan to help them promote Hawaii. Especially now, with the Internet, blogging, and word-of-mouth being so important for PR. But us guys in Japan haven't heard one peep from HVB.Feb 13, 2010
sa738-20100211_1591.jpg
ハワイPRの絶好のチャンスを完全に無視、逃がす。2百万人の来場者へのPRがパー。HPにもまったく掲載なし。Feb 13, 2010
sa737-20100209_0369.jpg
Look how beautiful this Iolani Palace ice sculpture is. I was red-faced not only from the cold, but also that no one from Hawaii did anything here.Feb 13, 2010
sa736-20100209_0381.jpg
No Hawaii events/entertainment in front of the Iolani Palace ice sculpture at the 2010 Sapporo Snow Festival. Hula is so popular in Japan, and no one danced hula in front of Iolani Palace in Sapporo??Feb 13, 2010
sa735-20100209_0378.jpg
Get in touch with people from Hawaii living in Sapporo/Hokkaido. They would volunteer to pass out Hawaii brochures or maybe even perform hula on the icy stage.Feb 13, 2010
sa732-20100209_0374.jpg
Hawaii needs more tourists to visit, especially the Japanese market. Why isn't HVB here promoting Hawaii with Iolani Palace in ice? This was a golden opportunity to promote Hawaii and NOBODY was doing it.Feb 13, 2010
sa733-20100209_0376.jpg
2 million people visit the Sapporo Snow Festival, many from China and Korea. Many of them would love to be in warm Hawaii.Feb 13, 2010
sa734-20100209_0375.jpg
I just CANNOT BELIEVE that HVB's English and Japanese Web sites neva even mention the Iolani Palace at this year's Sapporo Snow Festival.Feb 13, 2010
sa731-20100209_0373.jpg
It was very impressive and made my trip to Sapporo worthwhile. The lingering question remained: Where was the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau??? Why weren't they here passing out Hawaii PR brochures?Feb 13, 2010
sa728-20100209_0349.jpg
In the late afternoon, they start to light up the sculptures. Feb 13, 2010
sa729-20100209_0372.jpg
Iolani Palace ice sculpture lit up at night. The sculptures are lit up nightly till 10 pm. Ice sculptures in particular become very beautiful when lit at night due to their translucence.Feb 13, 2010
sa730-20100209_0370.jpg
The color lighting scheme also varies slightly. The sculpture is basically backlit with green lights in the middle and orange lights on the sides. At the same time, blue lights shine on the front of the sculpture.Feb 13, 2010
sa726-20100210_0835.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa725-20100210_0832.jpg
Girls in Hokkaido look healthy, thanks to Hokkaido's clean environment, wide-open spaces, and good food.Feb 13, 2010
sa724-20100210_0788.jpg
北海道美人Feb 13, 2010
sa727-20100210_0839.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa723-20100210_0847.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa722-20100210_0897.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa720-20100210_0881.jpg
Also see my YouTube video here.Feb 13, 2010
sa721-20100210_0893.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa719-20100210_0739.jpg
They should be cheerleaders.Feb 13, 2010
sa718-20100210_0873.jpg
Feb 13, 2010
sa716-20100210_0769.jpg
I could only wonder if these girls knew the significance of the sculpture they were performing in front of.Feb 13, 2010
sa717-20100210_0895.jpg
They turned out to be very lively. When you're dressed this lightly, it's best to move a lot to keep warm in freezing temperatures.Feb 13, 2010
sa715-20100210_0752.jpg
This is a local Hokkaido group dressed as school girls calling themselves Moegi-iro Jogakuin. もえぎ色女学院Feb 13, 2010
sa714-20100211_1337.jpg
Now for some entertainment in front of the Iolani Palace ice sculpture as the crowd waits.Feb 13, 2010
sa709-20100209_0164.jpg
Unfortunately, there was no sign in English explaining the Iolani Palace ice sculpture. I looked at this list of supporters and sponsors and found no one from Hawaii listed.おい、ハワイ州観光局はまったくいないぞ。Feb 13, 2010
sa710-20100209_0165.jpg
Like the other big sculptures, various free entertainment was held on a stage in front of the Iolani Palace sculpture. This was the entertainment schedule. I was very disappointed to find nothing Hawaiian.Feb 13, 2010
sa713-20100210_0557.jpg
Rear view of the Iolani Palace ice sculpture. Scaffolding propped up colored lights.Feb 13, 2010
sa712-20100210_0555.jpg
The Iolani Palace ice sculpture had a slim profile. This is a side view.Feb 13, 2010
sa711-20100210_0527.jpg
Facing the Iolani Palace sculpture were food stalls such as this German almond food stall. I couldn't comprehend why there weren't any Hawaii-related stalls instead. How about selling macadamia nuts or having a Hawaii Visitors Bureau booth??Feb 13, 2010
sa703-20100211_1362.jpg
The ice sculpture was built by over 250 members of the Japan Ice Sculpture Association. Most of the 250 were from the Sapporo chapter working as chefs at Sapporo area hotels. In Japan, ice sculptures are often featured at high-priced buffets, etc.Feb 13, 2010
sa708-20100211_1358.jpg
This was not the first time Iolani Palace was at the Sapporo Snow Festival. It was also featured in Feb. 1982 when it was made of snow (photos below).Feb 13, 2010
sa706-20100210_0535.jpg
Today, Iolani Palace is a major tourist attraction. Guided tours allow you to see the rooms inside, including the throne room and the small bedroom where Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii's last monarch, was held prisoner by Westerners who overthrew her. Feb 13, 2010
sa705-20100211_1369.jpg
The Iolani Palace is Hawaii's most famous building in Honolulu, Oahu. It is America's one and only former royal palace. Built in 1882 by King David Kalakaua as his residence. It had electricity installed, which was rare at the time.Feb 13, 2010
sa704-20100210_0534.jpg
It took about 2 weeks to build Iolani Palace out of ice. They started building it on Jan. 15, 2010. The sculpture was planned by Mainichi Shimbun Newspapers.Feb 13, 2010
sa702-20100210_0518.jpg
The Iolani Palace ice sculpture is 16 meters wide and 8 meters high. It was built with 700 large blocks of ice weighing 135 kg (298 lb.) each. Feb 13, 2010
sa700-20100210_0526.jpg
The 61st Sapporo Snow Festival was held during Feb. 5-11, 2010 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Among the giant snow sculptures was Hawaii's Iolani Palace made of ice. It was the reason why I decided to see this festival again.Feb 13, 2010
sa701-20100210_0545.jpg
Iolani Palace, a giant ice sculpture at the 61st Sapporo Snow Festival during Feb. 5-11, 2010. During the day, it has a translucent, blue look. It is the festival's largest ice sculpture. This block is officially called the Mainichi Shimbun Ice SquareFeb 13, 2010
     
145 files on 1 page(s)