Yuki Matsuri (Snow Festival)

My city (the towns in this area were merged into a city, although it does not resemble one) is having it's Yuki Matsuri this weekend. It was quite a big event...was fun, but cold when it started snowing.

The theme was "Enjoy snow as a friend, not as enemy in life" (you must understand the theme from the perspective that many people are tired of shovelling snow, have suffered damages or had accidents or been killed in snow-related incidents).

Many shops and houses in the town built snow torches or snow sculptures outside their shops or houses in celebration of the festival. It really adds to the mood of the whole event.

Retro buses provide a complementary shuttle service to and from the train station

Graffiti on snow walls pointing the way to the event venue

Snow torches lighting the path to the event venue

There were many stalls selling food, drinks, local produce (e.g. rice), clothes, accessories, etc.

One fish for only 100-yen!

Multi-coloured candy floss (check out the stall-owner's anpanman apron! Only in Japan will a grown man allow himself to be seen wearing such a cutesy apron in public, I think.)

Sit-down area to enjoy your food. I had tempura soba, vegetable korokke (cutlet) and a bag of Okinawa donuts for a total of only 1,000-yen!

There are also igloos (called kamakura) that you can rent. People usually toast mochi and drink amezake (sweet sake) in the kamakuras. They're pretty expensive to rent though.
Offerings to a folk deity who protects people from evil spirits and diseases are burnt

The main draw of the event is a huge snow stage featuring a model of the Sakado castle, which is now in ruins. Many performances are held on the stage during the day, including children's contests, celebrity look-alikes contest, etc.

I'm not sure what this kids' performance was about or why they're dressed like that

Kids' taiko drumming...most of them were shivering before they started cos they were only wearing shorts (you can see a short video of taiko performance here http://www.youtube.com/?v=RtPwgQ01oNI

Strange adults' dance performance

Fireworks!